Publisher's Weekly
Talbot's latest novel (after The Bog) is a bit of an oddity. Although ostensibly a horror story, stylistically it's reminiscent of a Hardy Boys adventure, emanating such an aura of wholesomeness and innocence that it's difficult for the reader to believe that anything can go terribly wrong. Nevertheless, the weird house that is its setting does arouse the reader's curiosity. To this secluded place, a mansion of 160 rooms constructed like an M. C. Escher painting, come Lauren Ransom, her 11-year-old son Garrett and her new husband Stephen for a summer vacation. Within days Stephen has revealed himself to be a no-good and absconded, leaving Lauren and Garrett to fend for themselves. By this time, bizarre events have been multiplying, and when Lauren investigates the labyrinthine, distorted halls and rooms, she comes across what may be a door to Hell. The ending doesn't quite deliver, but it's fun getting there. Literary Guild alternate.