Kerwall Town by S Reed

 

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The Blurb...

After two strangers appear in the dilapidated 70s' town of Kerwall, the lives of every resident change. Members of the community are forced together as the number of bodies and secrets increase with every passing moment. As tensions rise and the inhabitants reach breaking point the question is raised: is it Kerwall’s newcomers draining its inhabitants or are they simply slipping through the cracks which have existed all along. With knowledge as their only tool against the world’s deadliest predator, the hunt for power commences. Kerwall’s hope rests on the shoulders of its youngest residents, forcing them into the depths of the earth, questioning everything they’ve ever known.
Will Kerwall ever be safe, or is the whole town trapped in the grasp of these outsiders?

My Review...

Always willing to broaden my horizons, Kerwall Town is the first horror book that I have read since I was a youngster in the 80s, voraciously reading Stephen King novels. Two dark clad strangers, one male and one female, come to the post industrial Kerwall and rapidly become Mayor and Mayoress and basically owners of the town.

 Yet nothing is as it seems, either with the mysterious strangers or indeed the town itself. The visitors have a strange persuasive, hypnotic power on most, but not all of the inhabitants. A couple of old wrinklies, the librarian, the town drunk and the mikshake shop owner don't fall under the spell. Also the young guns return to the town from Uni and they too are unaffected. Together they, with a few others band together to form a resistance. But other dark, more human, forces also abound in the town.

 

The town too is distinctly off kilter. It is a strangely semi isolated, semi mythological, new town. It is, at the same time,  part of the UK but also apart  from it. I don't know what the horror equivalent of "cosy crime" is maybe "happy horror" but this is it. I would describe it as "Shaun of the dead" but with vampires instead of zombies set in "Royston Vasey" from the "League of Gentlemen" ( "This is a local place for local people!") but set in the 70s. 

It also has a nod to "Scooby Doo" a wink to "The Adams Family" and a great big salute to "Salem's Lot." That is not too say that it isn't very dark and gruesome in places. There are a couple of murders that are particularly ych i fi.

There were some really good characters. I thought both vicars were especially interesting and memorable.

All in all a scary bonkers, creepy adventure.

Selected Quotes...

"The face staring back at her was impossibly beautiful, with flawless pale white skin and a dark green highlight in her infinitely black hair."

“I do hope we’ll see you in our church one day, and extinguish the demons of the past for you.” Victoria laughed. “I like my demons. They keep me company.”

"Kerwall residents go as far as to say that they often feel watched… not by other people, but by the town itself."

"the country had forgotten Kerwall, and that both parties wanted it that way."

“Don’t shit on my ice cream and call it sprinkles.”

About the Author...

My name is S. Reed, and I like to tell you stories from varying genres. Think of it as having different flavors of ice-cream. One day, you might read about some of my friends in a Young Adult or Contemporary genre and other days you may stroll down a dark and foreboding forest. If that happens, you’ll know that you have stumbled into one of my Horror/Thriller sections. They’re all perfectly safe though, promise, I’ll hold your hand every step of the way, guiding you to a safe and satisfying ending. However, I can’t look after you when the book closes and the lights go out…

I have over 25 years in the mental health and schooling sectors, which is why a lot of my books have a common theme at their core. My characters are real world centric too, so unless it absolutely calls for it, you won’t be reading them saying ‘fancy’ words. Most of them are working-class, and proud of it. They’re quite partial to a few profanities every now and then as a result.

I’ve dabbled in the film and theatre industry too, which is another section I like to include in my novels.

I do hope that you’ll enjoy your time in my company. I’ll show you some of my most trusted friends, and some of my most despised enemies.
Hold on tight, it’s going to a fun ride.
Are you ready?..