Whitstable by Stephen Volk

I have just finished Whitstable and have been touched, mesmerized and even humbled by such an awesome piece of writing. It is 1971 and Peter Cushing's adored wife Helen has succumbed to emphysema and he does not feel he has the strength to carry on alone. However somewhere deep within him Cushing finds the will to face another lonely day, just as his beloved Helen would have wished. As he strolls along the seafront perchance he meets young Carl Drinkwater who greets him as Van Helsing and as the gentle old man and the boy get into conversation a darkness reveals itself. Carl knows that Van Helsing can save him..."I'm talking about here and now and you're the vampire hunter and you need to help me." "It's your job. It's your job Vampire Hunter. You're heroic. You're powerful." Carl continues to reveal some dark secrets...."My mun's boyfriend. He visits me at night time. Every night now. He takes my blood while I'm asleep. I know what he's doing. He thinks I'm asleep but I'm not asleep. It feels like a dream and I try to pretend it isn't happening, but afterwards I feel bad, like I'm dead inside".

The story evolves with Peter Cushing in his soft and unassuming way attempting to find the truth behind the words spoken by the young man. Stephen Volk has managed to bring the gentlemanly Cushing alive before our eyes, an actor who spent his working life fighting evil is now confronted with the very essence of the devil in the form of Les Gledhill, Carls stepfather,and thus can see the true evil that human beings are capable of. "You see, Peter, real evil is not so easy to spot in real life. In real life, evil people look like you and me. We pass them in the street." An essentially sad, thoughtful story and one that will remain with you for a very long time.

That which should not be Brett J. Talley

The bartender threw another log on the fire, and as he did, the already burning wood cracked and spat embers into the air. They burned for a moment , lived for only an instant, before vanishing into the night. The wind blew with its greatest intensity, and the snow fell in sheets. The heart of the storm was upon us, revealing that its earlier fury had been only a preview of things to come....what sublime writing...admit it you are curious and are drawn in....

Do you remember when you were a kid and those old black and whites movies came on the telly, Bela Lugosi or Lon Chaney Jr chasing or being chased by some unseen force...do you remember the coach and horses racing through the night, with a headless horseman and the clouds and darkness all around, with mysterious companions heading for some hellish destination and devilish meeting with fate....well if you remember you will love Brett J. Talley's wonderful and evocative "That which should not be."

Carter Weston is on a journey, a journey to discover the journal "Incendium Maleficarum" The Inferno of the Witch and return to Professor Thayerson at Miskatonic University. What are the professor's true intentions and what ancient magic will the book bestow on it's owner. Only if Carter accepts the challenge and, with true diligence searches for the answers, will the nature of this evil be revealed. This book is a diamond in the annals of storytelling, and it's images and stories are Lovecraftian in nature emphasizing the cosmic horror of the unknown.
Carter's journey takes him to a public house "The Kracken" in the township of Anchorhead..."I pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside, letting it slam behind me. The room was lit by oil lamps hung haphazardly from the ceiling. The gust of wind pursuing me had rocked them to and fro, and now their pale light cast grotesque shadows that seemed to gibber and dance on the tavern walls. I looked around the room. It was built like the bow of a ship, the center portion lower than its sides. There were several denizens, regulars of this establishment I would have wagered spread here and there about the place. But it was a particular table, the only one in the center depression that was occupied, that stood out to me the most. At it sat four men, incongruous for their diversity of dress and the mien with which they held themselves"

The four men have a tale to tell and not until the stories are complete do we learn the whereabouts of The Inferno of the Witch. The reader is taken on a magic devilish journey being assaulted with tales of the Wendigo, a demonic half beast and, a giant Gothic Castle in the bowels of eastern Europe with a mysterious Abbess..."May I help you gentlemen?" she asked, in a sing-song timber I couldn't trace but felt instantly entranced by. For a moment we just stood there, mesmerized both by her voice and by the glowing light that seemed to surround her. She was as out of place as she could possibly be. Finally, as was wont, Charles took the lead. Yes Abbess, I believe you may be able to help us. We are travelers. We have come from the village at the base of this mountain on our way to Czernowitz."  My own particular favourite tale is William's story and his period of internship at  Danvers Asylum!...."Darkness had long fallen on Danvers Asylum, but I knew no matter my misgivings, I could not put off the inevitable. I made my way to the west wing where the male patients were held. The incurables ward was particularly chaotic, and I wondered if they somehow sensed the tension among the doctors, or if Robert's bizarre death still resonated with them. But when the door to the incurables ward closed behind me, the heavy silence of the criminally insane was upon me."

In short I loved this story with it's Lovecraftian style of writing and its depiction of horror in images and stories rather than relying on gore or elements of shock although at times these are present when the story or situation demands. I certainly look forward to discovering more amazing tales from the mind of the talented Mr Talley!

Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi

This is an extraordinary well written story about about one man's attempt to find redemption and some form of closure to an incident that occurred during his formative years. Ronald Malfi manages to blend superbly elements of horror and crime nicely presented in the guise of small town America. Travis Glascow and his wife Jodie have settled in the pretty little community of Westlake Maryland but as befits all good storytelling nothing is ever as it seems and, as we are shown, the perfect life is something we all strive for but few achieve. Travis is haunted by the death of his younger brother Kyle, left under his protection but who tragically died jumping from an old wooden pier. The house in Westgate has a sinister past, Elijah Dentman, son of the previous owners met a tragic and untimely demise but even in death the spirit of Elijah refuses to rest "Nature does not know extinction. It knows only change. Metamorphosis. It knows that when life is snuffed out and the soul vacates the body, it must, by definition, go somewhere. And if you don't believe in  God or a god or in heaven and hell, then where do souls go?"

What makes this book such a wonderful achievement, so deep thought and contemplative is the authors style of writing. In a reflective mood Travis thinks back to his childhood and in particular his father "My father, who'd always been an intimidating physical presence, seemed to grow smaller day by day, some vital bone or organ now broken within him. He reminded me more and more of those rusted old cars on concrete blocks, colorless weeds growing all around him. He became an alcoholic after Kyle's death and maintained that ungodly and self-deprecating profession until prostate cancer punched his card many years later." Just look at the poetic nature of the opening paragraph to Chapter 18 " When you withdraw from the world, you find that the world withdraws from you, too. Then all that's left is the Greyness, the Void, and this is where you remain. Like a cancerous cell. Like a cut of tissue, diseased, in a Petri dish. You glance down and there it is: this gaping gray hole in the center of your being. And as you stand there and stare into it, all you see is yourself staring back."

