Look, I’m not saying it’s been a tricky few weeks, but we’re twenty-one days into May before my monthly reading round-up. I’m really sorry to all of the authors above for not shouting about their work more, because all of these are great.
I also finished reading Joseph Sale’s Dark Hilarity at the very beginning of April, and my thoughts about that rather brilliant dark fantasy rock ‘n’ roll epic can be found over at Ginger Nuts of Horror.
Onto the new reads.
The Exercise: Mark West
A fun read that escalates quickly. I read this in a couple of sittings. It zips along at a fast pace. It’s the story of a group of 5 soldiers on an excercise in the Fens in 1943. When one of the soldiers is injured they have to take a refuge at a facility treating soldiers suffering from PTSD, but some of their treatments have somewhat shocking effects.
It’s a well-plotted piece, with clues given as to what’s going on which builds to a chaotic ending. Despite all of the characters being somewhat similar (as they’re all soldiers, they have to be to some extent) West gives each their own personality, and the relationships between the men are important from the start. Lots to like about this one.
The Ruin of Delicate Things – Beverley Lee
Beverley Lee’s The Ruin of Delicate Things was an enjoyable read, a creeping dread that grows into something rather sinister.
Grief is a huge theme in this novel, and it’s two deaths that bring Dan and Faye to a remote cottage in a small community. The cottage was owned by Dan’s recently deceased Aunt Lucinda. It’s a place he hasn’t visited since his childhood, though he spend much of his childhood there. When he inherits the cottage he decides to spend some time there with his wife, Faye, in the hope that it will save their marriage which is faltering while dealing with their own terrible grief, the death of their son.
For me, this was the strongest aspect. Lee presents this couple pulled apart by tragedy well. You can understand Dan’s motives for bringing Faye into the woods just as well as you can understand her complete withdrawal from everything.
As the novel develops we understand that Dan has a secret from his childhood, and that the nearby Barrington Hall contains something much worse than its sinister history.
I really enjoyed the first part of the novel and really felt for the protagonists. The pace picks up in the second half as the threat that resides in the area takes form. Barrington Hall is an ever-shifting place holding great secrets. Lee brings in the history of the house well, but something didn’t quite gel with the climax, but that didn’t spoil an entertaining reading experience.
A Different Kind of Light – Simon Bestwick
This is an absolutely cracking read.
It’s a haunting, but a different kind of haunting.
When Ash is called in by his long-time friend and some-lover Danie to verify the authenticity of a film, he doesn’t know exactly what he’s getting into. That fim is on the 1955 Le Mans disaster, one of the worst accidents in the history of motorsport.
When they watch the original film they discover something truly terrifying that makes for a very unsettling novella.
Coupled with the horrors on the tape, the world in which Ash and Danie are living adds to the bleakness. It’s a recognisable country falling apart with constant public transport delays and city-white brown-outs. Not exactly the kind of place you want to live if you need to make a fast getaway and you’re desperate to keep the lights on.
I loved this.
2B – Mark Allan Gunnells
An interesting take on the hauted house story (or this case, apartment).
While it rides on some of the traditional tropes of a haunting, it does it well, and still managed to do something fresh and interesting with it too.
So What do you do if you’re in a violent relationship? You get out. That’s what what Berkley does at the first sign of Kevin’d violence. But Kevin’s fr more deeply troubled than Berkley ever realised, and by the time he realises it, it’s almost too late. Kevin’s not going to take no for an answer, but his attempted murder-suicide is thwarted when Berkley’s neighbour, Ernie, revives Berkley.
You might consider that a spoiler, but it’s actually the starting point for this captivating novella.
Kevin might be dead, but that doesn’t mean Berkley’s off the hook, because once he gets out of hospital it’s clear that something from beyond the grave wants to make that that’s where he ends up.
The writing’s sharp, often surprising, the characters are strong, and overall I really liked it.
I did start one more book in April, but I’m still reading it, so I’ll tell you about that some time in June.
Keep reading!