Stunts (Tor Horror)

Rating:
Summary: Dark Fantasy master stumbles with this one
Review: Charles Grant usually writes excellent gothic type thrillers, but this it not one of them. Two weakly connected stories come together. The first about a struggling American teacher turned writer living in England dealing with a friend who has both gone mad and apparently gained the ability to cause horrible accidents or death with a simple touch, the second about a click of his former students back home (in New England of course) getting ready to pull the usual 'stunts' (aka pranks) on Halloween night. While sporting Grant's keen eye for atmosphere and undstanding of character, the tale just did not come together for me. A disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Promising story ruined by weak ending
Review: Expatriate American teacher Evan Kendal and British doctor Addie Burwin find themselves involved and on the run from Addie's husband Paul, who has apparently been touched by some kind of evil that causes both physical and mental decay, as well as giving him the power to cause catastrophes. Back in Evan's hometown, something similar seems to have happened to Evan's uncle. All of this is presently effectively, which is what makes the conclusion such a disappointment. All of the various plot threads come together, but it all feels very arbitrary and sketchy. The final explanation for the supernatural goings-on is vague. Also, Mr. Grant does not write teenagers well; the grammar, vocabulary, and references in their conversation makes them all sound like people in their forties.