Review: Harry Wall's Man

Librarian at Dawn is reading up a storm.  He has another insightful review, this time for Harry Wall's Man by John Leahy.  Click through or read the review below.  And you authors out there, keep the solicitations for reviews coming.

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Monster Mondays: Harry Wall's Man

Despite the fact that it is a supernatural tale set in a modern metropolis, Harry Wall's Man by John Leahy reminded me of ancient folkloric tales like the Golem and Wicker Man. My girlfriend has me reading a small collection of wiccan books and this novel served as a bit of a distraction. A thrilling one!

The book centers around an architect named Ridley Case. Ridley's attention is drawn to a building with an unorthodox design developed by another architect with whom Ridley is acquainted. Built roughly in the shape of a man, the apartment tower is the domain of an otherworldly force. Captivated and hungry for answers, Ridley obtains the help and advice of a strange website webmaster Ray Deslak. It is then that information is uncovered that scarcely seems plausible. Feeding off of the life force of the very residents within, the entire structure is slowly becoming alive. The situation becomes even more dire when Deslak reveals that the building, once powerful enough, will gain the power of animation and begin to move and embark on a "walk" of devastation. Working against time, Ridley theorizes that he can prevent such a catastrophe by getting everyone who lives inside out of the building and stripping the "Man" of the only valuable life source it has. The tower is not a small one and Ridley and his story are not readily believable. A string of obstacles confront the possibility of success - and make for a wild ending.

The book has the vibe of classic haunted house stories like The Amityville Horror and The Shining but combined with a large-scale, urban setting and plot. Tall buildings are kind of scary by themselves and the notion of a possessed one is a literary device that I would love to see used more often in horror. There is a lot of potential for future books of this nature. This book is a wonderful start.