Despite the uniform Southern gothic setting (remote Eden, Ga.), the "mosaic" novel that Raisor (Less Than Human
) has assembled from six of his horror tales varies too much in tone to make a successful whole, though its individual parts display the author's skill as a storyteller. Notable are "The Right Thing," about two brothers who discover something nastier than usual at their swimming hole; "If I Should Die Before I Wake...," in which a grade school teacher becomes the object of crushes and cruel pranks; and "Stigmata," about a man in the depths of depression who takes the cab ride to end all cab rides. Providing continuity and commentary is an old priest, Father Aron, who walks among the living and the unliving (not easy to distinguish in Eden), confused, suspicious and troubled. Those with a taste for the gruesome (flies and eyeballs are common motifs) will be rewarded. (Feb.)
