After his wife has a miscarriage, an increasingly unhinged would-be dad gets obsessed with an old pram, not stopping to question where it might have cAfter his wife has a miscarriage, an increasingly unhinged would-be dad gets obsessed with an old pram, not stopping to question where it might have come from. An uninteresting concept, flatly executed, though there are a few entertaining touches such as the neighbouring community of ‘Sin-Planters’. I was planning to read all the stories in Amazon’s ‘Creature Feature’ collection, but this was so banal that it put me off the idea....more
A celebrity chef is accused of sexual assault, and three narrators observe the fallout: Daniel, the chef himself; Julie, his wife; and Hannah, a youngA celebrity chef is accused of sexual assault, and three narrators observe the fallout: Daniel, the chef himself; Julie, his wife; and Hannah, a young woman who spent a summer working in Daniel’s exclusive Dublin restaurant. Daniel is never sympathetic, but this arguably makes the book’s core question all the more urgent: after all, a man may be a raging misogynist without being guilty of rape (though the former makes it much easier for us to believe the latter). The real MVP of the book is Julie, in whose narrative Gilmartin skilfully combines protectiveness and rage. Stretching the story across three perspectives inevitably means that some of the characters are spread a bit thin – with Hannah, there’s a powerful sense of her experience in the restaurant; less of who she is beyond that – but the writing is strong enough to override this. Gilmartin writes movingly about the impact of Hannah’s encounter(s) with Daniel and while the conclusion may, ultimately, be fairly clear-cut, these characters’ actions and choices are messy and real, and always have the ring of truth....more
A little girl goes missing, and we explore the ensuing search and investigation through the perspectives of her mother and a police officer. While it’A little girl goes missing, and we explore the ensuing search and investigation through the perspectives of her mother and a police officer. While it’s a standard premise for crime fiction, this is no ordinary family and no ordinary child: six-year-old Kimmy Diore is the daughter of a hugely popular family influencer who’s been broadcasting her kids’ lives on YouTube since they were born. Throughout, Kids Run the Show is a smart combination of social commentary and pacy, character-driven mystery – but it’s the concluding part of the book, unexpectedly jumping forward ten years, that really elevated this for me. De Vigan almost enters speculative fiction territory here, and it’s a risk that pays off, making the novel both more thought-provoking and more thrilling. De Vigan has explored themes of the tyranny of parents and helplessness of children throughout so much of her writing, but this is perhaps her most successful and exciting treatment of the theme yet. (This is despite a translation that occasionally threatens to become clunky; it’s a personal thing, but I will just never get used to European novels being translated into American English.)
I received an advance review copy of Kids Run the Show from the publisher through Edelweiss....more
(3.5) Good, solid, fun, fast crime novel told in the format of a TV show reassessing a cold case. A team of experts are assembled, and we get transcri(3.5) Good, solid, fun, fast crime novel told in the format of a TV show reassessing a cold case. A team of experts are assembled, and we get transcripts of their discussions alongside other material relating to the production of the show, the investigation, and the responses of those whose lives are thrown into disarray as a result. As is usually the case with this sort of thing, some of the ‘dialogue’ is unconvincing, but the format is addictive anyway. While I’m not sure I can really say I cared who the murderer was, I rattled through the book at high speed and, at several points, struggled to put it down. Since Murder in the Family has been a massive hit, hopefully Hunter will write some kind of sequel or follow-up. There’s surely loads of mileage in this idea, the format is so enjoyable and easy to read; I’d be happy to read more of these....more
‘Saint Barbara’ by Nina Allan. You knew I was going to say this – but it’s genuinely my favourite of hers in My favourite stories from this anthology:
‘Saint Barbara’ by Nina Allan. You knew I was going to say this – but it’s genuinely my favourite of hers in years, a story I wanted to read again as soon as I’d finished it (and putting it first in the book is a bold move because it sets the bar high). Two women meet at a book signing, become unlikely friends, and encourage one another in their dreams of revenge. And then there are all the details: Deb’s love of the writer Olena Pohorska, and her own writerly aspirations; her assessment of Barbara’s appearance, and how that first impression evolves; the imagined stories, the imagined art. Deb’s descriptions of Pohorska’s work feed, playfully, into Allan’s fictional universe like an ouroboros – as though Allan is speaking to her dedicated reader, or maybe that’s just how I felt, but it fits so neatly with the story that I couldn’t stop thinking it. Like all the best short stories, ‘Saint Barbara’ feels like a whole world in miniature.
‘Under Cover of Darkness’ by Stephen Volk. While it’s essentially a fictionalised version of real events, this is a narrative Volk makes his own, adding a twist scarcely more horrible than the true story.
