Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780451198785
ISBN number: 0451198786
Label: Signet
Manufacturer: Signet
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: November 01, 1999
Publishing house: Signet
Sale Popularity Level: 778186
Studio: Signet
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Product Description:
Horror novelist Michael Anthony is going home. Taking his family from New York City to the small Missouri town where he grew up with his eccentric grandmother. But when they move into her old house, they find that something already resides there. In the walls, under the floors, in the darkest corners...something is trying to break through into this world. And when it does, Michael and his family will be lucky to escape with their lives....
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Rated by buyers 
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This is a dreadful read. Owl's writing talent in this book is sophomoric and it's also jam packed with inaccuracies. Plenty of talented authors fill their novels with interesting detail about the characters, landscapes, historical facts, but Mr. Goingback fails terribly with this ability. The information is mind numbingly repetitive and boring. I prefer detailed, long novels but with "Darker Than Night" found myself saying out loud "My God can we get on with this?" This was the very first book I've read where I considered putting it down and never cracking the cover again. I didn't trade this one with my friends either...it went into my fireplace. Watching it burn and it was more satisfying than reading it.
The author got the basics right and I realize the town mentioned was fictitious but there are notable geographic inaccuracies. I've considered getting the book from the library (I'd never spend another dime on it) and write down every mistake I find and hand deliver them to Owl personally in Florida. I wonder if he has ever even visited Missouri. It would appear that an author should write what they know about...he seems he wasn't really familiar with Missouri.
The biggest thing that ticked me off was that I thought the wife; Holly was too gullible being convinced far too easily from the old Indian about the evil spirits and that kachina dolls were what kept the evil spirits at bay. The old Indian even goes as far as to say it may be too late after finding out Holly packed the kachina dolls away. Ok, that bit of IMPACT was completely overlooked by Holly when she went back home. Unpacking the kachina dolls should have been her very first priority as soon as she got home since she did believe the old Indian! HUGE gaping hole overlooked! But it had to play into his weak storyline because thousands of evil spirit shadow creature midgets are can now overtake the world because the kachina dolls are no longer at their posts! The solution (SPOILER) is to burn down the house just like the old sawmill. Okay, so why in the hell do ancient evil sprits have to have a man-made building in order to have a gateway into the realm of man? The evil boogers were around before man so why did the boogers have to wait countless eons before man evolves and builds a building? Give me a break! It's not my job to guess why, that's the author's job...a job he failed miserably at.
The plot was mildly interesting at best. The character development was weak which is amazing because more time was spent with the characters than the actual evil the book was about. I had to question the motivation many times of various characters because they didn't seem natural. The ending was as disappointing as the rest of the book.
My new year's resolution is to never read anything else by Owl Goingback...that's one resolution that I doubt I'll have trouble keeping. In fact, I'll have to teach my granddaughters never to read his children's books either.
Rated by buyers 
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"Darker Than Night", the second novel by Bram Stoker Award winner, Owl Goingback, has a pretty average plot and is just lukewarm in the area of chills and thrills. That being said, this is still a pretty good read.
The plot revolves around the boyhood home of horror writer Michael Anthony who leaves New York to reclaim the home when his grandmother passes away. The townfolk of the rural Missouri community refuse to open their arms to their newest resident because they fear his motives for reclaiming the property. Many of the residents ridiculed Anthony's grandmother as a lunatic who "saw things in the night". Most are suspicious of his motivation and don't want their community to be used as the site for one of his novels. All Anthony wants is to relocate his family away from the hustle and bustle of New York City.
It takes his children a while to warm up to the house and it's surroundings. And, it's not long until the strange sounds and shapes that Anthony's grandmother spoke of seeing begin to appear to the house's new residents. As Anthony and his family begin to question their sanity they soon find themselves in a fight for survival against Indian spirits from an underworld world who are using the old home as a portal into this world.
Goingback gives the reader great insight on Indian lore and superstitions. He obviously has done his research in this area and he writes from the heart. It's just that there's not enough action to really drive the plot and the spirits from the underworld ("boogers" - and isn't that an unfortunate name) don't have enough "character" to really put the reader into the plot.
Owl Goingback IS a promising young author who will write many good books during his career. Here's hoping that his later novels will have more suspense plus a deeper plot than he gives us in "Darker Than Night".
My list of Goingback novels in order of appeal are:
1) Crota
2) Evil Whispers
3) Breed
4) Darker Than Night
Rated by buyers 
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This book is by far my favorite from Goingback. Finally a book that delivers chills down your spine! Great for reading at night but beware don't read it alone!!!
Rated by buyers -
What a letdown!
This is the type of book with sentences like this:
"There was something in the shadows. And it was getting closer."
Or:
"She knew she heard something. And whatever it was, it was getting louder. And closer."
And so forth. Just dreadful writing, and the husband and wife are CONSTANTLY grinning or smiling at one another.
Such as:
"Maybe I'll tie the kids up!" he said, grinning.
"I'll get you the rope!" she said, laughing.
Ugh!
Rated by buyers -
This is a long overdue review. In this novel, the author entered old superstitions. A man and his family move to a new area. The house they move into happens to be the center for a breed of demons that show themselves as shadows. Ever think you see something move from the corner of your eye and when you look, it's not there? Kinda' like that only these shadows sometimes alowed themsevles to be seen. This novel was a smooth read. Surely worth a read!
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