"The Soul Stealer" by Graham Masterton is a supernatural thriller that offers a mix of intrigue and suspense. While it presents an engaging premise and moments of genuine tension, it also grapples with certain shortcomings that affect the overall reading experience.

One of the strengths of the novel is its intriguing premise, which revolves around the concept of a soul-stealing entity. Masterton's ability to craft an atmosphere of unease and mystery is evident throughout the narrative, particularly in the early stages of the story. The initial setup promises a gripping exploration of supernatural horror.

Gah, this just didnt do it for me. So many promising aspects but it never hit its stride. It was nearly there but with all the issues I cant give it higher than a 2.

Since I have been reading this author since the publication of his FIRST horror novel; The Manitou WAY back in 1975 i have been HOOKED and that is a good thing!!

The author goes back to where he started with dealing with the American Indian people, Tongan people, their beliefs in ancient Magic and what can go wrong if it gets in the wrong hands. This book has it all.....suspense, HORROR, and very graphic may I say, be WARNED!! If it only had a better and more scary book, he would get all his old fans back!! Highly recommended if you like your Horror thought provoking, fast moving, graphic and VERY believable. I LOVED it.!

5 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

I love how Masterton channels ancient Native American demons and supernatural elements in his thrillers. Starting with a slow burn beginning, the raw horror is close to follow. Not for the faint of heart, grim horror fans will enjoy the vivid imagery and creative atmospherics.

I didn’t really connect with this one unfortunately, I was really looking forward to it from the blurb but I thought it was lacking something.

Unfortunately this one didn’t quite click with me. I’d read Graham Masterton’s early work years ago when I read lots of horror books, but this time round I didn’t really get it. Whether my tastes have changed or something I don’t know.

The writing style was good and flowed well but there was something missing for me.

I’m sure many others will love this though, it just wasn’t right for my headspace currently

Firstly, a huge thank you to Aries and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I had to mark this book as DNF after only 15%. I really wanted to like this novel as I loved the idea of incorporating Native American folklore into horror as it's not something that I've seen done before. However, I really disliked the characterisation of the characters, particularly the women.

Personally, I'm not one to shy away from difficult topics in fiction, I do enjoy when authors tackle darker subjects but, in this instance, it didn't work for me at all. I understand that some characters are hyperbolic caricatures to make a point, nor are they all meant to be likeable, however, the dialogue and monologues of the women made it very difficult to take this book seriously or want to continue reading it. I also understand why some women may not be able to report a sexual assault or continue to associate with the abuser, however, the way this was addressed felt incredibly clumsy and insensitive with how the female character's thoughts were worded about the traumatic event.

Overall, I found that this opening was made worse with the constant telling the reader how the character is feeling and overtly over-explaining everything to us, ending up feeling more patronising and preaching rather than anything more meaningful.

Well worth the read. A good well rounded story. Gory but not too graphic. Not to dissimilar to his other books. There was lots of twists and turns in the story Which kept me reading on. Not overly keen on the cat part, found that part hard to read (that’s all I’ll say as I don't want to spoil it). Overall a great horror story.

A decent enough story about Native Gods and magic with a fair bit of blood and gore.
It took a bit to get into this book but once into it, the story chugged along at a good pace. The characters were well written, (I liked Nemo and instantly warmed to him) and the affluent setting was intriguing.
The premise really interests me but the book didn’t quite meet my expectations, worth a look though!

I have only read one other book by this author and I really enjoyed it.

This book though was not for me. It started out strong for me, but as soon as the Hollywood parties started I had a hard time staying invested. I understand that the author may have been trying to bring attention to the #MeToo movement, but the way the women were written made them seem too shallow and like they would just fall into anything in order to be famous.

I also wasn't a fan of how Native American folklore was used. I wanted more background on the traditions and the demon and it felt like the concept was just tossed into the story without a good explanation.

Gore and violence I can handle when it writing and the story are there to support its use, but with this story, I just felt like it didn't come together well enough.

Another fascinating read by this author, once more returning to Native American mythology and the corrosive effects on the modern world that its misuse brings through greed . A sharp read that moves along with a swift descriptive narrative that shocks and dismays through the events depicted and give you a closeness both to the protagonists and antagonists that at times belies credulity. In places disturbing and thought provoking. Graham truly has an understanding and gift for writing about the seemier side of ancient cultures and belief systems. Recommended if you want a good read that will scare the pants off you.
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Nemo, a former detective who is going to investigate a young woman's death, ruled a suicide by the police, realise that is not an easy case. Together, with Trinity, are going to face an American Indian demon to save many young girls. The violence against women is taken in.
It is a well-written story.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.

Nemo Frisby used to be a detective. Now he drives an Uber between billionaire mansions in California. But he never lost the nose for the case – and when his housecleaner Trinity Fox discovers a young woman lying dead in her neighborhood, she persuades him to help her prove it wasn't suicide.

Their investigation leads them to the Bel Air home of a wealthy movie producer, who built his mansion over an American Indian burial site. Ancient mythology tells of a demon who, if unearthed, can imbue evil men with terrible power. But only if the demon is fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives...