‘Facts Concerning the Disappearance of the Orloff Six’ by Alyssa C. Greene. A plausible urban legend, smartly told, full of foreboding.
‘The Service’ by Ally Wilkes. A Spanish waitress in a run-down English seaside town, a shabby 1970s hotel, a missing girl... I’m really looking forward to reading a collection of short stories by Wilkes one day as she is stunningly good at capturing atmosphere and mood succinctly.
‘The Fig Tree’ by Lucie McKnight Hardy. An excellent example of the family drama/folk horror combination that is becoming this author’s trademark.
Of the rest, I liked Ronald Malfi’s ‘Remember Me’, which nails the atmosphere of Halloween (a surprisingly rare thing), and Carly Holmes’ uncomfortable and deeply terrifying ‘Dodger’.
There are 20 stories in this book, which in my opinion is a few too many; I prefer my anthologies more tightly edited and selective. It also (broadly speaking) leans away from the ghostly, strange and ambiguous and more towards the supernatural, animate and gory, so most of it just isn’t in line with my tastes. I admit I was starstruck by Allan’s name (and the generally impressive list of contributors!) and didn’t pause to think about whether the concept was likely to appeal. Every stripe of horror is represented here – no doubt a plus for lots of readers, but this is not the best anthology to pick up if you have strong ideas about which subgenres you love and hate.
I received an advance review copy of Darkness Beckons from the publisher through NetGalley....more
(3.5) Much better than its predecessor, 2021’s The Haunting Season – if not entirely free of its flaws. This time, there are some new contributors(3.5) Much better than its predecessor, 2021’s The Haunting Season – if not entirely free of its flaws. This time, there are some new contributors and four more stories, but still no credited editor; this means the issues of the first book are somewhat repeated. Every story here has a historical setting, with most attempting to conjure up the atmosphere of a traditional Victorian ghost story. There is, again, a tendency towards clunky moralising which often makes it easy to guess where a story is going from the very start. But it seems the slightly more specific brief – the tales here focus on ‘Christmas or Advent’ rather than just ‘winter’ – has helped bring out a bit more originality.
At least the contributors seem to be having fun with it this time: Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s ‘Inferno’, Imogen Hermes Gowar’s ‘A Double Thread’ and Susan Stokes-Chapman’s ‘Widow’s Walk’ are all enjoyable, despite following similar lines. ‘The Gargoyle’ by Bridget Collins treads familiar ground too, but it’s beautifully crafted and pretty satisfying; I’d read it again. Stuart Turton’s ‘The Master of the House’ manages a surprisingly compelling fairytale-like narrative. In ‘Carol of the Bells and Chains’, Laura Purcell really commits to the theme by adding Krampus into the mix – of all the stories, this one feels the most like Christmas horror.
For me, three stories stood out, and in each case it’s their unpredictability that makes them notable. Andrew Michael Hurley impresses again with his Aickmanesque ‘The Old Play’: it plunges the reader straight into a disconcertingly off-kilter community in which the titular play, a sinister parable, must be performed every year. Catriona Ward’s ‘Jenkin’ is refreshingly weird, following a young woman who sees a strange half-human creature every time she tells a lie. (It also has a great title + first line combo.) Natasha Pulley’s ‘The Salt Miracles’ is as lovely as it is horrible, and feels the most complete, its effectiveness a product of the author’s gorgeous writing and knack for a heart-wrenching detail rather than any cheap thrills....more
Abby lives with her older husband and his daughter in a lakeside house. She’s lonely, insecure, and plagued by gory fantasies. The spectre of David’s Abby lives with her older husband and his daughter in a lakeside house. She’s lonely, insecure, and plagued by gory fantasies. The spectre of David’s former wife, Sheila – an artist whom Abby imagines as intimidatingly beautiful – looms large (yes, there are strong echoes of Rebecca here). Abby’s dreams and visions intensify; she becomes obsessed with the image of a drowned woman. What really happened to Sheila? And who is the ‘guest’?
