Review: Excellent read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 8, 2013
Having already read and loved all of David Haynes work, including his set of short stories "The Macabre Collection", I was intrigued to read this, his full length gothic horror novel.  I have to say that with this type of story, I think he has found his niche. I do love the way he writes, extremely atmospheric and suitable for the times the story is set in. You could almost be forgiven for thinking that this is a long lost novel that has been lurking on your grandparent's bookshelves for the best part of a century, and not a story that has been sweated over in the 21st century.The action this time shifts to turn of the 20th century Montmartre for this book and, again, we are treated to a chilling festival of blood curdling brutality, all in the name of "entertainment".  At the centre of the story we have an English writer who is working in France as the plays he writes for the theatre are deemed too bloodthirsty and horrific for the English audience. The story is savage, twice in the first 10 pages in fact I found myself wincing and having to put the book down for a second or two to catch my breath. At that point I found myself thinking "I can't read any more of this ....." with my finger hovering over the delete button,  only to click straight back into it again to find out what was going to happen next. The story flows well and moves to an excellent conclusion which doesn't leave any loose ends, just a feeling of relief that the story is over. And, I have to stress that I mean that in a good way!To sum up this is an excellent read and even though I have read The Macabre Collection and knew the goriness that was coming my way, it is one I had to "woman up" for and remind myself that I am NOT a wimp, and that this is not real and that nobody is lurking round the corner, waiting to come and get me in the night!