Book Review: The Haunted Rectory by Katherine Valentine

Something isn't quite right in the town of Bend Oaks. Over the past few months, three priests have fled St. Francis Xavier Church, claiming the strange scratching noises and mysterious patches of darkness in the rectory made them fear for their lives. To the Church Hookers, the supposed haunting is just rumor, and they need to use the rectory to continue their tradition of hooking rugs for the annual church fundraiser. But things are about to change with the arrival of Father Rich Melo, sent by the archdiocese to determine if the haunting rumors are true, and if they are, to use his skills to exorcise whatever demon is holed up in the rectory before it can claim one of the Hookers.

The idea of a group of church rug hookers battling the forces of evil sounds silly, but following their adventures first with the eeriness of being alone in the rectory then to sneaking into an insane asylum to rescue one of their own, not letting a pesky little demon get in their way, had me hooked, so to speak. And the sub-stories -- Father Melo's previous experience with exorcism, the story behind Jane Edwell's extrasensory abilities, Gail Honeychurch's family troubles -- all meld with the darker aspects to create a fine story.

At times, I felt that too much information was being provided and in too abrupt a fashion -- such as when we learn within the second chapter of Jane's psychic powers. I enjoy to learn things like that subtly or as the story progresses rather than all at once. But that's just a personal preference.

The Haunted Rectory was a quirky and surprisingly fun adventure. The story does leave room for continuing adventures with the Hookers, and I hope to read more about them.

The Haunted Rectory
by Katherine Valentine
Image Books/Doubleday
ISBN: 0-385-51202-3
trade paperback, 277 pgs.

purchased book

Image from Random House.