Suffice to say this style permeates throughout the book and makes for rich and rewarding reading. Introduce to this a mix some wonderful, colourful characters; Althea Coulter tutor to Elijah and an old lady sadly dying of cancer, Earl Parsons veteran seasoned reporter, Veronica and David Dentman parents of tragic Elijah and possibly holding the secrets and answers that Travis seeks in his search for the truth and maybe just maybe his own salvation.

Dog on Heat!!

There is a picture of Dog about midway through his book, a picture of Dog adorned in white,with his long flowing hair standing with his preacher Tim Storey on a canoe as he makes his way to meet Beth on their wedding day in 2006. This picture epitomizes Dog as I believe he see himself as a kind of avenging rightous angel or the reincarnation of Jesus..yep the myth as he would have us believe  is certainly bigger than the man. 
There is another chapter or should I say capture described in great detail, the ultimate bounty for Dog where to prove himself to the world as "The greatest ever Bounty Hunter" he must capture and bring to justice a man with a high price on his head...Andrew Luster. This makes for some exciting reading as our hero (for hero he must surely be) after months of frustration and false leads and hope finally makes the capture only to find himself held prisoner in a stinking Mexican jail. Dog has always believed that God (dog backwards....get it) has a clear vision and purpose in life for him and is with him everyday...everystep of the way.."Until that moment, it hadn't really sunk in that I was now searching for one of the most wanted fugitives in America. It was time to put my money where my mouth was. I had a lot of stake. By joining the hunt for Luster, I was gambling on my future, my name, and my reputation. But I knew this was my chance to show the Lord I am worthy of His plan, His will. If this was the big one we'd been waiting for, the time had come". I cannot help but love Dog! a man who see himself as a latter day Billy the Kid wrapped up with a little Wyatt Earp and a smidgen of the avenging preacher from Pale Rider!! Dog's life story is a hard knuckle ride from a harsh upbringing with a brutal father "Flash" through his many years of addiction to drugs, a prison sentence for complicity to murder, the many women who had the priviledge of knowing him and being loved (albeit for a short time) and the resulting offspring. All through this adventure it would appear that a greater power than Dog (is there such a thing?) was guiding him on his life's mission and always ready to lift him from the depths of depression when the need arose "I turned my head to the sky and said "Lord , I know my mum is with you" And then I heard, "No Duane, she walks with you. Look straight out, my son. You will find what you are looking for." I cocked my head and stared straight out into the vast sea, wondering, hoping, praying, that the Lord was sending me a message about my mother"......Please do not misunderstand me and do not take my flippancy as a lack of respect for Duane "Dog" Chapman I actually really enjoyed this book, Dog the man and Dog the TV series lives through every word in this fun and highly charged adventurous read. A story of a hard life but one filled with guts determination and hope and even though the author may suffer from a narcisstic personality disorder that does not stopping me loving the man and the myth...and in his own words.."My name is Duane Lee Chapman. My friends call me Dog - Dog the Bounty Hunter. For more than twenty-seven years , I have made a living hunting down more than seven thousand fugitives. I wear that honour as proudly as my shiny silver fugitive-recovery badge that hangs around my nece".... Dog you are the man...you are truly on heat!!.....

The thinking man's Zombie...

This is an intelligent take on the zombie theme where zombies or "second-lifers" as they are now known have been integrated into everyday life. In true zombie fashion they have a slow deliberate gait and don't tend to converse much! "She smiled at him, a shocking rictus of unholy perversity, exposing blackened gums and serrated teeth. Her tongue, the color of well-done meat, slithered behind wide dental gaps, and her gray hideous hand clutched her chest." As a man dies and is retrieved and returns he emerges as a zombie which has a detrimental effect on already strugging economies "Although not cannibals like movies had predicted, they were far from harmless. Once a month, like some kind of planetary menstrual cycle, the earth spits up thousands of new mouths to feed and left taxpayers to shoulder the burden, straining an already struggling economy." There is a wonderful list of characters including Stephen Lingk Pastor of Glory's Children Church, Monika Janus and her lover from a previous live Eric Cooper. Eric works for AdCom and they are losing consumer confidence resulting in advertising dollars being slashed at an alarming rate, they plan to target the "second life" market (who have a great fondness for burgers and whisky!) and to this end employ Monika Janus a newly reborn second lifer. Stephen Lingk has his own agenda and is attempting to communicate more deeply with the second-lifers "The hundreds of second-lifers tested with the SSA under Lingk's supervision had produced fewer than a dozen responses most of them garbled beyond recognition." Will Eric obtain some form of closure? Will second-lifers destroy human life as we know it? Will the Pastor reveal his true colours? I did enjoy this book and felt that the themes whilst intelligent (in order for second-lifers to be born someone has to die) and different did not always hold my attention and came to realize towards the end......I really did prefer the traditional evil, slow lumbering, zombie the true "walking dead"

Shattered by CS Kane...great horror debut :)

It has been a real pleasure to read this novella by a new and most certainly upcoming author in the horor/dark fiction genre. The story is essentially a haunted house tale, a young couple Stacey and Liam move into No. 24 Claremont Street a building with an evil and sad past. Stacey is particularly disturbed in this new environment and is experiencing frequent and violent dreams. So what makes a good horror story? We have a fast and well paced narrative that grabs the readers attention from the start and refuses to relinquish and in doing so we make the acquaintance of an eclectic mix of characters including Jake Clarke heartless realtor agent, Nora Aiken concerned neighbour with a story to tell, and Doctor McCabe a medical practitioner with a mysterious past....they all add to and make a very colourful spectacle as the story unfolds. The author smoothly blends 24 Claremont Street's bloody past with events happening in the present and it becomes clear that Stacey's life is in imminent danger. An intelligent reader also demands a memorable, poignant and thoughtful conclusion and it is here that CS Kane has excelled. As events draw to a close in just one paragraph the unexpected happens and the threads of the story are expertly drawn together. The "novella" presents different and at times difficult constraints for a writer who must create and conclude a story within a limited time frame. CS Kane has shown in "Shattered" that she is one capable and exciting new author and I look forward to her future publications.

A life too short...the tragic story of Robert Enke

"People wondered why he saw everything in such a negative way, why he couldn't pull himself together. They didn't understand that he was powerless in the face of it. He could no longer control it. His brain function was altered; synapses inside his head seemed to be blocked. He found it hard to concentrate from day to day" This is such a depressing and yet a very important book to read as it deals with depression and the effect it has on the everyday life of the sufferer and his family. I have read this book and yet I still fail to understand why someone with so much to live for, someone who in material terms had a very successful career, could so easily take his own life. The author successfully argues and demonstrates through the sad life of Robert Enke that depression is an illness so misunderstood by the callous money grabbing society we as humans have chosen to create, it can strike at anybody and when it does the results are devastating. I cannot say I enjoyed this book, and I cannot say I fully understand how anyone could end it all by walking in front of a speeding train....but I am glad I read the sad words and images contained within it's pages and hope that in future I may have more understanding of a devastating state of mind.

