Death Mask by Graham Masterton

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

February 21, 2010

Death Mask is the 2nd book in the Sissy Sawyer series by Graham Masterton. Outside of the U.S., this book is titled The Painted Man (A painted man! He hornts my dreams!).

Death Mask is a blood bath thriller, about an ugly, evil killer who appears out of thin air to bludgeon people, mostly in elevators. Why elevators? Anyway, this particular killer is untraceable and nowhere to be found. The best detectives can’t even find him. This killer is either really good, or a ghost!

In another part of the city, a young artist named Molly discovers she has the ability to paint pictures that come to life. So for instance, if you want a vase of roses, all Molly has to do is paint the roses, and they appear out of thin air.

Shortly after the murderer wearing the “death mask” begins his killing spree, the police ask Molly to sketch an image of the killer based on his description. But every time Molly does this, she’s cloning the killer and making a bunch of extra ones that come to life.

Now that she knows there are multiple Death Mask killers on the loose, Molly enlists help from her husband Trevor, his psychic mom Sissy Sawyer, and a few fearless detectives to stop the murders for good.

Death Mask is completely unpredictable, and I love how creative this story is. This book is surprising, horrifying, and utterly gruesome. You’ll love it if you enjoy the horror genre. Even the killer’s motive will leave you perplexed—I thought about this book for days after I finished it.

I found Sissy Sawyer and her relationship with her deck of tarot cards very amusing. Apparently, she’s been carrying around that tarot deck her entire life and given hundreds of tarot readings. But when she uses it to predict the killer’s next moves, she appears baffled and surprised about some cards that turn up because she’s unfamiliar with them. How is that possible?

I’ve never been disappointed by a Graham Masterton novel. Even the books he writes in other genres are excellent. They’re all so unpredictable! Some have happy endings, and some don’t. He’s truly one of the best writers in the horror genre.

The Sissy Sawyer books in order are:

Other titles by Graham Masterton include:

I’ve actually reviewed lots of books by Graham Masterton for this website. What did you think about Death Mask?

Last Updated on January 17, 2026 by Sarah Ann

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