During our last trip to Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights,” Missy and I were commenting on how the holiday has changed over the years.

Traditionally, the scary stuff was ghosts, goblins, witches, vampires. It was all about the supernatural. Now the seasonal movies are slasher flicks like Saw. It all seems to be about serial killers and violence for violence’s sake. We miss the old-school Halloween.

Then, a friend lent me Dark Harvest. This is a novel that is dark, mysterious, violent and ruthlessly suspenseful. It is hip, literate, and relevant. It sweats ‘60s teenage machismo, B-movie attitude and small-town desperation. The villian is truly original, truly horrifying, and is a freakin’ JACK O’ LANTERN!

Finally, someone out there has the cojones to spin a good scary yarn with an honest-to-God Halloween monster! The story is unashamedly supernatural, undeniably frightening, and had me smiling the whole time.

It was recommended to me because I introduced my friend to American Gods. It is very much in the same vein as that book. I think any Gaiman fan would enjoy Dark Harvest