I haven't read Piers Anthony since I was in high school and I remember him being a better author than what this book represents. I felt he over-explained much of the story and started several story threads that he didn't follow through on. I didn't think he built up much if any suspense one would expect from a book compared to Stephen King's works. It was a quick, easy read. Overall, I was disappointed.
Helpful Score: 2
After his wife is murdered by New York muggers, Joshua Pinson and his young family saw the inheritance of his uncle's estate in rural Florida as a godsend. But as he explored the thirty acres of forest that surrounded his new property Joshua soon discovered the whole area was haunted by strange spirits all too ready to welcome the new owner. And so the nightmare began, and in the country no one could hear you scream, and if they did the locals knew better than to respond. Could Joshua discover the land's terrifying secret before it turned him and his family into fertilizer?
Helpful Score: 1
"Shade of the Tree is set in Stephen king country...a fine and unpredictable tale."--The New York Times Book Review
"Standard trappings of horror fiction--haunted houses, ghosts, and chain-saws--undergo a new twist in a story that contains light humor and dark fantasy in an intriguing blend."--Library Journal
"Anthony's style is energetic and well paced...The plot captivates from the beginning. Nothing is wasted...Shade of the Tree promises to be a fine summer read."--Best Sellers
"Standard trappings of horror fiction--haunted houses, ghosts, and chain-saws--undergo a new twist in a story that contains light humor and dark fantasy in an intriguing blend."--Library Journal
"Anthony's style is energetic and well paced...The plot captivates from the beginning. Nothing is wasted...Shade of the Tree promises to be a fine summer read."--Best Sellers
Helpful Score: 1
This was a surprising story with twists that I didn't expect.
Helpful Score: 1
The estate was Joshua Pinson's inheritance from his oddball Uncle Elijah: isolated in the deep Florida woods, with a half-built solar house stocked with enough supplies to weather a siege. Josh decided it was time to take his two young children away from new York and the memories of their murdered mother. Time to make a new life in sunny Florida. There was just one thing Josh hadn't counted on.
The place was haunted.
The place was haunted.
