Psycho House

by Robert Bloch Narrated by Paul Michael Garcia

Overview

The new Bates Motel is a tourist attraction, a re-creation of the infamous murder site, and the developers are already counting their profits. But there's a new exhibit that nobody expected: the bloody corpse of a teenage girl crumpled in the front hall, stabbed to death. Among the avalanche of press and publicity is reporter and true-crime book writer Amelia Haines, who is studying the original Psycho killings. To her, the new murders are a golden opportunity; if she can become part of the investigation, perhaps track down the killer herself, then her fame and fortune will be assured. But catching the madman won't be easy: the town is full of suspects, and Amy's best informants keep turning up murdered. If she isn't careful, Amelia Haines may become the next permanent guest at the Bates Motel.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Bloch's latest horror story is a disappointing effort, despite his attempt to exploit the character of Norman Bates of Psycho fame. Having decided to write a book about Bates, Amy Haines travels to Fairvale for material. She arrives in the wake of a young girl's knife-murder at the ``Psycho House,'' a tourist trap re-creation of both the infamous Bates Motel and ``mother's house.'' The murder serendipitously provides an angle for Amy, who has been casting about for a theme for her book. Enlisting the help of a demonologist, a newspaper publisher and a psychiatrist, Amy starts snooping around the once-sleepy community. Predictably, the townsfolk, including the sheriff, do not appreciate the intrusion. After several other victims are attacked with a knife and the tires of Amy's car are slashed, she is convinced that the murderer is closing in on her. But Amy's sleuthing has no real focus beyond her determination to find the killer, so we simply follow her around and wait for something to happen. Though Bloch provides all the elements of a horror story, they fail to coalesce into a truly frightening yarn. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

Its been ten years since Norman Bates died, and a local entrepreneur has rebuilt the Bates House and Motel as a tourist trap. Then the murders begin. While not quite as good as Psycho (Warner, 1982) or The Night of the Ripper (Tor, 1986), Bloch's superb storytelling skills, combined with his masterful use of tension and suspense, make for excellent reading. The subject matter and Bloch's name alone should ensure the book's popularity among the YA horror crowd. --John Lawson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169778342
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	06/19/2012
Series:	Psycho Trilogy , #3
Edition description:	Unabridged

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