I have banded 'The Rats' trilogy together though they were in fact written sometime apart.

'The Fog' was published in 1975 and the story was about a mysterious fog that appeared and started turning people slowly mad and increasingly animalistic.

The fog itself is a bacteriological warfare throw back of a Ministry of Defence scientist who had developed it. It contained an organism which was mutated and which fed on blood cells, entering the brain as a parasite.

A race was on to find a cure and to save the thousands that were killing and being killed. This was an action packed adventure, and an idea that in this day and age of the 'X-Files' etc was one that could be seen as plausible.

Following on after 'The Fog' came 'The Survivor'.

A harrowing, scary tale of a plane crash and the story of the co-pilot who walked free, with seemingly no wounds, or scars. Soon, however, our hero the pilot is forced to ask himself what is happening in the areas around the crash site, and is he all that he really seems?

This story was first published in 1976 and a film has been made of the story though it is very loosely based on the book and so misses out on the magic of words which can not be translated into actions.

'Fluke was first published in 1977. The story is about a dog who once was human.

I must confess this is the only James Herbert book I haven't read, purely as it didn't interest me.

Again this too has been made into a film.

'The Spear' came next being published in 1978. A story with neo-nazi undertones and an ancient relic.

As usual action packed adventure leading to an interesting climax. A similar story line is to emerge a few years later in 'Sepulchre'.

'Lair' followed on, description as previously mentioned

Then came 'The Dark.'

'The City' 'The Dark', 'The Fog'