Ash

Deep in the countryside, ghost hunter David Ash is investigating a mysterious, secluded stately home. Reports from locals regarding strange goings-on make him think the house is haunted... But not even David Ash's long professional history of warding off evil spirits can prepare him for the shocking discovery that awaits. International bestselling horror writer James Herbert weaves a terrifying narrative featuring his best-loved character, David Ash, the skeptical detective of the paranormal introduced in the UK number one bestsellers, Haunted and The Ghosts of Sleath.  Prepare to be chilled to the marrow…

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Before you horror-flick fans get too excited, no, this is not a book about Ash, Bruce Campbell’s iconic cult hero from the Evil Dead movies. It is, however, a big, thrilling, pull-all-the-stops novel featuring David Ash, the skeptical psychic investigator who was introduced in Haunted (1988) and made his second appearance in The Ghosts of Sleath (1994). It’s been awhile since fans have seen Ash, but they’ll be pleased to note that he’s lost none of his straight-shooting attitude and keen ability to distinguish between fear and paranoia and genuine otherworldly goings-on. The book, which finds Ash hired by a secretive organization to investigate the suspected haunting of a sanatorium with some very special residents, begins with a famous celebrity death (the celebrity isn’t named, but the date is the giveaway) and ends with a certain royal personage uttering some very uncharacteristically coarse words. In between, there are plenty of surprises, including the solution to at least one famously unsolved disappearance that has haunted the world since the mid-1970s. Longer than both the earlier Ash novels combined, the book justifies its page count by offering a gripping mixture of paranormal and traditional thriller elements. Imagine Herbert channeling Dan Brown and you’ll have some idea of what he’s up to here. --David Pitt

About the Author

Horror writer JAMES HERBERT was born in London, England. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a singer and an art director for an advertising agency. His novels (including The Rats, The Fog, Others, and Ash) have sold more than forty-two million copies worldwide and have been translated into thirty-three languages, including Russian and Chinese. A handful of James’s novels have been the basis for films, such as 1982’s Haunted, starring Aiden Quinn and Kate Beckinsale. More recently, The Secret of Crickley Hall was adapted into a 3-part BBC miniseries. In 2010, Herbert was named a Grand Master of Horror by the World Horror Convention and was awarded an OBE.

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