Description: This is a haunted house story spanning five decades. Every nine years, in an alley near a British working-class pub, a narrow iron door appears in a brick wall. A stranger emerges through the door and invites a carefully selected passerby through the door and into Slade House. Once inside, no one ever leaves.
Plot: The book tells the story of five such nine-year appearances of the iron door, the five people who enter through the door and into Slade House, and what happens to them. With each person, the reader learns more about the house, the occupants, and the reason for the appearance of the door. By the fifth person, it was getting a little tedious, so I guess it ended right where it should have.
Characterization: The occupants of the house, and each of the five persons who subsequently enter the house through the iron door, are reasonably developed and distinct. The occupants are anti-heroes, the reader doesn't necessarily like them too much, but does end up rooting for them [at least I did]. Near the end I wasn't sure whether I wanted them to succeed or fail.
Setting: British working-class neighborhood and pub. Nicely described. Very creepy.
Other: This isn't a genre I usually read, but I found the book entertaining. It's supposed to be a side excursion in the same world as this author's book The Bone Clocks. I haven't read that book, but I was still able to enjoy this story.
Overall: A very good story for those who enjoy supernatural and/or haunted house stories, and horror stories like Stephen King writes. This book was read by Thomas Judd and Tania Rodrigues and I thought the voices were perfect.
Grade: B+
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