My number one criterion for Horror is Implacability. No Escape, no release. Take for example Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." The Narrator is absolutely implacable, driven by his own perceptions--right or wrong--and nothing--nothing stops him. So the victim suffers and ultimately dies. So too in THE HORROR AT PLEASANT BROOK: the Horror is absolutely Implacable, unavoidable, unstoppable. A force of Supernatural Nature, but with both Purpose and Sentience.

That Implacability is one of the best aspects of this novel for me. Another is Metaphysical: the evil villainous Horror is clearly called forth from Darkness, by a ritual of Black Magic. But it is a cyclical Horror, diametrically opposed to and opposed by, "the Other." Subject to the opposition of "the Other," so that up to this point, the evil Horror has never yet succeeded in full takeover of the Earth [not from lack of trying]. It's a Cosmic "push-me pull-you" continuing through Eternity [as long as there are feckless humans foolish enough or greedy enough to call forth this "Aspect of Sowein" (Samhain).

Started promising and went slow for a little bit but it didn't waste too much time getting right back to the goodness. Really interesting Lovecraftian vision of horror and worth your time.