Burning the midnight oil.....

Allan leverone has managed to blend what is essentially a simple story into an incredibly exciting read. Cait was seperated from her twin Milo at birth and all her life has been plaged by images or "Flickers" as she prefers to call them. Milo is similarly affected but his images have much more senister undertones "He hated the visions, wished for the millionth time in his miserable life he could be a normal guy with a normal brain, unencumbered by the enending onslaught of mental pictures and snippets of the thoughts and conversations of strangers. Then maybe this compulsion to hunt and torture and kill would disappear. Maybe he could finally achieve some peace. Maybe." Cait, in an attempt to understand her strange affliction, resolves to find her estranged mother Virginia Ayers and closely assisted and accompanied by her understanding boyfriend Kevin embarks on a journey of discovery north from her home in Tampa..a journey that will alter her life forever. In the meantime Milo "Mr Midnight" is engaging in some rather unsavoury activities and soon their paths will cross in a violent and bloody conclusion. This story just rattles along, demands to be read in one or two sittings and concludes in a very satisfactory and surprising manner. It's good to read a horror story that starts well, continues at a great pace and finishes in an unexpected manner.

Wolf Trap by WD Gagliani

Nick Lupo is a cop and a werewolf and in Wolf's Trap he must bring to justice a demented, sexually depraved monster Martin Stewart. The sexual imagery in this book is important to try to understand Stewart and the disturbed mind of an individual who was molested and abused by his father. I love the way this book is told in the first person by each character as they appear and this has the effect of giving a different perspective on the shape of the book and the way the characters develop. What makes the story a winner is the way the author combines the life of Nick Lupo the cop with the werewolf that lives within him and how he manages to control the beast and the urge to change. "The creature stalks the interloper tree by tree, following his trail in the cold woods and preparing for a fight. Riding along, his awareness greater than it has ever been, is Nick Lupo, who finds it easier to let the Creature's instinct take control than attempting to give it direction. But he has learned that his will can influence, the Creature, defying instinct and making the animal more subservient. Part of his brain is occupied still trying to understand why the Change came earlier, but the rest is tasting all the Creature's senses and learning to enjoy the steady stream of information, the cold breeze fluffing the hair on his back, the prickliness of pine needles under his pads, the pungent scent of the other wolf's urine, and the night sounds that seem to quiet at his passing"......

As a thriller and horror story this is an excellent read, and I look forward to reading the further adventures of Nick Lupo, maverick cop and misunderstood werewolf!

Sacrifice Island by Kristin Dearborn

What I particularly loved about this short story was the setting in the Philippines. I could taste the salt sea air, I could see the confusion and the congestion and I could feel the atmosphere in the beach side bars overlooking the lapping waves and the golden sand. In this tropical setting dwells the Aswang a vampire type creature living on Sakripisiyuhin/Sacrifice Island needing to feed on "sacrifices" to survive, almost impossible to kill and then only if it's curse can be transferred to another. Alex and Jemma, paranormal researchers, travel to the Philippines to complete research on a book and what they encounter there will change their lives forever. This is a highly enjoyable story set around an ancient legend with a fantastic list of characters; Terry Brenton english ex pat whose wife Virginia has died...or has she? Mr Lucky having the wonderful first name of Alistair, the mysterious Karen what is her interest in Alex? Jemma is a somewhat complex character having endured many horrific years at the hands of an ex partner she purports to have paranormal vision and cannot bear to have any physical contact with any living being. The story expertly draws together elements of legend set against a tropical background and races towards a very satisfying but not totally unexpected conclusion.

Top notch techno thriller from an exciting new author.....

I t has been a very long time since I have read such a wonderful dark corporate conspiracy novel. I recall many years ago discovering Fever by the renound Robin Cook and was particularly taken in by the chase mentality of the book...a lone father, a cancer specialist discovering his daughter has leukemia and his battle against a conspiracy within a large corporation, his race against time. Now if we forward to recent times Scott Sigler publised the brilliant Infected which contained not only a great story (the central character Perry being infected by an alien virus) but made terrific use of horror and dark humour with a splattering of SF. The Genesis Code is an equally "edge of the seat" unputdownable read. Yes I know that lots of reviewers use this idiom but The Genesis Code is a worthy recipient of this accolade. It is a fast paced story, that never lets up, has a great list of both good and bad characters, excellent plot and a very satisfying conclusion. Mark Weston is starting a new job at OneMarket, the premiere worldwide provider of global trading solutions guaranteeing to their clients that there will never be any "downtime" and that computer "gremlins" are a thing of the past (oh right....we believe you!) Mark needs this job because his wife Sheila is in fear of Altzheimers Disease (her father died of the disease) and their finances are non existant. This is the answer to Mark and Sheilas prayers, the only problems seems to be that he will be expected to "sell his soul" to OneMarket in return for all the cash and incentives. The beauty of reading this book is that you know (and probably Mark as well) that it will all go wrong nothing is ever what it seems and no individual is programmed to work 24/7...all work and no play :(

The entrepreneurial head of OneMarket Simon Harris has acquired some cutting edge technology known as "The Genesis Code" an invasive technology which offers the ability to plant information in an employees brain, a truly machiavellian concept and a dangerous tool in the hands of a twisted mind...the inventor Josh Taylor! "The entire population of employees tricked into receiving a chip capable of forcing information into their minds. Downloading technical information specific to their jobs was one thing, but how long would it be before less benign uses came along? Mind control, behavioral adjustments, attitude shifts. If Harris didn't mandate them he was sure Tyler would test them out in his newfound pool of human lab subjects" Mark is a recipient of the genesis code together with a fellow worker and the result, you will not be surprised to know are catastrophic...Will Mark be saved from the evil clutches of Harris and Taylor? Will the lovely Sheila get her man back along with a few badly needed dollars? Will the bad boys get their just rewards?...all is revealed in a riveting, fast and at times bumpy ride...but well worth hanging on for :)

There is however one incident which I puzzle to understand and question as if it added value to the story. Mark on his first day meets Toni Hanson, Manager of New Recruits, a rather cold, crisp, bloodless strikingly beautiful lady. At a later stage in the book, and feeling somewhat neglected by Sheila, Mark and Toni have a brief impulsive affair. There is no further mention of this incident, and no one is ever aware that it happened...so why did it occur? and what was its contribution in the overall telling of the story. Apart from this rather strange episode The Genesis Code is more than worthy of 5 stars, an amazing first novel from Lisa von Biela and I look forward to her future publications.

