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  • Haunted

  • David Ash Series, Book 1
  • By: James Herbert
  • Narrated by: Steven Pacey
  • Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,176 ratings)
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Haunted cover art

Haunted

By: James Herbert
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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Editor reviews

A wildly popular master of suspense throughout the 1980s, James Herbert’s fast-paced, high-urgency storytelling has found new life in the audiobook format, where his pause-resistors have staked their place for posterity. The action-packed immediacy of his work lends itself well to vocal interpretation, and fervent English actor Steven Pacey (Blake’s 7, Distant Shores) proves it with his crisp, quick-clipped conveyance of Haunted, in which Herbert introduces dogged reporter David Ash. When Ash investigates claims of paranormal activity at an aged rural estate, he suddenly finds himself trapped inside the haunted house, chased by nightmarish ghosts from his past. With riveting psychological suspense that recalls such greats as Agatha Christie and Stephen King, Haunted weaves elements of horror, mystery, and fantasy to spine-chilling effect.

Summary

A ghostly twist. Three nights of terror at the house called Edbrook. Three nights in which David Ash, there to investigate a haunting, will be victim of horrifying games. Three nights in which he will face the blood-chilling enigma of his own past. Three hideous nights before Edbrook's dreadful secret will be revealed...And the true nightmare will begin.to the surface, tormenting him, refusing to let him rest. The memory of what he once had been.

James Herbert was one of Britain’s greatest popular novelists and our #1 best-selling writer of chiller fiction. Widely imitated and hugely influential, he wrote 23 novels which have collectively sold over 54 million copies worldwide and been translated into 34 languages. Born in London in the forties, James Herbert was art director of an advertising agency before turning to writing fiction in 1975.

His first novel, The Rats, was an instant bestseller and is now recognised as a classic of popular contemporary fiction. Herbert went on to publish a new top ten best-seller every year until 1988. He wrote six more bestselling novels in the 1990s and three more since: Once, Nobody True and The Secret of Crickley Hall. Herbert died in March 2013 at the age of 69.

©1988 James Herbert (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

“Herbert was by no means literary, but his work had a raw urgency. His best novels, The Rats and The Fog, had the effect of Mike Tyson in his championship days: no finesse, all crude power. Those books were best sellers because many readers (including me) were too horrified to put them down.” (Stephen King)

“There are few things I would like to do less than lie under a cloudy night sky while someone read aloud the more vivid passages of Moon. In the thriller genre, do recommendations come any higher?” (Andrew Postman, The New York Times Book Review)

“Herbert goes out in a blaze of glory” ( Daily Mail)

What listeners say about Haunted

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Haunted

The only problem with this book is that it is too short!
Apart from that its a very clever little story and it does in fact trick you all the way, when it ended I thought oh my god I did not expect that!
After listening to ash I wanted more and got it in this book David Ash at his best goes to investigate another haunting in a remote mansion its a creepy little horror story and not what you think!

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16 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A cracking haunted house story!

So great to read this haunted house gem set back in the late 80s in the days before mobile phones when you had to put silver coins into a public phone box to make a call. So of course back then it wasn’t so easy to call for help whilst being haunted by mysterious, unexplained, ghostly events as it would be now.....

The first of the David Ash Trilogy and an easy to become absorbed into horror read. I’m straight into the Second in the trilogy on the strength of this first.

A good, clear narrator makes for a superb, all round presentation.

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9 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A pretty good read.

Ok so I have just finished the classic book, The Rats also by James Herbert and this does not come close. if you haven't read it yet then buy that one instead, This doesn't mean this is a bad book its not. It's just The Rats is a true classic, and this while being an excellent book is no classic. That being said I did enjoy this book and will be buying the sequel.

The narrator Steven Pacey was extent and the quality of the recording were very good.

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5 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A Ghost Story

This is a short novel that introduces David Ash and the Psychical Institute. Pacey's reading of the story is clear and well paced. The story is a little weak but is worth indulging if you want to read/listen to the longer books in the trilogy. This is no 'Stephen King' but Herbert fans will not be too disappointed.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Haunted house tale

I used to love James Herbert when I was in my late teens/early twenties (about 40 years ago!) but hadn't read this one, but I do love a haunted house story.

Sceptical paranormal investigator David Ash is an interesting character, not really very likeable. The story itself is entertaining, though not particularly unique and did feel quite dated (originally written in the 80s) but it was quite chilling at times.

Steven Pacey does a good job with the narration.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Came for Steven Pacey..

Came for the narrator Steven Pacey,. Stayed for the story and Steven Pacey. Totally recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic!

Love James Herbert but this book and the other two in this series' are my favourites. The ghosts of sleath and Ash by both great books as well. Well worth the money. When I joined this site they were the first three books I downloaded.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent ghost story

A very good story that keeps rewarding the reader in its typical dark journey to the end. There's moments of excellence and moments that have dated badly, generally this is a very strong story.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Classic Ghost story

Let me just say for the record, I did enjoy this Audiobook. Even though it was fairly predictable, that could be just because of its age though? There were no dull parts and the story is written well enough for you to lose yourself in the plot.

However I couldn't help but wonder if it weren't for Steven Pacey Narrating would I'd be enjoying this story? I could listen to that man describe paint drying and still enjoy it.
Some of his character voices kept taking me back to Joe Abercrombie books as well.

I'm glad this book is relatively short otherwise this could have been a different review.
Not sure if I'll be continuing the trilogy though?
Undecided.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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corrupt edition

At around chapter 7, we have a chapter of another book all together. I believe it's part of the Ash trilogy but it's not Haunted. Also, I think there may be chapters missing from later in the novel. Its been a while since I read the paperback. Definitely, the early chapter 7 (ish) is NOT from Haunted.

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