Customer Reviews
Superb but unsettling - By: Ms. K. Johnston, 23 Oct 2008 
I agree with the reviewer who disliked the opening chapter of The House of Lost Souls but once that was overcome, the novel had mein its bony grip & it was read within two days. F G Cottam can create unease & atmosphere so vividly & I could feel my scalp prickle when he described Wheatley's appearance on the battlefield. Abomination was truly described, & this is a novel not to be read at night!
Having read some of Dennis Wheatley's work, I have often wondered how deeply he delved into Satanism & this novel confirms those suspicions. Cottam writes about the 1920s & 1930s vividly, & you can almost smell the heavy scents used by both men & women of the time.
I gave this novel 4 stars as I felt the ending was something of a let-down, as if the author wasin a hurry to complete the novel. Up until the final chapters, the novel was unputdownable, so this was disappointing. Another gripe was the author's ambivalence towards the Irish: one minute accepting, the next damning. Perhaps this should have been downplayed & the author's prejudices kept to himself? The central character of Paul Seaton is a deeply troubled soul, but that should not be written off as Celtic whimsy & a propensity for alcohol.
Cottam's next novel looks like an intereting read, so I look forward to seeing whether the critics consider it a fitting follow-up to The House of Lost Souls.
Frightening but flawed - By: K. Davies, 25 Jun 2008 This book has one of the worst opening chapters i have ever read. I thought that I was reading Andy Mcnab by mistake, but it is definately worth struggling through it as it soon becomes one of the most disturbing stories that I have ever read. It reads like a true story, even down to the appearence of historical characters, although I cant imagine what Dennis Wheatleys family will make of it. I can only assume that Mr Cottam has some serious legal people behind him.
Chapters of this book are reminiscant of the devil rides out, penned by Dennis Wheatley, I doubt if I will ever view this moviein the same light again.
I dont know if Mr Cottam intends to continuein the horror genre, but I will certainly keep an eye out for future novels. A very good debut novel indeed.
Well written and atmospheric - By: A reader, 17 Jun 2008 This novel is better crafted than many ghost stories - it's more genuine intelligent literature than Stephen King, James Herbert & so on produce - let alone the never-ending vampire pulp novels which litter the horror section these days. I would describe it as more atmospheric & unsettling than gory or shocking, so if you like Richard Laymon, this probably ISN'T for you.
Clever and creepy - By: Annabel Gaskell, 25 May 2008 
A clever & creepy horror tale that ratchets up the tension throughout. I did find it out slightly drawn outin the middle, leaving only a few pages for the climax which was ultimately rather cerebral & less blood & gore than I was anticipating! I liked the device of introducing real bad boys Aleister Crowley & Dennis Wheatley to give some historical edge to the drama. The two main characters, the haunted Paul & soldier Nick complement each other well & give each other the courage to do what has to be done to put things to rest.
Sound - By: M. Marshall, 21 Apr 2008 Such is the current wretched state of supernatural fiction - all but buried beneath an avalanche of chick-lit vampires & girly horror tat (thanks Buffy) - that any above average addition to the genre is always welcome.
Cottam's tale of hauntings & demonology is no masterpiece but it is, for the most part, an intelligent & understated work that manages to keep the pages turning whilst avoiding the cliches of the genre - except for the now obligatory appearance of the overexposed Crowley. Unfortunately, like so many thrillers, supernatural or otherwise, it stumbles at the climax, which is a shame because the journey there is an intriguing one, containing some nice twists & turns (well I didn't see them coming) along the way.
One thing that struck me was its remarkably unflattering portrait of Dennis Wheatley (about whose life I know almost nothing) - unflattering,in fact, to the point of libellous, I'd imagine. Perhaps Cottam knows things that we don't.
If, like me, you're gagging for some adult-orientated supernatural fiction then you'll probably enjoy reading this book - there's not a vampire to be seen.
