Destroying Angel — Bernard King

An ancient evil force, remembered only in myth, appears at intervals in present-day England as an inhumanly pale woman, using its mesmerizing beauty to ensnare human pawns and bend them to its will. A pragmatic small-town policeman investigating cases of farm animal mutilation is recruited unwillingly to help thwart the impending catastrophe of the force's rebirth. This first of a trilogy harks back to the horror writing style of a century ago. In spite of the author's attempts to insert a sense of modernity, the characters and events lack immediacy. Uninvolving and ultimately unfrightening. A.M.B. Amantia, Population Crisis Committee Lib., Washington, D.C.