As sometimes happens with graphic novels, the story feels like it’s stretched a little thin. At the end, I was left wishing there could’ve been more meat on the bones of certain characters. However, the art here is stunning, much more advanced and elaborate than in Carroll’s debut collection Through the Woods. Abby’s day-to-day life is rendered in simple shades of grey, while her dreams come to life in glorious bursts of colour; dripping shades of turquoise, bloody reds. A Guest in the House is an effective and visually impressive fable, and a real pleasure to read, even if it lacks the impact Through the Woods had when I first read it....more
An atmospheric gothic tale with a lot of untapped potential and a frustrating conclusion. The Company is inspired by the real-life Victorian scandal oAn atmospheric gothic tale with a lot of untapped potential and a frustrating conclusion. The Company is inspired by the real-life Victorian scandal of arsenic-laced wallpaper; Varese invents a successful wallpaper manufacturer, Braithwhite & Co, and Lucy Braithwhite, young heiress to ‘the company’, tells the story. We find her in a moment of crisis after the death of Mr Luckhurst, the company’s trusty manager. With Lucy’s brother John afflicted by a mystery illness, the future of the company is in doubt – until the young, charismatic, preternaturally talented Mr Rivers steps in. Lucy is suspicious of Rivers’ motives; as her misgivings grow, her reliability falters too, and her narrative becomes increasingly claustrophobic.
There are some fantastic scenes and details: the intermingling of real and supernatural threats; a surreptitious conversation in a wintry graveyard; Lucy’s creepy bond with Rivers’ young servant. Yet the pacing is off. While parts of Lucy’s narrative drag and repeat, the ending is rushed and inconclusive. By the end, it’s unclear who is victim and who is villain – and I’m sure that’s the point, but it could have been taken so much further. (Indeed, it’s a point that seems to have been missed by those who interpret Lucy – who maintains a wilful, childish ignorance about the arsenic throughout – as some sort of 19th-century girlboss.) Given what’s implied about Rivers’ background, I would have much preferred a version of this story that gave us his perspective too....more
These are stories of lonely men in bleak landscapes; weird fiction, skirting dark fantasy, likely to appeal to fans of Thomas Ligotti. ‘Black Bark’ isThese are stories of lonely men in bleak landscapes; weird fiction, skirting dark fantasy, likely to appeal to fans of Thomas Ligotti. ‘Black Bark’ is a startling opener – not least because its placement means there is a murky and unsettling implication that the ensuing tales are, in fact, part of Sugg’s story. ‘The Cabin’ and ‘Grottor’ put more meat on the bones of this approach: dismal settings, isolated places, chillingly ambiguous statements. ‘Contagion’ is probably the strongest story here, and feels like a truly complete work, but it cemented my feeling that this style is not for me. Too many barren places and grim injuries, too little sense of the characters’ inner lives. Still, the atmosphere is superbly crafted. (And the Black Shuck Shadows mini-collections are perfect for sampling an author’s work in exactly this way.)...more
The first third of this book, maybe even as much as the first half, is superb. Luke Dumas is just incredibly good at writing atmosphere, and this storThe first third of this book, maybe even as much as the first half, is superb. Luke Dumas is just incredibly good at writing atmosphere, and this story drips with it: protagonist Simon’s return to the small town he grew up in; the decrepit museum where he takes up a new job; the local eccentrics he meets along the way. I thought The Paleontologist was on track to be an instant five-star favourite, just like the author’s brilliant debut A History of Fear. Ultimately, however, the supernatural elements just became too much for me – my suspension of disbelief collapsed and I simply couldn’t buy the characters’ swift acceptance of some deeply bizarre, out-there hauntings. The dialogue stumbles at points too: its heart is in the right place, but a book built around outlandish horrors and the protagonist’s traumatic childhood perhaps shouldn’t also be a pandemic novel and a dissection of white male privilege. It feels like this book was a passion project for the author, which perhaps explains why it seems overly packed with themes that don’t quite slot together. It still has a lot of charm and I’ll still read future work from Dumas, but I missed the subtler, more ambiguous approach taken in A History of Fear.
I received an advance review copy of The Paleontologist from the publisher through Edelweiss....more
Itinerant construction worker Tom Speake, born in London but raised in the North, has always been told he was the illegitimate son of a surgeon. In LoItinerant construction worker Tom Speake, born in London but raised in the North, has always been told he was the illegitimate son of a surgeon. In London for a job, he decides to track the man down. He fails, but in the process, two big things happen: he assaults a woman who prevaricates over giving him the surgeon’s address, making him a wanted man; and he has a chance encounter with Joseph Sanderson, a posh, shifty TV presenter. Striking up an odd friendship with Sanderson, Tom grasps a chance to get out of London. Ostensibly acting as researcher on a Sanderson-fronted programme about the Lake District, he also agrees to help a couple find their missing child, whose biological mother is part of a commune living off the land in the Lakes.
I struggled with the first half of Sanderson’s Isle for the most boring, shameful reason: I disliked the main character. This annoyance was compounded by depressing scenes like those between Tom and the couple he lodges with. The vain, louche Sanderson is hardly likeable either, but is clearly the more interesting character by about a million miles. I was frustrated about being confined to Tom’s perspective; I would have loved this story to be told by more than one voice, to hear from some of the secondary characters – Sanderson, Marnie, Derek etc. I kept going off to read other books, reluctant to spend too much time in this man’s head.
