"The Manor" by Scott Nicholson
Reviewed by: Tracy Vonder Brink

Ephram Korban was an eccentric industrialist who made a fortune after the Spanish American War. He used his profits to build Korban Manor, an imposing mansion set deep in the Appalachian Mountains. He established a sort of artists' colony in the Manor, inviting all types of artists to come and work there, and when he died his legacy specified that the Manor continue to be used as an artists' retreat. What the current group of artists in residence doesn't know is that Korban's seeming generosity concealed pure evil and that his spirit is alive and well, lurking in the Manor, waiting for them.

There's nothing quite like curling up with a good haunted house story when the wind is howling outside, and this one makes a great companion to stormy weather. It's a haunted house in the classic, traditional sense, because although there are a couple of gory scenes, for the most part the chills are based on the gradual revelation of Korban's dark past and on the Manor's manipulation of the hapless artists. It reminds me of Shirley Jackson's impeccable "The Haunting", and I think that's intentional, since one of the characters even quotes it.

The spooky atmosphere is developed thoroughly through a roving viewpoint that moves through the characters' experiences in the Manor. There are five artists who become the focal point of the Manor's attentions, as well as a descendant of Korban's who lives in the Manor, various creepy servants, and an old mountain witch woman. The story starts slowly while filling in the artists' backgrounds but then picks up speed heading toward a climactic showdown between Good and Evil. It's a don't miss for fans of eerie, ominous haunted houses. 3 1/2 stars.

Publisher:  Pinnacle, 2004, $5.99
ASIN/ISBN: 0786015802