THE LIBRARY POLICEMAN Four Past Midnight, Part Three

With its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to horror, it's no small task to bring Stephen King's novella of ghosts and repressed memories to life. Ken Howard is up to the job, however, breathing life into the apparitions, psychic vampires, menaced children, possessed adults, and tense battles between good and evil that fill this story to the brim. It's more manic King than subtle King, but Howard keeps things grounded with the humanity of his characterizations. This makes the scares stand out even more when Howard pulls out the stops during the showpiece sequences. Originally released in 1991 to coincide with King's four-novella collection FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT, this is a worthy reissue for those who enjoy scary stories on audio. J.P.M. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]