Reviewed by: Keith Nixon
Genre: Paranormal / Horror / Crime
Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words
Availability
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Author:
Matt Hilton quit his job
as a police officer to become a full time author. Prior to this Matt spent
twenty years submitting manuscripts to agents until in 2008 he secured a five
book deal for his Joe Hunter series. The first, Dead Men’s Dust, won a variety of awards and became a bestseller.
As well as the Hunter
thrillers the author also writes stories with a paranormal angle. Originally
from Scotland, Matt now lives in Carlisle.
You can learn more about
the author at his website.
Description:
Jack Newman
needs somewhere to live. He finds a house that’s large enough for his children
to stay and, most importantly, is cheap. As an ex-teacher now working at a
plumbing supplies business and paying maintenance to his ex-wife, money is in
short supply. But there’s something
about the place that his friend, Sarah, doesn’t like. It feels oppressive. But
Jack ignores her and takes the lease anyway.
Almost
immediately Jack begins to experience events that are out of the ordinary -
voices and a malevolent shadow that are all too familiar to him. Eventually
Jack figures out the ghost that possesses the house is an ex-girlfriend who
clearly wants to do him harm. As the strength of these occurrences grow they
threaten Jack and Sarah’s very lives.
Appraisal:
Matt
Hilton’s works are characterized by pace and tight narrative with a steadily
increasing tension that bursts at the conclusion. The Shadows Call is no different. Although sitting firmly in the
paranormal genre there is a thriller element that forms the basis for the
story.
Hilton
immediately throws the reader several intriguing bones on the opening pages, is
there really a ghost in the house? Jack is a non-believer, whereas Sarah, a
work colleague who he likes, has a distinct interest in the area. There are
parallels to my own situation where I am a sceptic, but open minded to the
idea, whereas my wife has experienced events.
Hilton handles
this ying and yang skepticism / belief very well, gradually increasing Jack’s
acceptance and tying it to past events. Nothing is quite as it seems and in the
last quarter Hilton turns the whole story on its head. I read this book in two
sittings in 24 hours, the second at 3.30am. Even as a non-believer I made sure
the lights were on when I walked around my house…
FYI:
Mild horror
and violence.
Format/Typo Issues:
None.
Rating: ***** Five Stars
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