George where did it all go wrong?

Duncan Hamilton's excellent biography of George Best points to some pivotal moments in his life and career. His greatest playing moment and the height of his sporting life was Manchester United's winning of the European Cup on May 29th 1968. Best was only truly happy when he was playing, scoring and receiving the adulation of his adoring fans. Nothing else mattered, the aftermath celebrations, the rewards, the copious amounts of alcohol, and the constant flow of beautiful women who entered his life briefly and ultimately departed soon after. It is said that Best was recognized as the first celebrity footballer, his life becoming public property and began quickly spiraling out of control. If only Best had been offered psychiatric counseling, if only Matt Busby had understood more fully his prodigal son, and rather than gently lecture him punished him in a more fitting and effective manner. George Best was a flawed genius, an outstanding sportsman, and it is a great pity that his footballing skills were always overshadowed by this darker side. However ultimately we all control our own destiny and must stand responsible for decisions made and actions taken throughout our life.

Hell's Door is a fun read, a fast read with an eclectic mix of characters that adds colour and character to a serial killer investigation. A series of of gruesome murders is occurring in Providence Rhode Island. All evidence points to Ramsay Wolfe the flamboyant owner of the Hell's Door members club. In charge of the investigation are Detective Lacey Powers and her partner John Demmings who go undercover at Hell's Door in an attempt to procure evidence against Ramsay and ultimately unmask her as the serial killer. As the story unfolds we are made aware that Detective John Demmings has insurmountable marriage difficulties resulting from the unexpected death of his daughter. In contrast Lacey Powers is a free spirit with a complicated work record and seems somewhat devoid of personal relationships. A private tragedy befalls Demmings, and Powers troubled past is explained and shown in a most unexpected manner. The ending when it occurs, and the unmasking of the killer, draws all elements of the story to a very satisfactory conclusion proving once again that the novella in the hands of a good author makes for a fun and highly readable form of entertainment. 

Brutal, stylish, disturbing but ultimately satisfying read...

This is a highly effective tour de force told in the first person which is brutal in its execution. The language is highly emotive and the imagery, although at times disturbing, tells a story of impending horror and mental deterioration. Joseph Downs is a damaged and wounded Iraqi war veteran infatuated with the complex Lileth. Benton Fault, superficially sane, sees his world collapsing and develops an unhealthy interest in Constance Durban. The development of these themes and the coming together of the central characters, expertly done in the hands of Jan Bassoff,creates a wonderful, uneasy, edgy, unforgettable read...and one of my favourite books of 2013! Bassoff is a new author I have discovered on the Dark Fuse Book Club web site, do check it out at http://www.darkfuse.com/book_club/

What is it about Greg F Gifune that makes me want to write a review, spread his fame and share his innermost thoughts and feelings with the rest of the world. First can I say if you are a lover of dark fiction and have never heard of Greg (where have you been!) then you are in for a treat, a treat that is not always an easy ride, a treat with no happy ending, and a treat that contains a collection of tormented souls who will never attain nirvana and who face each day full of regret and misunderstanding….welcome to the darkside!

Lenny Gates a failed part time actor, living with an alcoholic girlfriend, is surprised when he receives information that his student love Sheena has died leaving all possessions to him. He sets out to investigate why this should be and is drawn deep into a nightmare of epic proportions. Sheena had discovered something, had unleashed something, never meant for it to happen but was afraid it could not now be stopped. It is the way that Gifune writes, more than the story itself, that makes Judas Goat a memorable journey into the mind of a lost soul full of regret and remorse…

“Fighting with everything he had to keep his mounting terror at bay, Lenny backed into a corner of the room and slowly sank to the floor. He wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the lamp. Its light provided some comfort, but the paranoia and fear were winning. ..Lenny watched the glow for what seemed hours, clinging desperately to whatever bits of control remained. He felt like a helpless child lost at sea and struggling to remain above water. No matter how hard he fought, eventually he’d slip beneath the surface and die. He knew this, yet he continued to struggle. Had it not been quite so hopeless, he might’ve claimed it valiant. But the doomed had no such luxuries. He told himself he would not sleep could not sleep-but eventually did just that. As the waves overtook him, he swallowed night and spiralled down through liquid darkness to all that waited for him. There, in the horrifying depths of his own torment”

The author treats the reader with respect and lays before him prose that allow him to question his own moralities and beliefs..”But one thing I do know is that we’ll never be alive again like we are right now. It’ll all be yesterdays and memories before you know it. And we’ll both look back and give anything to be young and free again just for a day, an hour. No matter what happens, good or bad, we’ll never feel this indestructible again”

I think “Judas Goat” is an inspired name for this book…”It’s a trained animal slaughterhouses and farmers use. It leads animals onto trucks or platforms and into pens, that kind of thing. It also leads them to slaughter. It betrays its own kind. You know, as in Judas Iscariot?” When Lenny last saw Sheena he would never commit and he left her when she was most vulnerable, now this inheritance she has bequeathed to him may become his Judas Goat.

So Lenny travels to Trapper Falls to confront his destiny and he is helped along this path by two memorable characters…Officer Meadows and his annoying scratching habit “Lenny was sorry he’d called the police in the first place. Meadows had been annoying enough, but what the hell was this incessant scratching about? Did he have lice?” and lets not forget big mean Gus Garvin the mad wielding Axe Man “ At close range the man smelled like he hadn’t bathed in eons. It’s ok, Lenny told him, fighting an urge to block his nose, you can put the ax down. I’m a friend….Without warning Gus lunged for him and swung the ax!.

So a highly enjoyable read by one of my favourite dark fiction authors who continues to probe the deeper recesses of the human mind and by doing so produce some magnificent storytelling.

