The House That Jack Built

A savvy lawyer's wife watches in dismay as her husband fixates on a bizarre abandoned mansion in upstate New York as the key to restoring his virility. As he dives into the daunting restoration project, he soon transforms into a rapacious gambler from the '30s. His wife enlists a practical New Age witch to help her out, and a battle for their souls ensues. Masterton delivers tight pacing and satisfying climaxes and conveys a delicious aura of decadence through details such as dry rot, baccarat, Sobranies, Mallarme, unusual sex, liniment, the music of Nirvana and the scream of the mandrake.