Strange and stupid are the two words that come to mind when I think about this book. I have now officially decided that I am NOT, nor ever will be a Masterton fan.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of the ‘out there’ horror genre and yes this novel, at times was scary and full of suspense… I get that! But men with massive scorpion peni sucking souls out of desperate starlets women and creepy voodoo ghost women lounging in bel air mansions just doesn’t do it for me. Sorry.

Men are fickle will do whatever it takes to gain fame, money and women isn’t a new concept but I just don’t know if I’m quite ready to believe that they’d sacrifice gorgeous blondes to an ancient Indian God to do so.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Ick...not often I can't find a positive in a book but I guess there is always a first time!!

This book was a challenge to get through. The overall plot line intrigued me but I hated the way women were written and talked about by this author. It completely took me out of the book.

3 Stars!

Getting a new Graham Masterton novel is a good thing but getting two new Masterton novels is a wonderful thing and that is what Head of Zeus brings this March. The Shadow People was released on March 1 and The Soul Searcher followed a couple days later. I was not able to quite finish this one prior to release but I got to it as quickly as I could for another scary journey through Masterton’s imagination.



Trinity Fox was excited to see her friend again. After she began to rise to fame in Hollywood, the chances to see her were scarce even though Trinity lived in LA. She never thought, though, that she would be witness to her friend’s death. When the police rule that it is a suicide, Trinity knows they are wrong and turn to Nemo Frisby for help. Nemo is an ex-detective who never shied away from trouble in pursuit of the truth. He vows to help Trinity uncover the cause of her friend’s death for better or for worse. Neither of them expected just how bad it could get.



Their investigation leads them to the mansion of a movie producer who built discovered the power lying in the sacred earth beneath his estate. The ancient burial grounds hold the gateway to a demon that can give him everything he wants as long as he provides the demon with what it wants: human blood. Nemo and Trinity find what really powers Hollywood in that mansion if Bel Air. Armed with some magic of their own and an unlikely ally, the duo will do whatever it takes to stop the demon and return it to the earthy grave it rose from. They will have to, after all, or they will never leave the house alive.



The Soul Stealer is not for the weak of heart or stomach and will not appeal to all readers. There is a lot of violence here and some passages of the book are a bit difficult to read. As per usual, Masterton walks the line of extreme horror and gratuitous violence and manages to keep just within the bounds. There were times in which I wanted to close the book to escape the horrors within but I felt compelled to keep reading. Trinity and Nemo, especially Trinity, just keep getting pulled deeper and deeper into the demon’s machinations that it seems as if they will not be able to find a way through. There is an almost oppressive tone to the novel that makes it a heavy read. Heavy on the soul, at least, as this is a very dark story. In the end, however, there is some good in the story just as there is in the world even in the darkest of times and things finally come together. Not in time to avoid tragedy, to be sure, but to at least salvage a chance at life. This is just like real life. Things may not always work out for the best but they usually sort themselves out to some extent. This gives the novel a realistic feel to it as the events unfold and ultimately wrap up.



That being said, though, The Soul Stealer is not one of Masterton’s best novels. The novel deals with the darker side of Hollywood and feels like a bit of a moral play that never really comes to fruition. As a tale of demonic forces at loose on the world, the story works to a large extent and the characters and situations seem to come to life. The larger story that Masterton seems to be telling, of the darkness of fame and fortune and the extent to which men and women will go to achieve these fleeting things, falls a little flat. The So ul Stealer is full of scenes of horror that come together to form a story that is loosely held together in the end. It is a tale of death and destruction in the pursuit of fame but feels like it could be much more. The Soul Stealer is an interesting tale that hints at the greatness Masterton has in the realm of horror but fails to rise to the level of most of his work. Fans of Masterton will enjoy the novel for what it is but new fans would be better off reading one of his other works in order to see a master at his best.



I would like to thank Head of Zeus and NetGalley for this review copy. The Soul Stealer is available now.

The Soul Stealer by Graham Masterton was an ok read. i was gripped from the very beginning however, sadly I lost interest which never happens when I read his books. Maybe it was too long? but it I finished it, between books.
It will not be the last book I read, I reckon this book is a one off.......... Graham is an author that always surprises me every time..

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC.

A complex take on horror and mystery that was intriguing yet solemn. I loved the title and the look of this book and felt it gave off the vibes I was expecting. Looking forward to seeing more of this authors work in the future and would recommend it to those who enjoy Stephen King and the like.

Thank you Netgally and the publisher for the advanced copy.
I really enjoyed this book, the plot, the setting and the characters was great, intense and kept me reading constantly until the end.

Yeesh, this review is not pleasant so I’ve paired the book with a cute basket of spring eggs to brighten things up!

I really did not like this. I thought the characters were boring and predictable and I particularly didn’t like the way women were written. The basic concept was interesting, and I really like folk horror, but it kind of just devolved from there. This is my first Graham Masterson, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be compelled to read any more of his books. Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The e-version of this novel is out now.