Gary McMahon the thinking man's horror

Ok Gary bring it on...and boy have you brought it on!..just look at this for a bit of teasing and snaring the unprotected reader into a nightmare world of his darkest dreams..."It was exactly the kind of place they needed to heal their wounds, a quiet, almost lazy backwater where everyone knew everyone else's business but nobody really bothered to interfere" So you are curious we have just met a lovely sweet scented family Robert, Sarah and some wonderful kids Connor and cute little Molly but we the reader are told they need to heal their wounds...you are snared...you want to know more!!...a lovely little appetizer Gary :) So the story of this middle class family unfolds and we learn a little more about the tormented Sarah "She was beautiful. He had never stopped thinking so, even as she lay in a north London hospital bed, her face swollen and bruised and those full lips shredded by her attackers cheap gold rings" This family is wounded but they are a unit, a fighting family unit and have taken the decision to move up country to Battle (nice play on that word) to a new home and a new life only to find their dreams shattered by an evil moulded and created from the mean streets of Hell...the Corbeaus...and just before battle commences probably the greatest and most memorable line in the book is spoken "He could almost hear their laughter as the skin of the world began to slowly unpeel"

No life is ideal and no family is perfect and in a world of good and evil "you try to retain a sense of purity within the sanctity of your family, to do your best to keep the tide of filth at bay" Robert Miller is a duplicitous character, he purports to be a man of honour, and yet he has a somewhat unenviable core, he loves to delve into the low seedy life and has an attraction for short affairs and sexual adventures with ladies of the night...are we all not a little like this? I purely pose the question and suggest nothing is what it seems...At the core of this story the Corbeaus are the lowest of the low, the scum of society we fear, the embodiment of our darkest dreams and they exist in every part and facet of our lives and we use our best endeavours to avoid and ignore their very existence..their world is "littered with detritus: fast-food cartons, beercans, condoms, wooden crates, pages torn from pornographic magazines, and, oddly, cut flowers. The stems of the flowers were dry and brittle, and the petals had been scattered across the grubby carpet in decorative arcs. The room smelled bad, like backed-up sewage pipes." The Corbeaus were Robert's very own demons and wanted him dead...unless he could take the fight to them. Welcome to the underbelly of the world! "We're the flipside," said a soft, low voice from behind and somewhere off to his left. "We're the underside. We're the nightside. And we're never. Going. Away".......
A fantastic achievement by Mr McMahon, a brilliant, thought provoking and highly intelligent story by a British author mastering and developing his trade.

Articulate and intelligent short story

A fantastic thoughtful, articulate and highly readable short story by an author I have only recently discovered. From the opening paragraph..."Charlie Parkinson woke sometime in the middle of the night. He knew the fancy alarm clock Selina had given him last Christmas would be shouting the time in bright red numerals, but he didn't open his eyes....He didn't have to. He knew it would be 4.42 am"...go on admit it you are hooked! Why is Charlie so fascinated with 4.42...and why is he unable to sleep? Charlie is a photographer and his dreams direct him to photo opportunities that are tragic events in the making. Charlie's wife Selina is dying of cancer and he is completely unaware, equally his relationship with his daughter Rebecca is marred by..."He knew that he didn't notice because that's just the kind of person he was. Selfish. Only noticed things that directly affected him" The essence of a really good book is the ability of the author to plant his story within the mind of his reader...to make him think, to make him take that story and carry it with him and not only to enjoy but to learn from it... Charlie is selfish he ignores and therefore is unable to understand his family, and later with the offering of fame and riches for his work... " The Japanese would love them, Janis said. And the Brazilians. And her American regulars. Let's not forget them...What happened was the more than three million bucks he would be taking home from his death shots"....he is ignorant and unaware of the tragic events unfolding around him. Ultimately this is a story of loss and of the ability to grasp what is important to oneself as we travel through a life filled with opportunity and tragedy. A magical and important read for those who enjoy great story telling with deep emotional intelligence.

Brutal, godless journey into the mind of a psycho!

Stunning, brutal and not for the faint hearted...but if you like your horror on the extreme then come right in the waters warm!! At the end of the book there is a lovely quote which to me puts this story into some kind of perspective..." I didn't know why. Because everyone has a purpose, right? Because we're all part of God's master plan, a master plan that lets evil men take away the lives of innocent people, that lets some of us live while our friends and loved ones die before our eyes. Or maybe because God's just up there rolling some dice, using us as tokens in a universal board game. Or maybe it's bad luck, or maybe it's good luck, or maybe shit just happens and you deal with it. Or maybe the dice are loaded so your number never comes up, or maybe the game is fixed. Who knows?"... What is so amazing and diverse is the way this story starts out as a faint stroll...two friends Roger and Tooth enjoying the summer just partaking in a little target practice (although I did wonder at there somewhat crazy antics with a 44 magnum)Just before the action really kicks off, Roger contemplates how simple the act of murder is "I hefted the gun while he went and put the can back on the limb. When he was walking back he pretended to dodge bullets. And that was the first moment in my life I scared myself, because I felt how easy it would be to shoot someone in the head, dump the body in the woods, and walk away scot-free. The simplicity of it shook me...Or maybe Id just read too many comics.."

A simple act, a single moment can change our lives and for our two would be heroes that moment comes when they hear the screams of a woman, go to investigate and meet Skinny Man..from this moment on we are faced with butchery and brutality on an unprecedented level which makes for difficult yet essential reading. I think the brutality smoothly blended with Ryan C Thomas's depiction of good and evil and there is a certain justice in the conclusion that will most certainly leave the reader content and glad that he took the ride...but be warned this is a difficult read and in my mind of the best books of this type of horror I have ever read...enjoy but keep your doors tightly locked at night :)

Pure Genius

I have read a lot of Linwood Barclay books and they all have a common "conspiracy theory" theme running through the pages and as such they can be somewhat predictable or equally...top notch...edge of the seat....slow down I'm reading this too quick!..type of book. Trust Your Eyes is firmly in the latter category an amazing unputdownable tour de force that literally leaves you gasping for more! What makes this book so special is the character of Thomas Kilbride, brother of Ray, and somewhat limited in his ability to learn but nevertheless highly intelligent (think Dustin Hoffman in Rain man)He spends his days viewing and memorizing "street level" views (think google) using a program known as whirl 360 and one day he notices a disturbing image that changes his world (and our reading experience) for ever. It is the world of Thomas Kilbride and the ability of Linwood to allow the reader "access" to the mind of a flawed genius that makes this book totally different to anything I have ever read, if you add to this the story telling ability of the author then you have a truly winning combination...just look how Barclay draws you in.......
She had out her notebook again. "Name?" I didn't want to give it to her, but how long would it have taken her to find out on her own? Five minutes? Ten, tops? I had to put my faith in Laura Grigorin to either paint Thomas in a good light, or simply tell those two to get lost. I gave Parker the name. "Good day, Mr Kilbride," she said. Driscoll nodded but said nothing. I watched the two of them go down the porch steps and get back into their government isuued wheels.....I wasn't proud of what I did next....... Those last eight words have the reader hooked he must read on, he's addicted to an author who has the uncanny ability to introduce you to a story and refuse to let you leave until the outcome and the conclusion is reached...now that's genius :)

