Master of Lies

A stomach-churning, graphically conveyed murder opens this chilling horror tale by the author of The Burning. Devil worship, inexplicable psychic manifestations, ectoplasms run amok, seances, mediums, ghosts and a serial killer known as the Fog City Satan are some of the elements that add atmosphere to a deftly written and convincing chiller. Six San Francisco families have been gruesomely murdered in crimes that are clearly linked. Called in to replace the detective who's been unsuccessfully investigating the case, officer Larry Foggia follows up all the obvious leads and the usual suspects before a series of bizarre occult phenomena forces him to admit that this case is horribly different. He comes to suspect that the murders are ritual sacrifices designed to call forth demon and fallen angel Beli Ya'al. Assuming Foggia's suspicions are valid, can he stop the slaughter before the seventh and resurrecting sacrifice? Readers who savor the taste of fear should have a field day with this one. (Jan.)