Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable, if predictable
Review: Furnace is an enjoyable read for those who are into the less gory and more creepy type of horror fiction. While not quite achieving Stephen King-esque complete lack of style, Gray does use very straightforward storytelling, which is so effective in horror novels. The story is generally engaging, despite being utterly predictable. Predictability in itself is not a bad thing (it's what puts the suspense in an Hitchcock film) but it loses its luster when you are not supposed to have "figured it out".On a couple of occasions Gray is a tad too aware of the fact that she is writing a horror novel and embarrassing phrases like "It was Hell calling" sneak in. Characters are nearly three dimensional, but mostly boil down to walking stereotypes. The reader does get a sense of the main character, Josh Spiller, having some depth to him; however he is about the only one who does and it's not particularly well-explored. Nevertheless, I did find Furnace to be an "page-turner" and would recommend it to others with the above caveats in mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable with just a few surprises
Review: I beg to differ with some of the reviewers who call "Furnace" a great read and compare author Muriel Gray with the likes of King and Koontz. Oh, the book starts out with enough action to set the tone and keep the reader involved, but unfortunately, starts to lose steam near the halfway point. Trucker Josh Spiller finds himself trying to decide if saving his relationship with his now-pregnant girl friend is worth the effort. As he tries to sort out his thoughts while on the job, he makes a "wrong turn" into the town of Furnace, Virginia, where his life becomes changed forever. There's no denying that Josh is a solid enough character, but I can't really say that any of the other characters will extend too far beyond your short-term memory limits. The writing is uneven enough to make the plot jumpy and somewhat hard to stay with. And, the "hold" that local witch, Nelly McFarland, has over the locals is just a little too much to believe. As the plot finally decelerates to it's inevitable climax, you won't be either surprised or overjoyed by the conclusion; maybe just relieved that it's over. But, don't take my word for it, because a number of other reviewers obviously think differently. Just don't say you haven't been warned!
Rating:
Summary: Predictable with just a few surprises
Review: I beg to differ with some of the reviewers who call "Furnace" a great read and compare author Muriel Gray with the likes of King and Koontz. Oh, the book starts out with enough action to set the tone and keep the reader involved, but unfortunately, starts to lose steam near the halfway point. Trucker Josh Spiller finds himself trying to decide if saving his relationship with his now-pregnant girl friend is worth the effort. As he tries to sort out his thoughts while on the job, he makes a "wrong turn" into the town of Furnace, Virginia, where his life becomes changed forever. There's no denying that Josh is a solid enough character, but I can't really say that any of the other characters will extend too far beyond your short-term memory limits. The writing is uneven enough to make the plot jumpy and somewhat hard to stay with. And, the "hold" that local witch, Nelly McFarland, has over the locals is just a little too much to believe. As the plot finally decelerates to it's inevitable climax, you won't be either surprised or overjoyed by the conclusion; maybe just relieved that it's over. But, don't take my word for it, because a number of other reviewers obviously think differently. Just don't say you haven't been warned!
Rating: 
Summary: So brilliant I can't sleep
Review: I came to this 'coz a friend said it gave them nightmares. Believe me, it will. It's the unseen stuff, the things that Josh the hero doesn't know but simply suspects, that keeps you checking the noise at the window while you read. This chick rules. Anyone know when her next one is due?
Rating:
Summary: Paced to Beat Lighning, Original Horror, Sick and Twisted!
Review: I had never heard of Muriel Gray until I saw the sleek mass market paperback cover of Furnace shouting out at me from the shelves of a local bookstore. The back seemed intriguing enough to buy and put in my WinterRead pile. Well, I just finished this book (I started yesterday) and let me just say WOW! Paced to beat lightning, this book didn't let up until the end! Josh Spiller is a long distance truck driver who happens to take a wrong turn into a very sinister Virginia town. A town by the name of Furnace. While attempting to find his way out of the town a strange looking woman pushes a baby filled stroller under Josh's big rig. When Josh stops, dumbfounded and horrified by what has just happened the woman is nowhere to be seen, unfortunately the remains of the baby are. Josh is quickly absolved form any wrongdoing and shaken, he's back on the road. But this time, it's the road to Hell. This story has all the elements of a classic Horror tale. The small town that keeps sinister secrets. Monsters both human and some worse. Dark rituals. Rich characterization. Action packed sequences that terrify and make you continue to read with white-knuckled tension. Don't start reading this at night if you have to work in the morning, you might miss out on some sleep! Muriel Gray earned herself a fan with this one. Note: the author is apparently from Scotland and you might note some British spellings of words, but don't worry, Mrs. Gray's knowledge of America never comes into question. I sincerely hope the front cover of the book isn't lying and that we can expect Furnace to be coming to movie screens soon. Definitely cinematic. I'm also looking forward to reading Muriel Gray's first Horror novel, Trickster. A great, fun read for Horror fans and Action fans alike. Three Days Alive Permitted.
