Forest Ghost

Title: Forest Ghost

Author: Graham Masterton

Published in: 2014

Date read: 5th July 2025

Score: 4/5

Genre: Horror, Fiction, Supernatural

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Forest Ghost," published in 2014, is a harrowing supernatural horror novel that begins with a horrifying and baffling mass event before plunging its characters into an ancient, terrifying mystery.

The story starts with a grim discovery in a Boy Scout reservation in Michigan: fifteen Boy Scouts and their seven adult leaders have been found to have committed a mass suicide. The manner of their deaths is brutal and self-inflicted, but the terrifyingly uniform nature of the acts suggests a collective, unstoppable panic, rather than individual despair.

The protagonist, Jack Wallace, is a Polish-American restaurant owner in Chicago whose son, Sparky, was a friend of one of the dead Boy Scouts. Sparky, who is highly intuitive and perceptive, is deeply affected by the tragedy and becomes obsessed with understanding what truly happened. His strange visions and insights lead Jack to believe the cause is supernatural, and not just mass hysteria.

Jack's investigation into the suicides uncovers a chilling connection to his own family's past. He learns that his grandfather, a member of the Polish resistance during World War II, died in a similar manner in the Kampinos Forest in Poland. This reveals that the phenomenon is not new; it's an ancient, recurring terror.

Driven by a need to protect his son and understand the truth, Jack travels to Poland with Sparky. There, they discover that the forest harbours a malevolent entity, a "forest ghost" or "spirit," which preys on human fear. This entity doesn't kill directly; instead, it generates a profound, all-consuming panic that drives its victims to take their own lives in a gruesome and terrifying fashion. The deeper they go, the more they realise this isn't a mere haunting, but a powerful, ancient being that has been preying on humanity for generations.

The novel is a relentless and intense descent into madness, as Jack and Sparky must confront this psychological terror and fight for their sanity. They must find a way to stop the entity before they, too, succumb to the overwhelming, soul-shattering fear it inflicts. "Forest Ghost" is a terrifying exploration of how primal fear can be used as a weapon, turning the human mind against itself in a desperate battle for survival.

Comments:
I have not read a book by Graham Masterston for some time and I think back to my favourite two which were Walkers and Prey. I loved these two and I have been slightly disappointed by some others. This, however, was just what I needed at the right time. Fast paced, gripping and a truly great story.

The story incorporates a supernatural theme that has more to it than meets the eye and the story has great historical links that just makes it more intriguing.I have to admit that there are a couple of tiny parts that I am sure that he could have done better, but I admit that these were a thousand times better than I could have done. I am looking forward to reading another of his books very soon.

Books that we've read by Graham Masterton (9):
Charnel House (1978), Walkers (1989), Prey (1992), Fortnight of Fear (1994), Tooth And Claw (Jim Rook, #2) (1997), Snowman (Jim Rook, #4) (1999), The Devil in Gray (2004), The Doorkeepers (2012), Forest Ghost (2014)