This novel was a huge surprise for me. I had never heard of Irwin before, much less read one of his novels. I must say, I am VERY glad my local library has finally gotten a copy of this novel, so I can sing its virtues.
Gorgeous prose and an easy "voice" made this novel a real treat to dip into. I was immediately spell-bound, and thirsty for more... And yes, I am a HUGE arachnophobe. It doesn't bother me, reading about so many spiders. I am confused as to why it bothered others as badly.
The minute I got done reading his novel, I wanted to start back over at the beginning yet again. I loved every twisty-turning of the plot, and the characters were believable, true-to-form, and comfortable to hang with. (Weirdly enough, I kept seeing Hugh Grant in the lead male character of Nicholas, because of his dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and sort-of-bumbling ways. But then things got very .....athletic, let's just say. So that stopped. If this ever becomes a movie, it's a thought....I guess...?)



Riveting, haunting, and beautiful. This novel is a must-read. I literally could not wait to get back to it. 5 stars, for a job very well done! ( )

A fascinating modern-day fairy tale. The author's writing style took a bit of getting used to, but after the first inciting incident, it didn't feel quite as intrusive. The attention to detail was great and I enjoyed it very much. ( )

Good, some elements of King's "It" and also "The Sixth Sense" ( )

I picked this book up quite by chance. Basically I was in the local library and thought the cover looked interesting. I wasn't to know that this book had been nominated as the best Horror book of the year, nor that it was an Aussie book. Pretty good for a debut novel.

So why 3.5 stars for a "best horror nominated" book? Well, in the first half of the book I kept questioning whether I would bother to finish the book. There was nothing wrong with it, but I found it exposition heavy (not in the good way) and I felt I knew where everything was going (I was right). But to the author's credit it kept me going enough that once I reached the halfway point I was involved and wanted to finish the book. The pacing of the second half was much better and ironically this is when the death count picked up.

This book is worth reading, but you do have to stick with it a bit. I wouldn't call it the best horror of the year (2010), but then again I'm more of a thriller reader. I can see Stephen creating a reasonable fan base with his work and am keeping an eye out for his next book, this being his debut novel. Also to non-Aussie readers, Australian authors are very good, so please don't dismiss a book just because it is set in Australia. ( )

The first flat-out horror book that I've read in a while, The Dead Path really keeps you hooked. It's fast-moving and admirably creepy (and the book cover glows disturbingly in the dark). After a short stint in London, the bulk of the book takes place in Australia, and Irwin is adept at putting a plot that involves the highly British legends of the Green Man into the more rough-and-tumble Aussie language and setting. One thing—if you have a problem with spiders, you might want to give this one a pass. Seriously. ( )