Book Review: The House of Lost Horizons by C. Roberson et al.

The House of Lost Horizons: A Sarah Jewell Mystery story by Chris Roberson, art by Leila del Duca, colors by Michelle Madsen, and letters by Clem Robins

Sarah Jewell, an occult investigator from the Hellboy universe, travels in the middle of a rainstorm to a mansion on an isolated island. The ferry heads back to the mainland just as Lillian, the one who summoned Sarah, comes to get a message back to the mainland. The storm has knocked out telephones and radio communication and they need more help. Someone in the house has been murdered! The guests are all there to bid on occult items that Lillian's deceased husband had collected. Everyone seems suspicious and more people start getting killed. The story is a homage to Agatha Christie after all (or a blatant ripoff). The addition of occult elements only makes the mystery feel more creepy and more dangerous.

The story is fun though slow and the art is fine, with some nice creative flourishes. The ending neatly tied things up but then one of the characters tagged a PC interpretation on what happened, making the reader do a double take--"Did I just get lectured at?" Other than that ham-fisted moment, it's a good story.

Mildly recommended.