The Hellfire Club

By: Peter Straub

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

They are dying, one by one. Wealthy, middle-aged women in an exclusive Connecticut suburb. Their murderer remains at large. Nora Chancel, wife of publishing scion Davey Chancel, fears she may be next. After all, her past has branded her a victim.... Then Davey tells Nora a surreal story about the Hellfire Club, where years before he met an obsessed fan of Chancel House's most successful book, Night Journey - a book that has a strange history of its own.

Suddenly terror engulfs Nora: She must defend herself against fantastic accusations even as a madman lies in wait. And when he springs, she will embark on a night journey that will put her victimhood to rest forever, dead or alive....

©2004 Peter Straub (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Combines the intellectual-puzzle mystery with a powerful vein of psycho-thriller suspense." (The Washington Post)

"Surprising twists [and a] wildly inventive plot." (The New York Times)

A Hellish Ride

I enjoyed this book but I have very few reservations concerning content. This is a crazy ride with a often appalling villan who I think, carries the book as much as our heroine Nora. The back story is a compelling mystery and the characters along the way are also interesting. It took me a bit of listening to grow accustom to Patrick's style. After that it is clear why he was chosen to read and overall delivers a good performance.

Incredibly Detailed

This book is incredibly detailed with many character introductions and long, descriptive prose. It is a beautiful example of a modern gothic novel but the intricacies do not translate to audiobook as well as I would have liked. I listen to audiobooks and dramas in the car while I drive for my job and I kept missing details. This is definitely a book for a rainy night at home or the coffee shop where distractions are at a minimum.

That said the performance was spectacular and the book sets a macabre mood that makes it great fun to read.

Peter Straub at his post Blue Rose best.

This is easily one of my favorite mystery thrillers of all time. It's a great story, but more than usually detailed, so make sure you have time to pay attention and really enjoy it.

Ugh.

Accidentally bought this instead of Mr. X. All around, meh, least liked book by Straub. Didn't like any of the characters, they just weren't: likeable, clever, or any positive adjective. Normally, really like this author, but not this book. 2 thumbs, down.

Whaaaaaaat?

What was most disappointing about Peter Straub’s story?

It sounded more like a comedy, except for the graphic rape scene.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He sounded like Scrappy (Scooby-doo's owner)!!!!

Any additional comments?

Very disappointed! Thriller?! Nah!