Five Mile House
A novel by Karen Novak

We've all seen those creepy houses. Whether in horror movies or in our own neighborhoods, they hide their dark secrets well, and lead to speculation, fear, and the gory death of big-haired starlets in tight halter tops. Inevitably tucked high on a hill or amongst an aging wood, both proud and ashamed of their lack of welcome, they serve as the foundation of many an urban -- and suburban -- myth, and provide the source of many a childhood nightmare. And one such nightmare never before dreamed is brought to vivid life in Karen Novak's outstanding debut novel, Five Mile House.

Her story opens with a tragedy, foreshadowed by the immediately disconcerting narration of Eleanor, the ghost of Bad Things Past. That past and the present converge as we meet Detective Leslie Stone, a good cop who must deal with the very bad things of the here and now. In the aftermath of destruction, Leslie's contractor husband relocates their family to the small town of Wellington in New England, famous for nothing so much as its witches' coven, its eccentric leading family and the scandals that the blending of Wicca and wealth always seem to produce.

But it is the house, the eponymous Five Mile House, that is at the heart of the story -- and, indeed, the scandals. The history of the house and the history of its occupants provides a chilling backdrop for the drama that plays out in the lives of four couples, three families, two scholars, and one ghost. The language of the story evokes images at once compelling and disturbing, beautiful and ugly in their disquieting detail. Drawn in by the characters and the parts they play in this unlikely -- yet all-too-believable -- saga, the reader almost becomes part of the events themselves, leading to a breathless anticipation that walks that fabled fine line between pleasure and pain.

This is a story that lingers long after the telling has concluded, and provokes from within questions that are, at times, best left unanswered. And yet, for all of its foreboding, portent, and downright spine-tingling spookiness, it still possesses a quite ironic, certainly self-aware, recognition of its roots. An intelligent, gripping, and ultimately surprising novel, Five Mile House is a modern gothic classic of the old school, one to be savored, admired, and held accountable for the forthcoming drop in the real estate market. One haunted house for sale... anyone? Anyone?

Re-read Factor: A large part of this story's fascination is in the mystery -- mysteries, plural -- that it builds, but for a clearer understanding of events, and to see the world anew, a second reading is certainly prescribed. If confusion persists... well, read it again.

Sequel Factor: The satisfying ambiguity of the story's ending needs no further exploration -- though it would, no doubt, be enticing. With such a passionate and provocative debut, Novak's subsequent novels can only be awaited with impatience.

Strong Chick Factor: The women of this novel are smart, sensual and complex -- and, actually, insane, every man jack of 'em -- but their devotion to their children, their passions and themselves is always steadfast, if often gruesome. But the biggest strength of all of them -- and especially in our heroine, Leslie, and her ghostly predecessor, Elaine -- is in their recognition of their own weaknesses.

-- Rachel Hyland

Five Mile House, published by Bloomsbury USA, will be available in hardcover September, 2000.

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