Lynette McClenaghan

I often mention in my posts that part of my research as an author involves reading the works of other writers including other Indi authors. Read the rest of this entry »

Lovecraft’s own writing inspires horror writers to strive to write intelligent, thoughtful and well-crafted stories that don’t simply rely on gimmicks and cheap shocks. In his own words:

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Finders Keepers

I enjoyed Mr Mercedes very much, and am glad to say that Finders Keepers is even better. The story moves at a rapid pace, yet at the same time it is a slow-burning gradual intensifying of tension and threat. The inevitable confrontation between Morris and Pete is signalled early in the story and we watch with fascination as the complexities of plot and situation draw them closer and closer. The sub-plots and stories within stories are meticulously constructed and mesh seamlessly with the novel’s overall trajectory. That we are already familiar with Bill, Holly and Jerome helps, as there is no need to establish these characters. The other two protagonists in this ensemble cast are finely created. Morris Bellamy is less demented than Brady Hartfield in Mr Mercedes, and for me this makes him more contradictory and thus more interesting. King has cleverly imbued Morris with some characteristics such as his love of literature which will resonate with readers, however perversely it is manifested by him. Pete Saubers is another of those adolescent males that King creates wonderfully and who is sorely tested by circumstances beyond his control, and yet for which he is, or feels, somehow responsible. Minor characters, particularly Morris’ former friend Andy, are similarly well articulated. Obsession, redemption, responsibility, fate; although there is nothing supernatural in Finders Keepers (although barely hinted at in a few brief encounters with Brady) the novel has a grim, Gothic atmosphere. Read it in a day

Film – The Raven

Film director, James Mc Teigue, draws thematically on the poem The Raven and the poet’s life. The poem depicts the narrator lamenting over lost love, where the raven is a messenger from the land of the dead and a symbol of death. Even though the narrator is haunted by the lover and death, the poem asserts that although death conquers life it doesn’t destroy love. This theme is embodied in the film where the fictitious Poe is prepared to surrender his life for his lover.

The film deviates from the poem and the facts of Poe’s life. Unlike, the poem, the film is a hybrid genre of historical fiction, Gothic horror, thriller and crime story. Laced with violence and gore, the film is not recommended for young viewers or the faint hearted. Mc Teigue’s thriller relies on a number of the Poe’s gruesome tales where a deranged fan sets about to re-enact some of Poe’s most grisly tales. He must be stopped before he works his way through Poe’s entire compilation of stories. This is a compelling and chilling thriller that sustains suspense throughout keeping viewers on edge until its grim finale.

This is a review of The White Princess by Philippa Gregory, the latest in her Cousin’s War series

A good read, but like the other volumes in the Cousins’ War series, this one is compromised by being overlong. Historical fiction readers expect meticulous detail and the writer’s specific interpretation. Like other volumes of this series the White Princess delivers. This is a revisionist history portraying Henry Tudor as a tyrannical, paranoid ruler and pretender to the throne. It also hints at being anti-royalist.
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Brilliant re-imagining of Frankenstein myth Read the rest of this entry »

Sleepy Hollow – traditional American Gothic Read the rest of this entry »

A beautiful and sad novel which is impossible to fit into any particular genre, explores the complex moral issues raised by a religious family’s decision to refuse medical treatment to their son Adam as it involves a blood transfusion. Adam, 17, almost 18 – and this is crucial to the story – agrees with them.

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I need ya, Deck…I need the old Bladerunner, I need your magic Read the rest of this entry »

From the opening lines Ray’s autobiography is imbued with a personal touch which contrasts Mick Wall’s cynicism. Read the rest of this entry »