As teenagers in the idyllic town of Maple Grove, social outcasts Rebecca, Bobby, Spencer and Ernie become inseparable friends in response to the grim reality of their day-to-day lives. Growing up, the ‘Four Amigos’ are there for each other no matter what, until three of them leave Maple Grove to pursue lofty dreams, leaving Ernie behind. Even when Rebecca, Bobby and Spencer achieve stratospheric success in their chosen fields, they remain as loyal to one another as ever, and to dear Ernie, still in Maple Grove.

Years later, when Ernie falls into a coma, his three amigos feel an urgent need to return home. They have the strangest feeling that they remember people lapsing into comas before. And those people always woke up… didn’t they?

Returning after two decades, they find that not a lot has changed in Maple Grove, especially Ernie’s obnoxious, scary mother. But Rebecca, Bobby and Spencer begin to remember things – a hulking, murderous figure and other weird and disturbing memories that they were somehow made to forget. As Ernie sinks deeper into darkness, something strange and deadly awaits any friend who tries to save him.

Having read fairly recently After Death and The Bad Weather Friend, I was back in the gloriously strange world of Dean Koontz, the well-blended mixture of excellent storytelling with elements of thriller, paranormal horror and suspense. There are plenty of references to literature, film and popular culture, as well. As always Koontz creates a plot that is both impeccable and surprising but I will not dive into analysing what’s going on in the novel. You’ve got to read it – and the bloggers who joined this blog tour will whet your appetite. Instead I want to mention what I also enjoyed about Going Home in the Dark: the omnipresent narrator who gives updates on the writing process and the context of various situations. I’m certain this would work in other books, too, as long as it fits with the overall stylistics. Here it’s playful and fun, and sometimes eye-opening. Koontz seems to genuinely care for his main characters Four Amigos – artistic creative souls: actress, writer, painter and songwriter – and so explains things behind the scenes, to some degree. Of course this doesn’t mean that the reader must agree with everything but it allows for a moment of reflection. Additionally it gives plenty of space for dark humour. Here’s an example which perfectly shows the thinking of both the plot and the mechanisms of writing:

As Rebecca settled behind the steering wheel and pulled the door shut, she had the disturbing feeling that something was about to happen that would change the course of her life, something worse than an exploding lithium battery.

[The previous sentence is a flagrant example of foreshadowing, a plot device that creates a pleasant anticipation in the reader. However, as the author, I feel the need to be honest with you, even at the cost of this intrusion, and I’m compelled to acknowledge that besides contributing to a building atmosphere of menace, Rebecca’s “disturbing feeling” also serves as an effective way to end Chapter One before it grows too long. Studies indicate that modern readers prefer shorter chapters. Before purchasing a novel, they conduct a “flip-through” to sample the prose, consider the readability of the typeface, and be sure the number of chapters promises a quick read. Because Rebecca is rich and glamorous and one of the film-business elite, we expect her to be an insufferable narcissist, but she is a likable, vulnerable person whose “disturbing feeling” concerns us and whose fate matters to us just enough to propel us to Chapter Two, which is shorter than Chapter One.]

I will finish with a quote that resonates with me: ‘Friendship is a kind of love, and even on nights when one of the amigos is alone, they live in the light of their friendship.’ If you have friends, then you’re not afraid of monsters of any kind.

Going Home in the Dark is available now and I would like to thank Katrina Power and FMcM Associates for a chance to read this scary and delightful novel.

Whatever you do this weekend you must also find time to listen to a fantastic BBC World Book Club programme. Last November I was very lucky to sit in the audience during the recording of conversation between BBC’s Harriett Gilbert and the Norwegian writer Anne Holt about Anne’s book 1222. I even asked a question. Harriett Gilbert is a writer, journalist and literary editor and presents also A Good Read on Radio 4. I think Anne Holt, known for her sensible and brave political and social views, doesn’t need introductions: her writing career has been absolutely amazing, rich in interesting characters and story plots, showing the darkness of Scandinavia at various levels. She used to work as a lawyer and was a Minister of Justice, and is a truly engaged person, interested in what’s going on in the world. I’ve been a huge fan of her work, novels including A Grave for Two (2019) and A Memory For Murder (2022).  

When published in 2007 the book 1222 was not embraced warmly by the critics in Norway. However,  since then it became one of the most significant and loved by readers around the world. I read it ages ago on the train (where else?) from Oslo to Bergen, and loved translation to English by Marlaine Delargy.

Fallen Feathers is a debut novel by Adam Howorth who took inspiration from his  surroundings and existing landmarks, and created a mysterious world, both enchanting and dangerous. That world invites us to enter in and discover new stories, and appeals to both children and adults but in a different way.

Premise of this fantastical tale is about the nature of belief and truth, faith and existence in the modern world which is marked by scepticism and cynicism. Luckily not everyone feels like that and so the story can move easily between timelines and perspectives. We get to see and embrace this new reality through the eyes of innocent children and of parents aware of potential risks.

All her life Elizabeth Fairchild has been fascinated by the moon, and had the unique ability to know its movements in the sky. Living with her parents in a quiet London suburb by a river, she felt safe and secure but also curious like all kids her age. On sudden impulse she decided to sneakfrom home at night and follow the moon reflection leading her to the river. There she met  a ferryman Lucas Mann who might be a figment of imagination. The stranger offered to take her across the river to a party in the mansion on the other side. The sudden encounter scared her for but not for long. Another chance to visit the unknown place appeared and so Elizabeth began her nightly adventures, risky and exciting as she also became friends with a boy called Tobias Mallory. The pair played in the woods, and Tobias couldn’t wait to introduce her to his family and other adults in the mansion. Apparently they were awaiting her eagerly. Elizabeth couldn’t quite understand the whole situation but kept going. The enchanted forest and the mysteries slowly began to be more threatening until one night when a super blood moon appeared in the sky and Elizabeth vanished. That we found and seen through the eyes of her parents who grew increasingly worried, especially as unsettling stories begin to surface.

Her father Tom was told about another blond girl who went missing in similar circumstances in the same location years ago. She looked just like Elizabeth and was never found. Then a stranger visited the local church and talked about a prophecy in an ancient book found ages ago in the middle of the forest. The prophecy states that Elizabeth is a new messiah, a golden girl who must die to save generations of people waiting for her. The existence of the book and its contents puts the story into yet another perspective which takes us back centuries ago. Here, the narrator provides a good background to the life in the monastery where monks were first to read the writings.

The collision of modern life, with the ordinary days and activities, and tales and superstitions from the past create tension, and it seems that the author Adam Howorth puts a spell on readers as he pulls together strands of complex thoughts. The old book’s power to make people believe in unexplained message transcends between then and now, and shines a tricky light on what’s most valuable in life: family love or a demanding god. Excellent read!

Fallen by Feathers was published on 28 October 2024 by Troubador Publishing Ltd. Thank you to Antara Patel of FMcM Associates for the early copy of the book and the invitation to join the blog tour.