Swan Song by Robert McCammon

To say I was disappointed with this book is a great understatement! I love the writing of Robert McCammon and rate The wolf's Hour as one of the best werewolf books I have ever read (followed very closely by The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber)However this is not a review of the best werewolf novel! but rather a quick overview of Swan Song...how did I ever get to the end, but I was determined to finish and finish I did!! So we have the world destroyed by yes those pesky Russians finally pushed the button and the response was immediate...goodbye world (goodbye Mr President..his air force one being hit by a bus!!....even Bruce Willis could not better that :)....or is it the end of the President? So the world as we know it is gone and we are left with the usual assortment of goodies and baddies....those who would destroy, rape and kill...and take! take! take! and those who want to rebuild and fight for the rebirth of the human spirit.....and that's about it! we follow this story line for some 900 pages and hope that the new Messiah in the form of "Swan" can bring some sense to a world in turmoil.....The story is "cliche ridden" with the evil players doing what evil players do...ie rape and pillage...and more rape and pillage...hungry for power and to destroy well just about anyone who stands in their way. The good guys all love and kisses and lots of "going to San Francisco flower power" hoping to resist the evil and rebuild a much better world....yawn...yawn. There is one scene in particular when the forces of Roland Croninger are attacking the last stronghold of Swan and her company of followers, fighting of tanks and guns with nothing but the human spirit....I thought Yul Brynner and his magnificient 7....where are you when we need you....I could go on but I'm getting bored, so many people loved this novel and I feel I am doing it justice with 2 stars rather and 1 ....and that's only because I enjoyed the ending and am a great fan of "The Waltons"...good night mum..good night Mary Ellen...good night John boy...good night Elizabeth...and good night Swan Song!!

Joe Hill the new master in horror....

What can you say about a book that was so amazing that 2 days after finishing I just cannot get the images thoughts ideas and great story telling out of my mind! There are so many ways you can access NOS4R2 (R2 not A2 here in the UK) On one level it's a simple crime novel, the evil one Charles Tenant Manx capturing children and being haunted by our tainted hero Vic McQueen (affectionately known as the brat by her dad)on another level it's fantasy... Vic McQueen travelling across the Shorter Way Bridge, a covered bridge that flicks in and out of existence, to do battle with Manx and face her nemesis in a battle of good and evil in Christmasland, and on a final level this is a horror story which has at it's centre a 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith driven by the evil Manx. I came to believe that the Rolls-Royce was the real star and in some strange way is joined in a kind of evil pack with Manx helping him feed of the children and turn them into a form of demonic child followers. It's the type of novel that totally absorbs you, demands your attention and in so doing rewards with a pulsating story and a list of characters reminiscent of only the best horror stories, my personal favourite The Gasmask Man Charlie Manx's personal assistant...and what a twisted individual he is :) The players and characters that fill the pages of NOS4R2 are in many ways as complex as Manx himself and all our tainted to some extent by their backgrounds and the paths they have chosen. Lou Carmody's Vic's part time lover and father of her son Wayne is a sorry and somewhat overweight individual, an unusual partner for Vic McQueen to have chosen. Maggie Leigh, librarian and friend, reader of the tiles and teller of the future has a constant and personal battle against her drug addiction, and Vic McQueen, our flawed hero, who alone attempts the rescue of her son Wayne, has spent time in a mental institution and endured a childhood in a family where domestic violence was not uncommon. This book meant so much to me as prior to reading I was fortunate to meet the author, Joe Hill, a true gentleman who appreciates his loyal and growing following here in the UK. His reputation and position as an author is now on the ascendancy and I look forward to his future publications. For lovers of great classic horror this book is the one you have been waiting for...read and enjoy!

Meeting the great Joe Hill!! a day to remember in Bristol UK

Meeting the great Joe Hill in Waterstones Bristol 29th May 2013

It was a pleasure for me to attend a book  signing by the great Joe Hill at Bristol Waterstones bookstore on 29th May 2013. He was on tour promoting his new novel NOS4R2 and after reading the "Prologue" he happily received questions from the audience followed by signing and photo taking. I can honestly say it was a super evening, by a brilliant and upcoming horror author whose books improve on each new publication..thanks Joe from all your UK fans :)

The Wildman by Rick Hautala

This story brought back great memories to me of life at one of the many summer camps that are scattered throughout the length and breadth of the US. As a UK student in 1977 I worked as a counselor in  a summer camp run by the Salvation Army at Lake Sebago some 20k south of Portland Maine, and as the years have passed and I have grown older,but not necessarily wiser, I have often wondered what it would be like to return, if only for a short time to visit a place that meant so much to me as a young man and helped create and mould the person I am today....

In The Wildman by Rick Hautala we meet Jeff Cameron and one late evening he receives a phone call from Tyler Crosby who along with three other friends Evan,Mike,and Fred is invited to a reunion at a summer camp all 5 had last visited some 30+ years ago Camp Tapiola...and so Jeff sets off on a journey which will have far reaching repercussions and perhaps he will find the reason why Jimmy Foster was found dead (with his throat cut) that summer long ago. This is a fantastic old fashioned horror story the tension and sense of fear is ever present as the 5 friends spend a weekend in a now desolated summer camp. Rick Hautala (sadly now deceased) is supreme at creating a very uneasy atmosphere and Jeff becomes ever fearful that there is an alterior motive for this reunion.

"Jeff didn't know why, but he sensed a palpable presence hovering close to him in the gathering gloom. His eyes widened as they darted back and forth, scanning the cleared areas where the other buildings-the cabins and tent plaftorms and the old meeting hall-used to be. But his eyes were continually drawn back to the woods where deeper shadows lurked. The feeling of a presence lurking in the woods was overpowering" The Wildman is a great mixture of crime and descriptive horror with a little bit of magic built in around stories that the 5 friends used to be told about Hobomock the Indian demon who tricked enemies and friends alike, and caused their destruction, he was anIndian spirit who haunted the island. There is a killer in their midst, and he intends to kill them before the night is through.....Jeff feels the presence of Hobomock who at times enters his mind and gives him the strengths and perceptions needed to bring the killer to justice.

The ability to astound the reader is what makes a great author and during his search for the truth Jeff makes a surprising and unexpected discovery that totally changes and makes clear that the friends are not meant to leave the summer camp alive! I thought the story was excellent and the crime/horror/mysticism very well balanced. If you like horror that does not rely on violence or gore but rather tests the imagination of the reader then you will love The Wildman.

I would however say that I am disappointed that once again the kindle edition has some a number of grammatical errors:

"He used to feel he could glide along as silently a shadow cast by...." should read "He used to feel he could glide along as silently (as) a shadow cast by....."

"out here, he wasn't going t0 let him dally" should read "out here, he wasn't going t(o) let him dally"

"he took the bottle of rum from his pocket and took a long pull. The he tapped Fred..." should read "he took the bottle of rum from this pocket and took a long pull. The(n) he tapped Fred..."