It takes until more than halfway through before the story really picks up. The literal change of scenery takes us away from the drudgery of London and into the Lakes, where Clarke’s landscape writing can really shine. You can feel the horizons opening up, plus there is an actual plot thread: Tom’s trying to find the commune in which (he’s been told) the missing boy is living. This gives the narrative a sense of purpose that’s absent in the first half. It also means Tom’s unpleasant qualities recede into the background as he becomes concerned with an aim that isn’t purely selfish. I relaxed into it, started enjoying the book more.
I eventually came round to Clarke’s approach of skirting the edges of a fascinating character, rather than getting inside that person’s head. In the end we see that Tom and Sanderson are equally rootless, two men who think they understand the world – and each other – better than they do....more
While reading The Others of Edenwell, and especially after finishing it, I kept thinking the same thing: why isn’t this book getting more attention?! While reading The Others of Edenwell, and especially after finishing it, I kept thinking the same thing: why isn’t this book getting more attention?! With its wartime setting, beautifully atmospheric description and slow-burn queer romance combined with elements of folk horror, this is a novel that feels ripe for obsessive fandom. If I was in charge of marketing it, I’d be targeting fans of Natasha Pulley and In Memoriam. This is a book that takes its time to set the scene: the Edenwell retreat comes to life in full colour; its staff are more than just background characters; it’s a whole world. There are so many threads here – from Freddie’s relationship with his dad and Scole’s secret to the creeping terror of ‘the German’ and the chatterings of the corvids – yet all are seamlessly woven together in what is both an elegaic war novel and a haunting ghost story. Read it now before it becomes the cult hit it deserves to be....more
(3.5) When I read Laura Vaughan’s debut, The Favour, I called it a ‘privilege thriller’, and this – her third novel – could be described in the same w(3.5) When I read Laura Vaughan’s debut, The Favour, I called it a ‘privilege thriller’, and this – her third novel – could be described in the same way. However, I think Hazard Night pulls it off with a little more panache. It combines a murder mystery and two obsessive friendships, all topped off with some light pot-shots at sexism within a second-tier English boarding school. It’s pacy, gripping, and the two narratives (a housemaster’s wife and the daughter of the school’s chaplain) are well balanced, even though the plot offers few surprises....more
I haven’t had much spare time in which to read recently, so my consumption of Kala was spread over a few spaced-out bursts, and I’m not sure whether tI haven’t had much spare time in which to read recently, so my consumption of Kala was spread over a few spaced-out bursts, and I’m not sure whether this helped my experience of the book or hindered it. Certainly I felt the pacing was off, which I’d probably just think a result of my disjointed reading if it wasn’t mentioned in so many other reviews. I also had a few reservations about the voices. But, but, it was a pleasure to be drawn into a world that felt so complete, and I loved the depth of the character work. This is what made Kala a success for me, ultimately; the plot is secondary to the people who populate this book, their relationships and memories. Like so many people who enjoyed this, I’m looking forward to the future novels Colin Walsh will write....more
(4.5) Absolutely disgusting... I loved it! I could not put Brainwyrms down – I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next, I galloped thr(4.5) Absolutely disgusting... I loved it! I could not put Brainwyrms down – I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next, I galloped through it, even though at times I was nauseated and/or cringing away from the page. This book takes the ‘trauma as horror’ trope and eats it from the inside out. It’s full of thrilling writing about fetishes, transness, transphobia, dysphoria, and whatever it means to be virtuous, if it even means anything. I know it sounds basic and borderline patronising to call it ‘fearless’, but it really is fearless and so brilliantly weird. Especially when it takes turns into more experimental style choices, with the stage play section (active monsters) being a particular high point. Brainwyrms confirms Rumfitt as one of our most important contemporary horror writers. It’s a book that gets right under your skin (sorry). Never before have I immediately and desperately wanted to reread a book that repelled me.
I received an advance review copy of Brainwyrms from the publisher....more
(3.5) True-crime novels are having a big moment, and Kill Show wades into this increasingly crowded field with a relatively underused hook: a document(3.5) True-crime novels are having a big moment, and Kill Show wades into this increasingly crowded field with a relatively underused hook: a documentary TV series, the fictitious Searching for Sara. The show, broadcast in real time, became a phenomenon. It changed the lives of everyone involved: the family of a missing girl suddenly catapulted to a very strange kind of ‘fame’; the producer who built a career on the back of Searching for Sara’s notoriety; the residents of a small town suddenly overrun with media and conspiracy theorists. Kill Show purports to be an oral history of the show, documenting its effect alongside the fate of the girl at its heart, 16-year-old Sara Parcell.
