Publisher's Summary
It is almost Halloween in the sleepy New England town of Blackwood Falls. Autumn leaves litter lawns and sidewalks, paper skeletons hang in windows, and carved pumpkins leer from stoops and front porches. The Doctor and Martha soon discover that something long-dormant has awoken in the town, and this will be no ordinary Halloween. What is the secret of the ancient chestnut tree and the mysterious book discovered tangled in its roots? What rises from the local churchyard in the dead of night, sealing up the lips of the only witness? And why are the harmless trappings of Halloween suddenly taking on a creepy new life of their own? As nightmarish creatures prowl the streets, the Doctor and Martha must battle to prevent both the townspeople and themselves from suffering a grisly fate...
Characters
Timeline
- This story is set during Series 3 (Doctor Who).
References
- In the book the Doctor says to one of Etta's cats "next time you're invited to a fancy dress party, don't go as a nun".
- He also states he was beginning to like cats this may be due to Novice Hame as she turned friendly.
- The Hervoken, are arch enemies of the Carrionites.
- The Doctor mentions an alien that took whole faces, a reference to The Wire.
Notes
In the Martha Jones Blog July 1, Martha Jones made note of this as "Hallowe'en in America."
Audio releases
- This story was released on two disk audio CD read by Will Thorp.
Continuity
- The Doctor jokes about cat nuns last seen in DW: Gridlock.
- The Doctor last encountered the Carrionites in DW: The Shakespeare Code.