The Deceased

by Tom Piccirilli

Book Overview

On the anniversary of the slaughter of his family at the hands of his sister, Jacob Maelstrom is drawn back to the house that was the scene of a living nightmare. Aside from the awful memories,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843947527
• ISBN13: 9780843947526
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

A Good Mix of Horror/Fantasy

An avid reader of ghost stories, I plucked this book off the shelf as soon as I laid eyes on it. The Deceased is a combination of horror and fantasy, intertwined with mystery. Jacob Maelstrom is a popular slash and gore writer who is haunted by the gruesome murder/suice of his entire family. The story begins at a local neighborhood park, where Jacob sits and compares his work with that of his late father, Isaac. On the tenth anniversary of the slaying, Jacob sets out for the family's island home to work out the tragedy. What he finds instead are the strange creatures, whom he calls the muses, and Elizabeth, a sick little girl who calls to him from his bedroom closet. Then there is the family--brother Joseph, who hates him for no apparent reason; Rachel, who killed her family but spared Jacob; and Mom, a weak wallflower who seems resigned to her fate. In the meantime, Lisa (his agent/mentor's secretary/lover) and her fragile best friend, Katie, follow Jacob out to the house. Lisa hopes this trip will save Katie, an avid fan of Jacob's, from committing suicide over the loss of her lover and unborn child. Unbeknownst to them, the chaos has already begun inside the Maelstrom house. The women soon find out that something is heinously wrong with the house and Jacob. Both try to fight their way out as Jacob learns some new truths about his relationship with his father shortly before the climax. The Deceased is a highly original and should not be missed by horror fans.

Wonderful Haunted House Tale!

Great supernatural story involving two women who decide to visit a writer one night in his haunted home. His family all had their heads chopped off by his sister and they're not too pleased about it. This book creeped me out so much in parts that I could only read it during the day...who knew a wheelchair could be that darn scary? I should also add that this is by far one of the best written horror novels I've ever come across. Not your average 'meat and potatoes' writing style that one usually find in the genre. I highly recommend this book...horror at its best!

A mammoth of a horror tale!!

When I started reading the opening chapter of THE DECEASED, I couldn't tell which, if any, of the characters I was introduced to were alive or dead...or in some other state. The second chapter explains a few things about who is and isn't alive. After that, the novel goes down a vortex of violence, insanity, intensity and just plain vileness. This opus is about journeys, redemption and confronting the never-dead past. It is literate at the same time it is violent; clear as the mud some of the characters wallow in. This is not a linear point A to Point B novel. Hell no! Piccirilli serves up some great characters, tosses them a ton of plot and masterfully lets the characters deal with it all to end in a satisfying conclusion. The story is about Jacob Maelstrom, an author following in his famous father's footsteps. Both write horror books. Jacob is a survivor of a massacre at his parents' house in Stonethrow, an island unto itself. Jacob's father Isaac brought his whole family (wife, wheelchair bound brother Joseph, sister Rachel and Jacob) there to escape the fandom his writing has wrought. An attempted kidnapping of Rachel was the last straw for Isaac. Upon moving in, isolation lends a hand in turning this family onto madness. Jacob's mom is non confrontational, brother and sister are way too close to be healthy, and Jacob is a loner trying to fit in. He's the Third, as his siblings call him, the youngest of three children. Also in the plot is the agent of both writers, Bob Wakely, his assistant (and concubine) Lisa. Katie is Lisa's sister, a huge Maelstrom devotee and, oh yeah, just out from the mental hospital ('The Ding-a-ling wing', as Picirrilli puts it). Katie is in the hospital for a horrific event in her past that she can't come to terms with. The house on Stonethrow is a place with a checkered history to say the least. 10 years ago the Maelstroms were victims of Rachel's ax attack...decapitating all except Jacob, who survived in a closet. Rachel's final act was her suicide by the same blade. Jacob has been renting out the house these past years to other writers of horror who live in the house for inspiration. Nobody's ever really heard the whole story, so on the anniversary, Jacob goes back to face his past. Katie is taken to the house by Lisa. Katie and Jacob share traumatic pasts and, therefore, a strong bond. How strong is the test. Seems Jacob's family is coming back for the last surviving member of their clan. Piccirilli's knack for making all of this believable is genius. On one page he talks about Lisa's pregnancy, the next part deals with Jacob seeing someone familiar in a closet. The author switches back and forth between reality and insanity. Add in a touch of Alice In Wonderland-like fantasy and you have wood nymphs, aquatic angels, imaginary (or real) friends and enemies. I mean when is a turtle just a turtle? Overall the narrative shook me up emotionally and physically, dealing with real

A bizarre and terrifying novel

The Deceased is one of the strangest and emotionally charged horror novels I've ever read. One thread of the story is simplistic on the surface: a man goes back to his childhood home on the ten year anniversary of the murders of his family. But even before he gets there the plot twists and coils like mad and we meet up with ghosts, insanity, ax killings, a strange breed of creatures living in the deep woods, and other assorted weirdness. Piccirilli manages to blend all these elements into a convincing tale of terror, deathless love, and possible redemption. Definitely give it a shot.

Piccirilli chills again

Where Piccirilli's HEXES proved supernatural horror does not have to rely upon special effects, THE DECEASED shows us a haunted house tale can be so much more than thumping at windows and doors. In this case, the protagonist's sister has murdered their entire family with an axe and kills herself, leaving him the only survivor. And if that weren't enough to start, their heads have never been found. Years pass before he finally returns home to face the ghosts of his cruel and twisted family, and the strange half animal/half human "muses" he has left behind. Piccirilli weaves a superb, dark atmosphere for the book and his narrative flow easily grabs the reader. Highly recommended.