Creed

James Herbert's 15th novel continues the high standard of Haunted, albeit in a completely different style. The cover copy probably overstates the case - "You'll Be Afraid to Laugh" runs the tagline - as Creed is by no means an outright comedy, but it does have it's rotting tongue in cheek on more than one occasion. This isn't quite the knowing post-modernism of Wes Craven's Scream, but it certainly comes close on occasion. What makes the book a success is that these flashes of blackest humour derive from the voice of the main character - Joe Creed - a cynical member of the despised tabloid paparazzi, a slob whose only real interest is himself, and with no belief in anything supernatural.