Saturday, 5 July 2014
Sunday, 18 May 2014
New Cover and Packaging for A Shadow on the Wall
Look at what I just stumbled across... Looking good... Release date of 2015
Sunday, 30 March 2014
Peering into Naomi's Room
In 1991, a short novel of ghostly horror first hit books shelves
across the UK... and the book? Naomi’s Room. This well received and deeply
admired book was 207 pages of blood-chilling horror from a man who would become
a true master of ghostly horror over the next few years. But the author was not
really used to this sort of genre at the time. He had previously written
thrillers under the name of Daniel Easterman, and it was his wife Beth’s
fascination with ghost stories that encouraged him to write this book.
Taken from
the blurb: “Charles and Laura are a young, happily
married couple inhabiting the privileged world of Cambridge academia. Brimming
with excitement, Charles sets off with his daughter Naomi on a Christmas Eve
shopping trip to London. But, by the end of the day, all Charles and his wife
have left are cups of tea and police sympathy. For Naomi, their beautiful,
angelic only child, has disappeared. Days later her murdered body is
discovered. But is she dead? In a howling, bumping story of past and present
day hell, Jonathan Aycliffe's haunting psychological masterpiece is guaranteed
to make you sink to untold depths of teeth-shaking terror.”
Aycliffe
write things that some daren’t, he delves into situations and probes and
probes, while you are screaming, ‘No! No!’ But at the same time, you cannot
stop looking, just as you might look at a car accident on a motorway as you
speed past. His stories can leave a nasty taste in your mouth and this is no
exception, but it is a taste you cannot stop yourself from swallowing again...
and again.
(Paul McAvoy 2014)
Monday, 17 March 2014
Me & My Shadow (on the Wall)
Review of Shadow on the Wall by Jonathan Aycliffe - (2001)
Being an expert in the field of all things mysterious, albeit an enigma in many ways to the reader, Professor Asquith is called upon by Edward Atherton, who is worried about his brother, the rector of Thornham St Stephen. Having tried to restore parts of his old church, the rector has disturbed the tomb of Abbot of Thornham, and has unleashed something into this world.
Edward begs Asquith to take a trip with him to Thornham and help in any way he can, and save his brother as he fears for his safety. Upon arrival at the church, they find that the rector is dead, and that there is something not right about the church. Things are hidden in the shadows… Things that are malevolent and want to do harm… And Asquith soon realises that not only is Edward in danger, but so is he and his new wife. Written in 2000 and set in the nineteenth century, this is a good gothic horror.
The unseen forces which are at work, mingled with the ghostly shadowy figures. The author gives very little away and it is a joy to see the story unravel. I have read most of his other books and had been after this one for a while. Now out of print, I ended up buying it on Ebay for eight pounds (second hand). I actually found this a hard to read book, though, and it took me longer than I should have to finish it. Other factors (courses I have been taking etc) might be at work here, but it was an anti climax after searching for the book for so long.
Review was printed on Ciao first by me... Paul McAvoy
Being an expert in the field of all things mysterious, albeit an enigma in many ways to the reader, Professor Asquith is called upon by Edward Atherton, who is worried about his brother, the rector of Thornham St Stephen. Having tried to restore parts of his old church, the rector has disturbed the tomb of Abbot of Thornham, and has unleashed something into this world.
Edward begs Asquith to take a trip with him to Thornham and help in any way he can, and save his brother as he fears for his safety. Upon arrival at the church, they find that the rector is dead, and that there is something not right about the church. Things are hidden in the shadows… Things that are malevolent and want to do harm… And Asquith soon realises that not only is Edward in danger, but so is he and his new wife. Written in 2000 and set in the nineteenth century, this is a good gothic horror.
The unseen forces which are at work, mingled with the ghostly shadowy figures. The author gives very little away and it is a joy to see the story unravel. I have read most of his other books and had been after this one for a while. Now out of print, I ended up buying it on Ebay for eight pounds (second hand). I actually found this a hard to read book, though, and it took me longer than I should have to finish it. Other factors (courses I have been taking etc) might be at work here, but it was an anti climax after searching for the book for so long.
