Publisher's Synopsis
FROM THE WINNER OF THE 2022 NEW GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR BEST HORROR London 1973. A small-time crook is on the run - from the law from the local crime boss and above all from a horror that's haunted him since childhood: a supernatural psychic entity that seeks to devour his soul. It's crawled out of his memories and now slowly it's emerging from his mind and into reality. So he believes but is it real? Are feelings of guilt about his most recent crime pushing him into paranoid delusions? At the boarding house where he takes refuge he hopes to restart his life through his love for a fellow resident but his growing fear of the entity - and the imminent vengeance of London's criminal underworld - threatens disaster for them both. When they find themselves at the entity's mercy trapped in a bizarre menacing otherworld reality itself mutates into something truly evil... PRAISE FOR RICHARD GADZ 'Gadz brings the squalor of Victorian London to life...The fast-moving story maintains a good balance between the outright horror of gleefully gruesome scenes and the increasingly sympathetic character of the "monstrous" Maria as she learns what it means to be human' Lisa Tuttle The Guardian 'Gadz nails the Gothic sensibility and Victorian-era characters and the story was practically dripping with atmosphere. Gadz nicely balances nail-biting action scenes with horrific descriptions of medical procedures and I can honestly say I was never bored... I loved every bit of it' Books Bones & Buffy 'I was completely captivated by these characters. One to read over a dark dramatic weekend' Genevieve Jenner author of Chocolate Cake For Imaginary Lives 'A remarkable book visceral and philosophical in equal measure. The perfect combination of big ideas and a rattling good yarn. Hell of a read' James Kinsley author of Playtime's Over and Greyskin 'This is a superbly atmospheric novel imagined around the next generation after Frankenstein... Gadz's novel is always convincing and placed authentically in its historical context. The believable well-drawn characters... draw us in and earn our interest and sympathy although some of the more gruesome details are not for the fainthearted. The plot is intricate full of action and very exciting with plenty of wonderful set pieces' Rubery Award for Fiction - The Workshop of Filthy Creation shortlisted 2022 BOOK REVIEW Kindle Customer 5.0 out of 5 stars "Pretty Classy" 'Very well written! I think Mr Gadz (as they say) is the real deal.' ___________________ Lisa *OwlBeSatReading* 5.0 out of 5 stars "This horror story was right up my (Burn!) Street!" 'High-octane, action-packed, supernatural horror/thriller which kept me on my toes from the first page to the last.' ----------------------------------- Robert2 5.0 out of 5 stars "Rarely have I broken out in a sweat furiously turning pages to see what will happen next" 'Richard Gadz clearly knows the craft of writing a great plot and keeping the reader stuck in the same place until the book's finished.' ----------------------------------- Jason Cotton 5.0 out of 5 stars "A great read and one for the horror fans A++++" 'The story twists and turns from what appears to be a psychological thriller to a monster horror. - I can honestly say that this was a brilliant read.' ----------------------------------- Lauren Gebhard 5.0 out of 5 stars 'I would definitely recommend this to any lover of cosmic horror and Stranger Things." "Incredibly intelligent and had me rereading a few pages to really soak in the information I was being given'. -----------------------------------.
