DUMA KEY - Stephen King

Stephen King - long known as the 'King of Horror' - especially in my early years - appeared to have lost the 'knack' - if you like - after the 1999 roadside accident which 'altered his consciousness'.

Having gone from joking about what his bedtime stories to his kids must have been like - to somewhat mourning the loss of one of the best horror writers of my time - it is fair to say that I began reading Duma Key with a fair amount of trepidation rather than anticipation.

So, we have characters who seem to acquire psychic powers after accidents and retreating to Duma Key for convalescence - in the case of the main character Edgar Fremantle.

Edgar lost an arm in an accident - wealthy - and needing time to convalesce he is 'drawn' to Duma Key and to a house there - 'Big Pink' - with it's whispering shells beneath. He starts to paint - sunsets at first - but when his missing arm starts to 'itch' and more - he finds his paintings take on a prescience that become reality - for example - causing the death of a child murderer by leaving his face blank in the painting.

He is befriended by Wireman - who has his own story - and cares for the owner of Duma Key and it's properties including the one Edgar is staying in.

The portrayal of the characters - e.g. Fremantle's recovery, his anger, his depression show that King can still certainly keep his characters credible and real in the most bizarre of situations.

King's ability to still be able to tell a gripping story is what keeps the reader turning the pages - the reader knowing that under the deceptive calm of the island and the whispering shells that there will indeed be something 'undead' revealed. It is in these moments of unease that the page turning speeds up.

Horror may not be his main focus or impetus - but the usage of sanity as the worst form of fear is displayed remarkably throughout this book.

A page turner, good live characters and some 'undead' with some good fear thrown in - not too bad at all!