It seems pointless to say that Stephen King writes good books, but I’ve had enough people sneer at me for reading him that it bears repeating. ‘Salem’s Lot is a treat to read, both because it’s a genuinely creepy vampire story that handles traditional vampires well, and because it’s an impeccably crafted novel regardless of genre. All the moving parts work. The characterization is solid. Everything King sets up pays off. It’s like looking at an inlaid wooden box and being able to see how all the pieces fit together and still being amazed by it because it might look easy in a master craftsman’s hands, but it’s not easy at all to do. It is, however, easy and compulsive and damn fun to read.