I've just finished Mary Ann Poll's terrific mystery/horror tale, Ravens Cove. It took me a couple of minutes to return to this reality afterwards.  Dispensing with a slow build-up to the mystery in the ravine at Ravens Cove, Alaska, Mary Ann plunges us into her intense, taut tale of the eternal Good versus Evil scenario, but does it in a way that takes over your mind and senses and draws you further into the story the more you read. I love a book that makes you forget you are reading and puts you into the action as if you are standing and watching it actually happening. In this case, that would involve watching evil beings that are reminiscent, to me, of H.P. Lovecraft's horrid characters. Lovecraft was the past master of tales of horror, and he overshadows Stephen King's work in my mind.  Mary Ann's writing has a sensitivity and an instinctive way of creating in-your-face scenes that you might wish weren't quite so vivid at times.  Her characters are well-formed and believable.

I plan to read her second in the series asap, but I might leave the light on afterwards.