This is a novel that explores reincarnation and poses the question of what would it be like to have a human mind and recollections whilst existing in a canine body. It is the memory of what he had once been. But he was once something more and in the depths of his consciousness there’s a memory clawing its way to the surface, tormenting him, refusing to let him rest. The novel itself centres on Fluke, a mongrel who wanders the streets, driven by hunger and hunting a quarry he can not define. And then there is Fluke, and here’s the thing - it is not a horror book, it is a deceptively simple tale into which Herbert imbues pathos and humour and out of my fuzzy recollections of three decades ago two things remain clear: I was enthralled and I ultimately moved to tears. The Rats trilogy, The Fog, The Magic Cottage - novels that have a special place in millions of readers’ lives. James Herbert died four years ago and for many of us who were teenagers or older in the 80s he was - alongside Stephen King - a must-read horror writer.

I loved the book and enjoyed reading Lineker’s thoughts, and also found myself making a mental note, which was simply re-read James Herbert’s Fluke. Walker’s excellent dystopian novel featuring dual narratives, that of Reg the human and - most memorably - that of Lineker the dog. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.Recently I read The Last Dog on Earth, Adrian J. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside.

With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.Īs an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. James Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.

James herbert fluke review