Rating:
Summary: Great beginning but goes bad quickly halfway thru.
Review: I loved this book at the start. The story was so engaging and ominous. The baby being run over at the start and the evil, evil, evil looking bird following Josh everywhere had me hooked. The characterization was ace too and I felt for Josh a great deal in many of his dire circumstances. But then the plot just got bogged down in hokey black magic mumbo jumbo. It lost control and just went crazy. Perhaps I didn't read it right or had other expectation but I think that it all could have been told in a better and less stupidly from that point on. Too bad considering such a strong opening.
Rating:
Summary: Great update of Casting the Runes!
Review: Let me start by asking this question "are you tired of reading Koontz, King, Laymon, or Saul?" I know I am!. Muriel Gray's a fresh new voice in the festering bog of horror, she's an excellent writer, sort of a combination Gary Brandner, Thomas Tessier, Rex Miller hybrid. Her first book [Trickster] was well written, suspenseful and scary. Overall pretty good...not bad for a first novel. Unfortunately she's being compared to Dean Koontz...ICK! whose first novels weren't even half this good!(don't beleve me? try [Shattered], [Twilight Eyes], [Demon Seed], [Coldkill], they're ultra stinkers!!!),People of a higher intellect might find them predictable, stupid, commercial garbage. His books are littered with cardboard cut out characters, sprinkled with generous amounts of incondite dialogue(especially his child protagonists who say the most unbelievable, intellectually insulting crap ever put in print). Most of his novels have sell out endings (happy! happy! joy! joy!) everybody feel warm and fuzzy, this is not what I read horror for. His books(along with King's) don't translate well to film. Stephen King (Blue collar horror), who unfortunately they're also comparing poor Ms. Gray to,(whom she's nothing like) is not a fair assessment, it gives readers false impressions and expectations!....she is an original! just let her stand on her own, she's a wonderful storyteller who writes gripping, hard hitting, straight to the bone marrow horror! and currently the best female author writing now. I hope to read more of her in the future. Try reading "Casting the Runes" by M.R.James a classic short story that obviously inspired this book or watch "Curse of the Demon" an excellent film adaption.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely not my favorite
Review: Other reviewers related the story so I'll stick to my critique...The story itself isn't too bad. I didn't expect the twist toward the end; the book was interesting enough to keep me occupied in the airport.
I didn't care for her gory description in the beginning, about the baby who got run over by the main character's truck. Anyone who is the least bit squeamish will most likely feel ill if they also have a good imagination like I do. I also thought it could be scarier, it just didn't feel believable to me. (for instance, I like Stephen King because some of his material is closer to reality and the way people actually act.) Other reviewers also had good points about some of the language being a bit different. Basically, it's okay if you have nothing better to read.
Rating:
Summary: Gray Does Tourneur Does James
Review: This book could be considered a sequel, of sorts, to Jacques Tourneur's famous horror film Curse of the Demon, which is based on M. R. James' classic story, "Casting the Runes." The plot is pretty well identical to Tourneur's creepy masterpiece, only updated and relocated from England to the hills of West Virginia. Long-distance trucker Josh Spiller finds himself off the beaten track in an oddly affluent little mountain town called Furnace, where a woman cold-bloodedly pushes an infant in its stroller in front of his eighteen-wheeler. The local constabulary are in no doubt it was an accident, but they don't believe his story about the woman pushing the baby - Spiller's description of her is that of their town benefactoress and councillor, Nelly McFarlane. Stymied, Spiller leaves town and picks up a teenaged girl hitchhiker named Griffin, who is anxious to leave Furnace because she considers it a bad place, though she won't say precisely why. Soon, Spiller notices diabolical phenomena following him around - sulfurous smells, evil apparitions, claw marks in his truck - and the discovery of an unidentified parchment in his wallet is fingered by Griffin as the cause. Seems Furnace's financial prosperity is attached to a little old-fashioned witchcraft, and the runic parchment in Spiller's possession is a supernatural tracking device for a demonic assassin due to dismember Spiller before daybreak - that is, unless he can figure out exactly who slipped it to him, and can slip it back to them before the appointed hour... This novel suffers badly from excess padding and a plot-point for plot-point lift from Tourneur - but it is quite well-written and enjoyable on its own merits, all the same. Anyone who enjoys this book would be well advised to check out its inspirations - and the same goes vice-versa, for fans of Tourneur's movie and James' original story.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe not original but highly readable
Review: This book may not be very original, but the characters are believable and things keep moving along. There is a fairly entertaining twist at the end of the book involving a major character that I didn't see coming. The description of the demon/elemental was decently scarey. I also liked the the protagonist was an alchemist and not a witch; I thought that was an interesting twist on the genre. Recommended.
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