The House on the Brink

Sixteen-year-old Dick Dodds encounters a chilling mystery after following an unusual path through a local marsh. He meets Helen Johnson, who describes witnessing a limbless figure gliding across the landscape. Their investigation leads them to Mrs. Knowles, a widow convinced that malevolent forces have emerged from the nearby river. The narrative intertwines their personal fear with the historical legend of King John’s lost treasure and a guardian who died in the bog during the monarch's reign. John Gordon wrote this 1970 novel for teenage readers, yet it has gained recognition as a classic of ghostly fiction. Critics have placed it within the M. R. James tradition, comparing its quality to Fritz Leiber’s Our Lady of Darkness. Rosemary Pardoe identifies Gordon’s work alongside Leiber’s as one of the two best novels in this specific lineage. The Times’ Robert Nye noted that the story evokes a world of mysterious menace and remains extremely exciting. This edition, published by Valancourt Books, brings the text back to print after it became scarce on the secondhand market. It suits readers who appreciate atmospheric dread and historical folklore woven into young adult narratives. Those seeking fast-paced action or modern technological horror may find the slow-burn tension less appealing. The story concludes with Dick and Helen facing dangers they did not anticipate, leaving the secret of the bog unresolved for the reader to ponder.