Inchtinn - review
Danny Weston is becoming a must read for fans of atmospheric action packed scary thrillers for discerning readers.
He really is the master of cranking the thrills and chills up in equal measure. This book is blissfully brilliant, he takes the early 1950s and captures the feel of the period with characters that are extremely well written.
His subtle but telling use of a prolific hugely popular author for children who has hit a writers block but decides to escape to the solitude of a remote and quite bleak Scottish island with her son, who has recently left his posh school after a bad experience with a diving board and his PT master and fellow pupils sets the scene nicely, we immediately get into the story as Danny wastes no words, they all count.
We have superb chapter headings and a few pages of stunning atmospheric b/w full page illustrations by Miranda Harris and a rather stunning cover by Helen Crawford-White.
There aren't many characters, but Danny uses them with assured necessity, we meet an orni...tholo... bird man, a wizened and weary boat keeper and the epitome of Enid Blyton in Millicent, her series the Adventurers are huge and in many ways I think we all know who they really
are! Her son Noah is plucky and has a lot of inner emotions to deal with he really is a cracking read. His isolation and fears are balanced superbly with his ability to overcome difficulty, he really is a cracking character. Having a derelict 16th Century Leper Hospital at the centre of the island adds a macabre undercurrent and the glimpse of Scottish folklore that Danny secretes in the plot are wonderful.
I daren't delve too deep, because the book is due out in October, I'm very lucky to be able to read it early, UCLan publishing are really getting off to a cracking start, they've won a few awards for their groundbreaking way of working and they are finding extraordinary talent to publish.
Danny Weston has already delved into interesting history periods and added his superb ability to cause thrills and chills with ghosts and other otherworldly involvements, he really is a very accomplished writer. I'd highly recommend his Mr Sparks for those wanting a real chill and his other three books are superb too. I think it's would be true to say he is now the writer he should be and he's had plenty of success previously, but that is another story.
If anyone wants to pre-order please do, we'll be selling this excellent book for £6 and free postage, it would make an ideal class reader for schools as there is much to discuss and divest. We can take orders for his other books too, he's touring with us in Early November.
He really is the master of cranking the thrills and chills up in equal measure. This book is blissfully brilliant, he takes the early 1950s and captures the feel of the period with characters that are extremely well written.
His subtle but telling use of a prolific hugely popular author for children who has hit a writers block but decides to escape to the solitude of a remote and quite bleak Scottish island with her son, who has recently left his posh school after a bad experience with a diving board and his PT master and fellow pupils sets the scene nicely, we immediately get into the story as Danny wastes no words, they all count.
We have superb chapter headings and a few pages of stunning atmospheric b/w full page illustrations by Miranda Harris and a rather stunning cover by Helen Crawford-White.
There aren't many characters, but Danny uses them with assured necessity, we meet an orni...tholo... bird man, a wizened and weary boat keeper and the epitome of Enid Blyton in Millicent, her series the Adventurers are huge and in many ways I think we all know who they really
are! Her son Noah is plucky and has a lot of inner emotions to deal with he really is a cracking read. His isolation and fears are balanced superbly with his ability to overcome difficulty, he really is a cracking character. Having a derelict 16th Century Leper Hospital at the centre of the island adds a macabre undercurrent and the glimpse of Scottish folklore that Danny secretes in the plot are wonderful.
I daren't delve too deep, because the book is due out in October, I'm very lucky to be able to read it early, UCLan publishing are really getting off to a cracking start, they've won a few awards for their groundbreaking way of working and they are finding extraordinary talent to publish.
Danny Weston has already delved into interesting history periods and added his superb ability to cause thrills and chills with ghosts and other otherworldly involvements, he really is a very accomplished writer. I'd highly recommend his Mr Sparks for those wanting a real chill and his other three books are superb too. I think it's would be true to say he is now the writer he should be and he's had plenty of success previously, but that is another story.
If anyone wants to pre-order please do, we'll be selling this excellent book for £6 and free postage, it would make an ideal class reader for schools as there is much to discuss and divest. We can take orders for his other books too, he's touring with us in Early November.