Review was printed on Ciao first by me... Paul McAvoy
Monday, 24 February 2014
Remembering The Matrix
A Review I wrote on this classic tale a while ago...
In the Matrix, Jonathan Aycliffe has sculptured a wonderful book of deception and horror. The plot slowly turns like a vice and you are engrossed as each twist and turn takes you deeper into the story line.
Andrew Macleod, the lead character has recently been widowed. Unable to come to terms with his wife's death, he seeks solace in his research into the works of black magic and the occult.
Taken under the wing of the devious Duncan Mylne, Andrew is drawn unwittingly into the world of the arcane and the terrible. The more he learns from this man, the more dangerous things are becoming. People, close to him are trying to get him to stop this learning and telling him that Mylne is evil, but Andrew won't listen to the, not until it is too late and people are killed.
We have ghostly characters here, we have sinister happening and bumps in the night. As Andrew is more learned in the works of the occult, and so he discovers the true meaning of the Matrix and its key to everlasting life…
Very cleverly written, it is reminiscent of all the classic horror story teller: Poe, Wheatley, Hogg…
Oh, and it's a frightener too.
This is classic horror, a tale of the darkened world of the supernatural told by the only man who can tell such a tale.
(Paul McAvoy)
In the Matrix, Jonathan Aycliffe has sculptured a wonderful book of deception and horror. The plot slowly turns like a vice and you are engrossed as each twist and turn takes you deeper into the story line.
Andrew Macleod, the lead character has recently been widowed. Unable to come to terms with his wife's death, he seeks solace in his research into the works of black magic and the occult.
Taken under the wing of the devious Duncan Mylne, Andrew is drawn unwittingly into the world of the arcane and the terrible. The more he learns from this man, the more dangerous things are becoming. People, close to him are trying to get him to stop this learning and telling him that Mylne is evil, but Andrew won't listen to the, not until it is too late and people are killed.
We have ghostly characters here, we have sinister happening and bumps in the night. As Andrew is more learned in the works of the occult, and so he discovers the true meaning of the Matrix and its key to everlasting life…
Very cleverly written, it is reminiscent of all the classic horror story teller: Poe, Wheatley, Hogg…
Oh, and it's a frightener too.
This is classic horror, a tale of the darkened world of the supernatural told by the only man who can tell such a tale.
(Paul McAvoy)
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
The Silence of Ghosts - My Thoughts
The Silence of Ghosts was released last year – nine years
since the last Aycliffe, A Garden Lost in Time. 216 pages long and published in
paperback by Corsair, it is set during the first world war and contains two of
my greatest loves: The English Lake District, and Ghosts!
The story is about Dominic Lancaster, who loses a leg in the
war then to convalesce he goes to stay at the family house at Howtown near
Ullswater, taking his deaf, young sister Octavia with him. His family are in
the importing and exporting business, quite snobby, but very rich.
He has a nurse (Rose) who comes to see him from Pooley Bridge
and he quickly falls for her, however , things are not all happy. While his relationship with Rose
grows stronger, his sister can hear whispering in the house – even though she
is deaf and there is the occasional sighting of four strange young children
both in the house and out. Aycliffe slowly builds up the tension in the perfect
way. There are tragedies and dark secrets are revealed.
During a recent trip to the Lakes I had a look for the
family house in Howtown, ‘Hallinhag House’ but could not find it (so I guess it
is all borne from Mr Aycliffe’s imagination), however it was nice to get a feel
of the place and I saw the church that is mentioned on the book.
The writing here is lovely... his style has always been one
I have enjoyed reading. Yet I can’t help but feel a little bit disappointed
with the new Aycliffe book. It’s all been done before and the end just crawls
in an inevitable conclusion. There is not much to scare you here, whereas his
early books used to give me the creeps often. I am glad he is back and I am
glad to have read this... I hope he produces many more...
(This review may appear in another form on Ciao and Dooyoo under my username 'Borg')
(Paul McAvoy)
(Paul McAvoy)
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