Well written, erotic and frightening at the same time, this novel keeps you glued nonstop. I wished it never ended. Barker is amazing! Highly recommend.

Purchased this book when it was first published, and met Clive and his partner at a book signing at Borders in SF. Clive is at his best with this ghost story melding old Hollywood with the present day, through a perpetually young Hollywood diva and her secret room in her old decaying Hollywood mansion. Ghosts of Hollywood's old stars and the forever young Hollywood diva remain through the power of the room, brought to this mansion from an old monastery in Europe in pieces and recreated along with it's evil power. It beguiles and threatens a young Hollywood action hero actor recuperating from a disastrous plastic surgery, and a star struck fan as they discover the hidden room, its purpose, the evil that inhabits it and can take their souls, and the beautiful former actress that still inhabits the mansion and her dark secret of eternal youth and energy. There was talk of the book becoming a movie, and I heard that Whoopie Goldberg wanted to play the part of the obsessed fan. It certainly deserves to become a movie, but I hope it isn't dumbed down to avoid a possible adult rating.

I have this boom in paperback and read it when deployed. As a fan of Clive Barker; I find this book to be an open window to the creativity and twistedness of this man's genius and unique mind. I have recommended this book to many friends and now to many iPad iBook readers.