While this isn't quite as good as his amazing Stranger, In This Skin kept me glued to the couch, lounging around and being lazy all day as I read. (Like that's anything new but hey, saying this book is good gives me a believable excuse)

The plot is complex, unsettling, covered with a mysterious, dreamy-like atmosphere. Wiggling around in this foggy soup are characters that stand out, with credible motives for their actions, realistic goals, and I cared about each. The 'creatures' were shivery and unique.

As for the pace, In This Skin started out with swift, hard kicks, never letting up, ending with a final bang that could be

felt through the entire length of my spine. Clarks writing style is not weighed down by unneeded 'pretty phrases' - instead he's focus, determined, and powerful.

The only real flaw I can see is that sometimes the characters are a bit dumb, but hey, not much is perfect. This one tantalized my mind and kept my blood roaring through my ears - what more could a horror reader ask for? ( )

IN THIS SKIN is a perfectly good book that does a nice job of getting the story and chills across. Unfortunately the story didn't quite gel with me. It felt off; I was not pulled into the characters or story enough to really become invested in the book.

The Luxor Dance Hall stands outside of Chicago, in a mostly abandoned area. The building is rundown and deserted, a far cry from its heyday as a dance club for alternative bands. However, the building is not that deserted as people are still pulled there to experience something. And not everyone leaves. Benedict West has tracked his ex-girlfriend to the building but it turns out that she never left it. Ellery Hann and a pregnant Robyn Vincent decide to live there when their home life becomes too hard. Together the three of them face forces and mystical creatures while discovering the truth.

As I mentioned previously though, the story didn't quite gel. It wasn't one thing in particular because I know that I've read crazier stories. It's just that things did not feel right. Maybe it was because Clark had set the story in America instead of his native England; kind of like he was setting it in Chicago but all he knew about Chicago was what he read online. Note that I have no idea if Clark has ever visited the Chicago area or not; I'm just trying to explain how the story felt off. VAMPYRRHIC had mood! Despite some chilly moments, IN THIS SKIN did not. The book is entertaining and enjoyable. It is not Clark's best though and not something that I would recommend as a starting point for him. ( )

Nearly a century old, the Luxor Dance Hall, located in a suburb outside Chicago, has proven a Mecca for young people for several generations. Some visited to see the latest Vaudeville attraction, others danced to swing music played by the premier big bands, still others attended performances by the likes of the Talking Heads and the Ramones. Now dilapidated, it still holds an attraction for some. One such individual, Benedict West, returns again and again to seek clues to the mysterious disappearance of his lover, Mariah, who, like countless others, were last seen at the Luxor. Others, like the bullied Ellery Hann and the pregnant Robyn Vincent, are instinctively drawn there. When the trio comes together to delve more deeply into the secrets of the old dance hall, they find themselves pitted against unearthly forces they can barely comprehend.