- The Blurb...
The only suspect is an 8-year old boy.
But there's no way a child could be responsible for so much misery... Is there?
Sammie has a secret, want to hear it?
When washed-up priest Angela Murs and skittish ghost hunter Tim Golding are summoned to a vast countryside estate, they have no idea what to expect. While it's clear that the young resident Samuel Raymeady is a very disturbed child, there's surely no way he could be behind the recent spate of accidents and deaths around his home. He's just a boy...
Sammie is dirty, malnourished, and perhaps the victim of a negligent mother, but as Angela and Tim's investigations take them deeper into the mystery, they realize that there is more going on than they ever could have imagined.
- Our Review...
With Halloween fast approaching, I thought I’d try my hand at reading a horror story - a genre I have barely touched due to my having the courage of a twelve year old girl. Despite being a horror-novice and a not particularly a huge fan of the genre, I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed my time reading this spooky-scary book.
The first thing I noticed was how masterfully written it was. Wright writes (ha ha) with expert craftsmanship. It’s clear that the story and it’s progression are the main focus here, and no time is wasted with flowery, superfluous descriptions that could potentially prove overwhelming or, even worse, boring for the reader. No, this story remains intriguing and exciting throughout, which is in no small part due to its characters as well as the story-telling.
The characters are well-thought out and believable. Each of them has a pre-established backstory fraught with personal hardships, which has moulded them into the people that they are today. During this story they are also forced to confront those horrors of their respective pasts once more, and it’s interesting to see how each one reacts to them. Amongst all of these great characters, though, there is one clear standout, and it’s who this book is named after. Sam is an excellent character, perhaps one of my all time favourites. His appearances are ultimately sparse throughout this story, but that just makes each scene with him all the more special.
I’ll say no more about him to avoid any spoilers, you’ll just have to read the book for yourself (if you dare) The events grow more and more sinister as you read on, and our characters try to make sense of all these strange happenings to no avail. You see each reasonable explanation being whittled down and destroyed one-by-one until just one answer remains, and it’s the answer nobody wants to believe.
Although this is certainly a horror story, you might be surprised to find that there’s also a fair amount of comedy in it - particularly from the reactions of our characters. I welcomed this at first, when they were reacting comedically to minor spooky events, much like you or I might (Probably more you than me) But the comedy persists even towards the end, where the events are now no-laughing matters. There was one scene in particular that I thought to be quite marred by the injection of comedy. Objectively it is a terrifying, harrowing situation and yet, thanks to the character’s light-hearted reactions, felt more like something out of Scooby-Doo rather than The Exorcist.
All in all, SAM is a great choice if you’re looking for something spooky to read this Halloween. Just… maybe sleep with the lights on and keep any crucifixes you have on hand. Just in case.
- Selected Quotes...
“Yes, I’m studying creative writing.”
“Lovely. You plan on being a writer?”
“I suppose so.”
“Nice way to make a living if you can swing it, and you’ve already started drinking so that’s a good start […]”
“Sammie? Is he okay? Frank, tell me!”
Frank run a hand over his throbbing forehead. No, that boy is definitely not okay.
“Jesus was crucified at 3PM, but 3AM is said to belong to the Devil. Between midnight and 3AM is when the veil between our world and the next is at its thinnest.”
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- About The Author...
One of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than twenty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.
With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook. (from Amazon.co.uk)
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