Ghost Story: Peter Straub

This was written around the time of Steven King's "Salem's Lot" but it was nearly the same book, just expanded. Five friends in their 70's gather regularly as part of the "Chowder Society" where they share basically ghost stories from their past. The meetings start off with the question of "what was the worse thing you have done, but by the end of the book we understand why they never speak on the worst thing they have ever done because they were all involved in the murder of a woman when they were in their 20s. Meanwhile a "Manitou" has come to town and the men try to battle it before the entire town is murdered. Things I had trouble with in the book- These men are in their 70s and they are CONSTANTLY going up and down stairs and doing all other things with the ease and energy of a 20 yr old. Peter the child hero in the book calmly and rationally asks his mom about happiness, trying to touch on the affair she is having with one of the 70 yr olds right after seeing his friend consumed by a monster?! Why does it take seemingly 2 years for the Manitou to kill the men. There was action and then months and years go by and then more action, what is happening in the meantime?