Black House

By: Stephen King, Peter Straub

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Length: 26 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Twenty years ago, a boy named Jack Sawyer traveled to a parallel universe called the Territories to save his mother and her “Twinner” from an agonizing death that would have brought cataclysm to the other world. Now Jack is a retired Los Angeles homicide detective living in the nearly nonexistent hamlet of Tamarack, Wisconsin. He has no recollection of his adventures in the Territories, and he was compelled to leave the police force when a happenstance event threatened to awaken those long suppressed and dangerous memories.

When a series of gruesome murders occur in western Wisconsin that are reminiscent of those committed several decades earlier, Jack’s buddy, the local chief of police, begs Jack to help find the killer. But are these new killings merely the work of a disturbed individual, or has a mysterious and malignant force been unleashed in this quiet town? What causes Jack’s inexplicable waking dreams - if that is what they are - of robins’ eggs and red feathers? As these cryptic messages becomes impossible to ignore, Jack is drawn back to the Territories and to his own hidden past.

©2001 Stephen King and Peter Straub. All rights reserved. (P)2012 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Intelligent…Suspenseful” ( Wall Street Journal)

“Overflows with dark wit…” ( New York Times Book Review)

“Two master craftsmen, each at the top of his game” ( Washington Post)

loved it!

Recomend
story was classic King and the narration was awesome! absolutely worth the credit.

Still in my top 5 favorite King books

I read this back in 7th grade when it first came out. Still amazing after all these years!

Worthy sequel to the Talisman

If you enjoyed The Talisman, or The Dark Tower books you should feel right at home in Black House.

Didn’t want it to end

I fell in love with the characters (not Charles!) and didn’t want the story to end. Excellent narration by Frank

Superb!

Stephen and Peter…THANK YOU! I appreciate how you create heroes out of ordinary and marginalized people. That makes your fantastic fiction accessible and hopeful to us “ordinary/marginalized” majority!

He never lets me down

Another trip into the territories and a little escape from the mundane. King always transports me and I always have a few laughs as well. He’s so much more than a Horror writer.

great great sequel.

I live this story.i didn't want it to end. m it really hurt knowing Henry got it.
and as for Jack he is in the territories now. I know not highly doubtful that there will be a 3rd. but I enjoyed this story. the narrator is perfect. and having an imagination while listing to the story. it's perfect.

Even better than the talisman.

The Black House has all the magic of The Talisman but is so much scarier and Darker. The villain in this book is definitely everyone's worst nightmare. You will fall in love with every character in this book. I couldn't wait to know the ending, but now I hate that I finished it.

Delightful detective story with a magical twist!

Would you consider the audio edition of Black House to be better than the print version?

I am an audio listener by trade.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack of course, he is the main man, super talented and powerful in ways that surprise the reader.

Have you listened to any of Frank Muller’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Frank Muller was spectacular in the Talisman and he brings the same energy here. His performance of the new characters such as the "Fisherman" and "Mr. Munshun" in a sort of a Red Skelton mumbling jumble made me laugh out loud.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There are several funny parts that made me laugh especially when the Biker gang (Thunder Five) dudes made sharp cracks. Yes I did get misty there was a tremendous friendship between Jack Sawyer and Henry Leyden and some real sadness surrounding the murders of the children.

Any additional comments?

There was a very large character set here, but as most "constant readers" know it is handled with extreme expertise. The thing about this book that grabbed me the most was that it quickly became a fascinating murder-mystery novel. There was a the reluctant Jack Sawyer that had purportedly been a "superstar detective" but retired from the LAPD at the young age of 31. So for about 1/4 of the book the reader has no idea just how good he really is at it. Now throw in the element of the supernatural where King and Straub really get cranked up. And of course we know from the Talisman that Jack Sawyer has a little bit of experience in this area. This one will make you want to listen till the end!

Welcome back Jack

I enjoyed every moment of this story. Frank Muller did an excellent job. I am hoping to meet Jack and Speedy again