Kill Show is compulsive reading – fast-paced, full of revelations, lots of characters, the plot rarely pausing for breath. This makes it a very compelling book, yet ultimately a little empty as a story, because we never learn who any of these people are beyond archetypes. The voices also don’t come across distinctly; these very different individuals all talk suspiciously similarly (this would probably be much less of a problem in audiobook format). Unlike recent novels in the same space – think True Crime Story, Six Stories, Penance – it doesn’t attempt any metatextual analysis beyond gesturing towards the idea that any engagement = consumption = perpetuation. Definitely worth a look if you enjoy stories of this type, but more of a beach read than a meaningful examination of true-crime-as-entertainment.
I received an advance review copy of Kill Show from the publisher through Edelweiss....more
Imagine Tana French writing a folklore-infused horror novel, and you have Knock Knock, Open Wide. This is a book that won’t be for everyone, simply beImagine Tana French writing a folklore-infused horror novel, and you have Knock Knock, Open Wide. This is a book that won’t be for everyone, simply because there is just a lot of stuff in it; it’s not one neat storyline, but a bunch that overlap and entwine, and there’s a lot of character work, details that could feel irrelevant if they weren’t so beautifully crafted. For me, it was one of those reading experiences where my delight increased as the story went along, where I thought more and more this was written for me! the more I read.
It’s about Etain, who is involved in a freak accident that leads her into a series of bizarre horrors, and how that night changes the rest of her life. It’s about Ashling, her daughter, and the woman Ashling falls in love with. It’s about a long-running TV series remembered differently by everyone who watched it (the kind of plot device I find irresistible even when done lazily – used unusually well here). It’s dark and sinister, but full of life and love, too.
I’d like more time to sit with Knock Knock, Open Wide but I am hopelessly behind on reviews with no prospect of catching up in the near future, so this will have to do for now. This is a book I absolutely adored, an instant favourite and a world I will return to.
I received an advance review copy of Knock Knock, Open Wide from the publisher through Edelweiss....more
This year has been packed with horror novels featuring premises that seem perfect for my tastes. Mister Magic is the latest: 30 years after productionThis year has been packed with horror novels featuring premises that seem perfect for my tastes. Mister Magic is the latest: 30 years after production ceased on a mysterious kids’ TV programme, its stars are brought back together for a reunion podcast (!), the recording of which takes place at a huge, creepy house just outside an eerily perfect desert town (!!), with things being complicated by the fact that no records of the show exist and everyone remembers it differently (!!!). Clearly inspired by the ‘Candle Cove’ creepypasta, Mister Magic builds a fantastic setup and explores it well – the inserts between chapters, where we get to see extracts from various online discussions about the show (and even its Wikipedia page), were my favourite parts. Ultimately, however, the plot goes in a different direction than anticipated, examining the psychological effects of a cult-like community. It’s pretty effective, it’s just that I would have personally preferred to read more about the mythos of the show. Plus the relationships between characters are sweet but a bit cheesy. I liked The Devil’s Playground, Experimental Film and Blue in Green better as stories about cursed media of various types.
I received an advance review copy of Mister Magic from the publisher through Edelweiss....more
A 21st century fever dream, where corruption and innocence coexist seamlessly, like having a panic attack but feeling jaded about it, like vaping too A 21st century fever dream, where corruption and innocence coexist seamlessly, like having a panic attack but feeling jaded about it, like vaping too much and feeling lightheaded....more
Novels about lost or cursed films seem to be coming thick and fast lately, and here’s another: Burn the Negative follows journalist Laura, one-time chNovels about lost or cursed films seem to be coming thick and fast lately, and here’s another: Burn the Negative follows journalist Laura, one-time child star of legendary 90s horror flick The Guesthouse, as she’s sent to interview the cast of the inevitable reboot series. After a series of deaths linked to The Guesthouse, Laura has reinvented herself, but she’s dragged into a Hollywood nightmare when the ‘curse’ begins to affect the remake too. While I always enjoy a cursed-media story, pretty much everything about this one – plot twists, characters’ behaviour, pivotal scenes – takes suspension of disbelief to new heights. I can’t decide whether this is an appropriate critique or an ironic one, but much of the action would be better suited to the screen than the page. The fast-moving, drama-packed narrative leaves little time to explore what sometimes seem like baffling choices made by the characters. Overall, a bit sillier than I was hoping for, but if you enjoy horror in the Grady Hendrix/Clay McLeod Chapman mould, it’s worth a look.
I received an advance review copy of Burn the Negative from the publisher through Edelweiss....more
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