"He wondered how he was going to warn the without alerting Ben."...should read "He wondered how he was going to warn the(m) without alerting Ben."

"On a purely rational level, he knew it wasn't true. I couldn't be"......should read "On a purely rational level, he knew it wasn't true. I(t) couldn't be"

"Jeff, moving a few steps at a time. He wore hooded raincoat"....should read "Jeff, moving a few steps at a time. He wore (a) hooded raincoat"

So once again why cannot the publishers of the kindle edition get it right!! I discovered these errors on first reading.. have the kindle edition proof read before publication???!!  I felt the telling of the story of The Wildman was easily a 5 star review but am compelled to award 4 stars due to its shoddy kindle presentation!!

Great and exceptional horror by a true master.....

What an amazing story from an author at the top of his writing ability. In "The Tent" we are introduced to Mike and Emma and together with their son Cody they embark on a little camping expedition...

"In his youth he'd gone camping with his father a few times, and those occasions were some of the best moments of his life. He had hoped in keeping with the wildness of the location, he could create the spirit of those cherished trips..."

The only problem is the tent that Mike purchased from Walmart is of rather poor quality and within a few hours is carried away by a storm...great start to a little family bonding in the wilds!...oh Mike silly mistake and you'll pay for that later...won't he readers :)) So now we have have three disgruntled and disheartend campers alone against the elements in the deep woods and if that was not enough Mike and Emma are having a somewhat "stormy" period in their marriage. As is hoped for in a story with few word KPB's writing is taut, descriptive and never lets the readers attention stray with glorious, gripping and snappy dialogue.....this is how Mike views his wife after many  years... 

"That blonde is not as pretty now, and he knows not all of that can be blamed on the weather. Her red slicker clings to a body made shapeless by the years, the disappointment, and the stress of being married to a man crippled by the ever increasing weight of his own failure and unrealized dreams. Her hair, which has lost its luster and faded in synch with her expectations of him, is pasted to her pallid face, but not enought to hide the doubt from eyes made darker by the shadow of his presence in their marriage."

And just when you thought...shit surely it can't get any worse!....Cody vanishes...

"Emma, what-?"
"Cody," she all but screams at thim, the rain streaming down her face making her look as if she's melting before him. His confusion evaporates as he looks over her shoulder...The boy is gone....

Emma in a beautiful explosive episode lets out all the pent up frustrations...

"The colour has returned to her face, the fury warming her from the inside out. Her breath steams in her face as she rages; her eyes glitter like elliptical shards of volcanic rock. "So here I am, a prisoner of my own cowardice, trapped in a marriage of habit, forty-seven years of age with my looks gone to shit, my weight all over the place, and i'm stuck in these goddamn woods with you. My son is missing, none of us even wanted to be here...

Isn't that just brilliant exciting writing, mum and dad hating eachother, as the bad weather closes in their own personl storm is ignited, and then young Cody is missing...can anything else can go wrong...but his is horror and usually the explosive and visceral arrive to entertain! A light is spotted in the distance,a glow inside a tent. Mike and Emma travel towards what they hope is rescue and exit from this living hell.

"Emma. The tent. I can't explain why so please don't ask me. It just feels wrong, feels like someone drew us here on purpose. One light in the whole damn woods, in a part of the woods nobody's supposed to go, and it leads us here, to a tent with nobody in it. It just feels wrong"

And naturally as in all good horror stories we proceed into a bloody, original and thoroughly entertaining
conclusion. Kealan Patrick Burke is an author who writes exciting taut and visual prose and The Tent is certainly one of my favourite reads of 2013.

Inheritance by Joe McKinney...watch out for the walking dead :))

What a great read that cuts across the crime and horror genres but leans more towards horror as we race towards an exciting conclusion! We live the cop life with Paul Henninger a rookie learning what it takes to live on the streets of San Antonia. Paul has had a trouble childhood and has been greatly influenced by his evil and cruel stepfather who not only is the cause of the suicide of Paul's mum but also sees Paul as a natural successor to the evil power and black magic that he hopes to pass to him...the charge.."You'll be able to see into men's souls. You will know their fears and desires like they were written on their face. No one will ever be able to hide the truth from you. Men will be drawn to you like a lodestar. I spent my life trying to see what lies beyond the doors to perception. But I was never meant to see that country. It was meant for you" "My inheritance" Paul said, his voice barely a whisper. "And your charge. You'll make a kindgon of this world"...... Oh and did I forget to mention that Martin Henninger is dead! killed by his own son and determined to return from the dead with his "charge" accompanied by some putrid and evil smelling bodies...zombies...we love em :) "Paul I am very scared. Your father possesses great power. Power far beyond my own. Even from the grave he is powerful. But your father is a dark man, Paul. A bad man. I think he has corrupted the power that he inherited from my Abuela, the power he intends to pass on to you. He is using what he knows to do horrible things" As we race towards a thrilling conclusion Paul begins to..."He was only now realizing that the vision his father had in mind was nothing short of an apocalypse, an end to this world and the birth of a new one populated by the risen dead. Power, true power, he saw now, had to be a logical necessity absolute, or it was not power at all. It was not enough to teach a man what to believe, or tell him what he should hear and say and do. It was not enough to punish him for doing or even thinking wrongly. It was not even enough to reprogram him from the inside out when the threat of application of force failed to compel total submission"......Will Paul defeat this evil? will Paul destroy the zombies? will Paul return to the lovely Rachel and have a good life?...read this Bram Stoker 2013 nominated book and find out...Joe McKinney has created for the reader a winning combination of good against evil that stays in the mind a long time after the final page.....

"My name is Hawthorne. Use it."...super hero rides again!

