Review: Dark Halls - A Horror Novel

Dark Halls - A Horror Novel by Jeff Menapace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

No disrespect to Mr. King, but with this book, Jeff Menapace has cemented his status as my all time favorite supernatural horror author.

Dark Halls holds a few close personal ties for me. It takes place in Pennsylvania, where I grew up, and the protagonist is a male elementary teacher, which is how I began my career. Luckily, that is where the parallels between my life and Ryan's end... although Ryan is my middle name.

Ryan is a new hire at a "cursed" school, which has seen its fair share of murder, suicide, and other tragedies. Though he initially scoffs at the rumors, he quickly realizes there is more truth in these legends than most people realize.

The writing is fast-paced, succinct, and engaging, as has become customary in Menapace's work. While gory at times, it is not overtly so. The supernatural element makes sense in the context of the book, and even sets up a beautiful sequel opportunity. Though I do prefer Menapace to Stephen King now, I did draw some parallels between Pet Sematary and this book.

If you're a fan of Menapace's past work, definitely check this out. While this is in a different genre than his two best selling series (Bad Games and Wildlife), his writing still captured my attention from start to end. Fans of King, Koontz, and other supernatural thrillers will also enjoy this fun and creepy thriller.

Thank you to Jeff for a copy for me to read and review. All opinions are my own.

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