The Unholy

In the small English village of Batforth, an evil is unleased when a mysterious stranger loses a WWII relic during a train crash. The relic acts as a magnet to restless spirits, drawing them forth and increasing their powers. The entities violently attack and terrorize residents of the town and it is up to Jon Hammond, publisher and owner of the local newspaper, to save the day.It's a well-written, fast paced story with some refreshing departures from the standard horror formula. First, "the relic" which is concealed in a locked, metal box, and the explanation for its existence is quite clever and will surprise you. Secondly, there's none of the tedium of convincing non-believers that there's supernatural activity going on. Everyone in the book is pretty smart, they can see that what's going on has no logical explanation other than the paranormal. Lastly, the events of the town are not kept secret, it does reach the media and the rest of the world.I borrowed this book from the library, and the picture on the jacket cover features a skull on a black background, with red nazi insignias filling the eye sockets.