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“The basis of all human fears, he thought.  A closed door, slightly ajar.” – Stephen King, ‘Salem’s Lot

‘Salem’s Lot is a novel that takes place in a town called Jerusalem’s Lot in Maine.  A writer named Ben Mears decides to return to the town, where he had lived from the age of five through nine, to get inspiration to write his next novel.

The Marston House sits on a hill and overlooks the whole Lot.  It has a long, insidious history, in which a man named Hubert Marston murdered his wife and then killed himself inside the house. Kurt Barlow, an immigrant, purchases the Marston House with the help of his, ‘business partner’, Richard Straker.  They claim to open up an antique store in the old house;  however, Barlow is a demonic creature that sucks the blood of the townspeople.  Straker serves this vampire, and murders Ralphie Glick as a sacrifice to Barlow.  Barlow then turns Ralphie’s brother, Danny Glick, into the Lot’s first vampire.  From there on, things go downhill and more people start dying.

Our main characters consist of Ben Mears, Susan Norton, Mathew Burke, and Mark Petrie.   Ben Mears meets Susan Norton, a young adult who still lives in the Lot with her family.   Mathew Burke is a English teacher at his local high school; while Mark Petrie is a young, intelligent middle school boy.  These characters team up together to try and save their home town, Jerusalem’s Lot.  However, this quest to save their town will not be easy at all;  they are against superior evil beings.

I really enjoyed reading this book; therefore, it was gruesomely horrifying and perfect for a Halloween holiday story.