"Her face was emaciated and skeletal, dry eyes bulged out of their sockets and teeth bared in a horrible rictus grin. Her body was stiff and brittle like and old corn husk left out in the sun. The front of her torso was covered in spider webs"... This was Hawthornes first encounter with The Iktomi..."ancient. Some believe they are the bastard offspring of the Spider Woman, who wove the world out of silk in the dawn of time. The wretched offspring of a brutal rape.But they rose from the earth in times when blood soaks the Black Hills. And now, White Man, there is more blood here than ever before" Don't we all just love a hero and there is no better setting for good versus evil 
than the lonely and often brutal imagery of the wild wild west...and through this rides Hawthorne mysterious gunslinger, a man of principle who despises evil and is prepared to meet and destroy it in all forms..how can we not love him :) The Iktomi or Spider Tribe feed on the fear and hate in man's brain and, accompanied by the fighting skill of Anpao (whose grandfather previously defeated the Spider Tribe) Hawthorne must search his inner soul for strength in the coming battle!"Hawthorne said, "So they can be defeated." Anpao looked him hard in the eyes "Yes. Perhaps, But it would take a special human being. And the bow of my great-grandfather" The bow must be held by a 
very..particular sort of warrior. The kind driven nearly to the point of madness by a hatred of evil." I love the descriptive prose and sharp imagery that Heath Lowrance brings to the short western novella, no words are wasted and the story stays long in the mind.."The rotting stench rolled across the cave. The flickering orange light played across a blank, pale mask of flesh, as smooth and featureless as an eggshell. Where there should have been eyes, where there should have been a nose and mouth and some semblance of human features, there was only a smooth nothingness"..."He felt the spider's legs scrambling on his gums, felt it shift at the very back of his throat, felt his fingers,slick with sweat, slipping. And he felt it move another half inch..not down this throat, but up, up trying to push through his sinus cavity...It was trying to get to his brain".....now that is descriptive horror, I can see and feel that spider and it's going to keep me awake tonight :)) This is a wonderful series of short stories and long may they continue, and long my Hawthorne wonder the mountains and plains of the wild untamed west..." "My name is Hawthorne. Use it".....

Powerful short story with top notch illustrations.

What makes this short book an excellent read is the fantastic illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne " an extremely talented artist that has become very popular in the small press" It is difficult to imagine how this can work successfully on a kindle ereader but the black and white art work is perfection and it is almost true to say that the writing is secondary to the illustrations...Just look at the image preceding chapter one and the atmosphere and spookiness simply bleeds from the illustration of the cabin atop the hill and the four friends on the roof.....ah I hear you say a lonely cabin in the woods surrounded by those dark forests, and all hell about to break loose! In essence the story is about a friends reunion and the horror that unfolds richly described and illustrated, a short story but one that will stay long in the mind with the help of many excellent and highly detailed pictures. However I would point out one rather obvious mistake that I encountered...do read on....
"Joe fell limp and the bear bit into his throat, lifting him and quickly carrying him into the woods as bullets rained down from the cabin roof. The men on top of the cabin stopped shooting, but they still stared in disbelief, their rifles aimed at the bloody spot where the bear had killed Joe, unable to think or speak or even understand what had just happened"....followed a little later by..." She jumped onto the storage bin, reaching for Steve, who grabbed her hands and pulled her toward the roof with all his might. She scrambled over him, throwing herself at the peak. Steve got to his knees, raised his rifle and took aim into the clearing while Matt and Joe continued shooting above him"....have you spotted it yet?? Joe had been killed by the bear, but he appears a little later...when he was dead! I think the author meant Adam and not Joe...or am I mistaken? If I am correct then why can this simple mistake not be rectified before publication? A small point but one that made me award four stars rather than five, but do read as a download for the kindle it is excellent fun and shows the power of black and white illustrations in the story telling process.

The Good Father by Noah Hawley...a thoughtful and intelligent read.

If this book was a painting it would be a Rembrandt, if this book was a wine it would be a "1997 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee Conti", it this book was an automobile it would be a "Ferrari FF"....this book is a wonderful,yet uncomfortable read about the way we live our lives and the consequences of our actions. Dr Paul Allen is a rheumatologist at a hospital in Manhattan, divorced with a son Danny from a previous marriage to Ellen...and one morning at home with his present family the FBI came calling and inform him that Danny has been arrested for the assassination of Jay Seagram, Presidential hopeful. What follow is a journey, not only for Danny who accepts his guilt, but more notably for his father who searches his past and questions decisions he has made in an attempt to explain and understand the situation that his son now faces. The beauty of the writing is that you the reader will focus on the issues presented and question the perceived values in your own lives. 

Gruesome weird western...a must for lovers of horror and the wild west

Skin Medicine is just one great fantastic weird western ride by horror maestro Tim Curran, and what a fun outing it is. The skill in this tale of bloody evil, living in a mining community, is the masterful weaving of both the good old wild west and the bloody gruesome imagery of the horror genre. In every western book I have ever read there is always a distinctive and strong hero, a man who, although worn down by the tough life of the lonesome cowboy, stands head and shoulders amongst his peers, and who will always do the right thing! Tyler Cabe, civil war veteran turned bounty hunter, is on the trail of a murderer known as Sin city Strangler and his journey leads him to the mining settlement of Whisper Lake…what he finds here will change his life forever and you the reader are set to be terrified beyond your wildest imagination! There is a great list of characters; Jackson Dirker, sheriff (Tyler met him during the war) Janice Dirker the sheriffs wife, Charlie Graybow, Virgil Clay and his monster brother Elijah Clay, Sir Tom Ian, English gunslinger, Carny the barman, Henry Freeman (texas ranger?) Caleb and Hiram Callister the local undertakers with some truly revolting habits! and the real villain of the story James Lee Cobb the bringer and purveyor of “skin medicine” These are some of the characters and villains that pass effortlessly through the pages of this great adventure…just look at the writing: 

“Then he crossed the muddy, sucking streets and fell through the door of a tent-roofed saloon called the Oasis. Inside, the floor was covered in sawdust. There was a bar and tables with pine benches pulled up to them. A woodstove in the corner belched greasy fumes that mixed with tobacco smoke, cheap cologne, and body odor. A dozen worn, beaten-looking men slouched over beers and whiskey. A lone gambler played solitaire in the corner.”

“ The door had swung open and a tall man had stepped in. He wore a knee-length overcoat, the cuffs and collar trimmed in fur. Atop his head was a round buffalo fur cap. His face was narrow, angular, the moustache riding beneath the sharp nose trimmed immaculately. He was a handsome man and his pale blue eyes simmered with authority and bearing. There was a badge pinned to his breast. It read: SHERIFF BEAVER COUNTY UTAH.”

What I love about westerns is the spit, the sawdust, the bad manners, the total disregard for authority, the great devide between good and bad and always the simmering uneasiness that lingers…death is never far away..

”The double-doors opened and two men in gray dusters stepped in. They wore wide-brimmed hats that thrust their faces into pools of shadow. Their eyes seemed to glisten like wet copper. Everyone stopped what they were doing, watched the strangers…The strangers closed the doors. They looked on all and everyone with flat, dead eyes, hungry eyes. The eyes of wolves taking in a tasty herd of steer, wondering which one they would take down first.”……

The story rattles along at a relentless pace and ends in a spectacular gruesome gun battle…will the sheriff bring peace to this unsettled mining community and will our hero Tyler Cabe put his past demons to rest and maybe build a future for himself with the love of……..ah but you will have to read the story to find out, and I do hope you do as this must surely be one of the best examples of the weird wild west genre that has ever been printed.