After buying the house of their dreams, two attractive artists, Midge Gudgeon and Mike Stringer, believe they have found their Shangri-la until the dark power of the cottage begins to assert itself Mike and Midge, an artistic young couple, decide to leave London and embark on a search for a country house. Midge is drawn to a cottage formerly owned by an eccentric old woman, and peculiar things start happening: falling to pieces at first viewing, the cottage is perfect when carpenters come; wild animals scamper through without fear; members of a religious cult need verbal invitation to cross the threshold. The book intriguingly implies that there is no good or bad magic, it's all in how it is used. However, a fairly interesting story is marred by unlikeable, unbelievable characters and an over-explanatory style. And Mike's "little did I know" narrative removes most of the suspense and mystery. A slow-moving, not very frightening horror story by the author of The Rats , The Fog , and Moon . A.M.B. Amantia, Population Crisis Committee Lib., Washington, D.C. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.