Author Archives: PJ Mordant

A lot of people seem not to have liked this because of a seeming lack of action and some verbosity. Interestingly, those are the exact reasons why I enjoyed it so much. So many modern horror novels rely on the quick horror-fixes, gory set-ups, overused and cliched tropes. I’m rarely tempted beyond the ‘read inside’Continue reading “The Watchers: A. M. Shine”

And what action it was! I read the first book in the series, ‘Tipping Point’, slightly worried that I wouldn’t remember what’s what. Thankfully, the author prefaced the novel with a summary of events so I had no trouble getting down with the action. Essie, Cooke’s main character, is back with a vengeance. Completely dedicatedContinue reading “Counterpoint: Michelle Cook”

Where do I start with this one? I seem to have made it a recent life’s work to read and review debut novels – there’s certainly been lot of them. And they usually don’t take very long to get through. But “The Occultists” is very different; it’s epic, literary, researched to hell and demands toContinue reading “The Occultists: Polly Shattel”

From the Deep is the second novel I’ve read by Kateri and it doesn’t disappoint. In fact, if anything, I became even more immersed in the story since the characters she’d drawn within it seem real: authentic. Jules is our hero, a man struggling to raise his daughter alone after the death of the wifeContinue reading “From the Deep: Kateri Stanley”

What a brilliant idea! Ancient demonic spirit leaking into our dimension through the careless occult shenanigans of a hapless young man. The entity wreaks havoc in this isolated island community and the resident cop has no other recourse than to call in the experts: a paranormal investigator and an academic. Between them they manage toContinue reading “Beneath the Dark: Ian Backhouse”

Great debut Set in Cornwall – a little counterintuitive, maybe, considering the darkness we’re about to discover – Badlands is a page-turning thriller from a great new voice in the genre. The writing is fantastic; Kruse’s ability to use a decent verb makes the narrative fair trip along, uncovering mystery and mayhem in his smallContinue reading “Badlands: Gary Kruse”

Solid debut from Marcus Hawke – in more ways than one. A mighty tome filled with tons of vivid characters, led by one of the most relateable main protags I’ve seen in a long time, Mason Cole. Steeped in religious mysticism, this book packs a punch, Hawke unafraid to ramp up the horror when it’sContinue reading “The Miracle Sin: Marcus Hawke”

“A Quiet Apocalypse” stands full square in the tradition of the genre. By its very definition, such literature requires that the population becomes somehow depleted or wiped out, triggering a reptilian-brained imperative amongst the remnant to establish control. New hierarchies. Only the fittest survive, the most ruthless, the most brutal; its main characters having toContinue reading “A Quiet Apocalypse: Dave Jeffery”

This is a sequel to “The (D)Evolution of Us”, a dark and harrowing novel about a set of damaged individuals who are trying to claw their way up each precarious step in their lives: some with success, some not so much. In Devo, their relationship with social services and mental health providers is only fleetinglyContinue reading “Glasshouse: Morwenna Blackwood”

The title “Tipping Point” probably refers to the moment at which there can be no return from catastrophic climate change. A difficult subject to write about in fiction; easy to get both doomy and also maybe a little worthy. Not the case with this author. Her near-future eco thriller is so busy embroiling her mainContinue reading “Tipping Point: Michelle Cook”

A group of kids, having just left high school, go on a hike and discover a book. They make the mistake of opening it and having done so, unleash all sort of mayhem and madness on their small town of Roanville. Massive wolves, terrifying spiders, zombified residents, and lots more: the list is a what’sContinue reading “The Curse of the Mountain: Tyler Cram”

I read these two books back-to-back by accident rather than design. I’m glad of the confluence because it pointed up a stark similarity in their themes that was simply impossible to ignore.   Both have a take on the release of souls. At the start of The Dark Chorus (TDC), the concept is introduced throughContinue reading “Face Off! “The Dark Chorus” by Ashley Meggitt and “The Sadeiest” by Austrian Spencer”

This is a lovely story. Reminiscent of Barbara Erskine, The Unquiet Spirit, weaves historical allusions within its contemporary setting: a much-loved and ancient house on the outskirts of similarly ancient woodland in which there harbours a terrible secret. Her characters have been through the mill. I was especially impressed by the character of Tom andContinue reading “The Unquiet Spirit: Penny Hampson”

This is a deceptive novel. It purports to be a crime fiction, but in actuality it’s a great deal more than that. Primarily, I think, it’s about cleaning up the world.There are two main characters, each with their own POVs: Jackie, a strong but secretly damaged individual who has forged a life for herself asContinue reading “Caffeine and Nicotine: Eric Weule”