Review of "Dark Entries," by Ian Rankin

Review of

Dark Entries, by Ian Rankin ISBN 9781401224295

Three out of five stars

 Dark is by far the best way to describe this book, both in the content as well as the coloration. It is done in black and white and the story has many literally and figuratively ugly aspects. “Haunted Mansion” is a reality show that is currently the hottest show in TV. Several young people have been placed in a large house with many odd secrets where the goal is to scare them in order to entertain the audience.

 However, the hauntings start happening before they are scheduled and are not what was intended. In an attempt to determine what is going on, the show’s producers hire occult detective John Constantine to join the cast and determine what is happening.

 Being the clever and capable person he is, Constantine discovers the truth, which is even more bizarre than he thought possible. None of the players, from the cast to the production crew to even the audience are what they appear to be. It is a very bizarre story with many twists that will delight some and turn others off, way off. On the positive side, it is a dank comment on the role of reality television in modern society.