The Booker: The M/M Haunted House Novel of Horror and Suspense

Enjoyable read. I was pleasantly surprised and happy that I got it. Loved Simon/Felicia and Barry moments. I thought they were absolutely adorable.

One of the things I like best about this authors writing is her finely nuanced characters. Even minor characters have depth so they leap off the pages. I also like how she can take mundane characters living mundane lives and turn them into some of the most interesting people I wish I could meet. She doesnt write about beautiful people living lives ordinary folk can only imagine, but about people you could pass in the street every day and not even see them. And then she makes you realise that the most ordinary person - that one you passed in the street - has strength, love and compassion, turning them from ordinary to amazing, and you will wish you had people like that in your life. The Booker is a horror story, but it isnt a slasher novel. There are gory bits but the author knows when to describe and when to allow you to fill in the rest with your imagination - and when to throw in a dash of humour. The story blends the paranormal with the everyday living of everyday people, and the romance is beautifully written, making me quite envious of the burgeoning relationship. The main protagonist is on a journey of self-redemption, making you cheer for him as he discovers hes actually a pretty good bloke, scary things that go more than bump in the night notwithstanding. The setting is so authentically Australian that I felt a pang of homesickness, even though I most definitely do not want to go to that particular hotel ever. The story is great, but the way the characters accept and embrace each other for who they really are is what you will remember and perhaps aspire to. Also, Clarence the cat. I need a Clarence.

An interesting story about love and music in a haunted hotel. Unfortunately for our heroes they find that there are worse things than ghosts.

A unique blend of horror, humour and sweet romance, The Booker is the perfect Sunday night read. Its scary enough to give you the authentic frisson of fear, but not enough to ruin your nights sleep after youve finished it. Although, I dont know that Id have wanted to go to bed with the book half finished. A particular pleasure for me in Hudsons work is the pure authenticity of her settings and characters. Hudson is wise enough to write about the places she knows, and this gives her work a depth and lustre that cant be faked. Starting this book was like stepping off a plane at Tullamarine after too long away, smelling the faint hint of eucalyptus in the air, hearing the Greek accents of the baggage handlers and knowing one was home. Even in serious passages, random sharp spikes of humour throw sparks of light. The band names (Thermal Shitstain) are a sheer pleasure. The characters deserve a mention; even minor characters are finely drawn and utterly believable. Oh, and Clarence the cat! Who hasnt known a Clarence! As if all this were not enough, we also have the slow blossoming of a romance as best friends develop into lovers. Its sweet, touching, and beautiful. I dont often say this, but this is one Ill read again and again.

Weird, surreal, and a little hard to follow at first, but the main characters gentle humanity and concern for his friends made me want to know how it all came out. Wonderfully strange.

Barry Matthews former guitarist of The Maggots now has a new career. He’s working for Mrs. Wintergarden overseeing renovations for Boardwalk View Hotel built in 1889. He hopes to get, what once was a spectacular hotel back in shape and promote venues for the hotel. Barry is special in a way, he has no problem with the ghostly goings on at the Boardwalk until some very horrid things start to happen. He has a best friend, Simon/Felicia, depending upon what he’s wearing. They get along just fine. It never bothers Barry who shows up, Simon or Felicia, he’s very accepting of both. Barry also has a few other friends that stay at the hotel. Charles a musician who still finds gigs and he tries to encourage Barry to return to The Maggots. There’s Pete, who Barry has especially taken to helping, as he was fighting an addiction and has been slowly recovering. And then there’s Clarence, the very odd cat, who keeps Barry company. Barry is pretty accepting of the ghostly occurrences at the Boardwalk until they get violent and he can’t understand what’s going on. He finally seeks out Mrs. Wintergarden and finds out the truth about the fight for the Boardwalk and the violence created by Moretti’s. Barry and Simon are dragged even deeper into the eerie events that take them back in time and if they don’t escape they could both end up dead. First time read for me by Grace Hudson. A definite entertaining paranormal tale, packed with gory violence, horror, corruption, greed and murder. The author comes through with in-depth descriptions of the settings and characters. It all adds up to the just right amount of eerie horror. Barry and Simon are such great characters. It’s a revelation to both of them as they slowly learn more about each other and a sweet relationship starts to grown. Simon especially brings humor into the tale. “The Booker” was a page-turner for me and an excellently written horror story.