The first amazon review has now been posted for my collection Welgar the Cursed and, thankfully, it's for 5 Stars. It ends with: "I really hope Riley continues this character, because so much more can be told of his saga."
As
soon as I finish writing my chronicles of the mercenary Horbeck (6
stories written and one still to be completed) that's a distinct possibility, especially if his stories continues to receive a favourable response.
To read the full review click on either of the links below:
The first US review on amazon for Moloch's Children, a more than
satisfying 5-stars: "What a fantastic book! Take a Bow Mr. Riley! I
could not put down the book for a moment till I finished it. Great level
of detail, vivid imagery, likable characters, not too original but
engaging plot nevertheless, this is the kind that engaging horror is
made of! I hope there are more such books from Mr. Riley's pen that come
out soon." review
A great 5-star review for my horror novel The Return, published by Blood Bound Books, has just been posted on Amazon.
"For me, this is David A Riley's best book to
date. A tight, pulse-pounding thriller, mixing hard-boiled crime with
horror - a new angle for the Mythos of Lovecraft - with pace, character
and enough action to keep the pages turning. Well constructed, with a
credible landscape and a bagful of grotesqueness. I hope this brings the
author the recognition he deserves."
One five-star review on amazon: "I just read the anthology "Kitchen Sink
Gothic" and yes, I was blown away. As a title interpretation, I can
respectfully call this Working Class Gothic, as it is a strange and
Gothic journey into the lives of the ordinary folk of our world, and not
the social elite that populate much of literature's history. And it is
here that Kitchen Sink Gothic's charms lie. As a grab-bag of different
tales, some surprise with their deviousness, and others shock
with their arrogance, but all of them, each and every story in this
clever and tasty collection, is sure to entertain. Heck, I think I'll
pick it up and read it a second time now. Yes, it is that good."
This review is from: Kitchen Sink Gothic (Paperback)
I just read the anthology "Kitchen Sink Gothic"
and yes, I was blown away. As a title interpretation, I can respectfully
call this Working Class Gothic, as it is a strange and Gothic journey
into the lives of the ordinary folk of our world, and not the social
elite that populate much of literature's history. And it is here that
Kitchen Sink Gothic's charms lie. As a grab-bag of different tales, some
surprise with their deviousness, and others shock with their arrogance,
but all of them, each and every story in this clever and tasty
collection, is sure to entertain. Heck, I think I'll pick it up and read
it a second time now. Yes, it is that good.
"You may recognise the name Charles Black and wonder where you've seen it
before? If you're a fan of horror, and in particular the horror
anthology, then you'll quickly realise that Charles Black is the editor
of that wonderful and long running Black Book of Horror series, now in
its 11th edition.
Never mind that Mr Black manages to attract
some of the best writing talent available in the horror genre for his
acclaimed anthologies ( number 11 seems to have reached new heights in
its ghoulish excellence! ), but this highly talented editor is also a
clever master of writing a great horror story as well!
Black
Ceremonies is a wonderful collection of his own, self-penned tales...13
in all, with stories that will haunt and thoroughly unsettle you. From
The Obsession of Percival Cairstairs to The Stromboli Collection, each
tale has been crafted by a master in the field of terror.
So, to
sum up, not only has Mr Charles Black created the greatest horror
anthology since those magnificent Pan Books of Horror with his Black
Books of Horror, but it transpires that he also a very talented author
as well?
Buy this collection now. ....but don't plan on getting much sleep if you read the tales at bedtime"
This review is from: Kitchen Sink Gothic (Paperback)
Kitchen Sink Gothic is a short story anthology
published in the United Kingdom that includes a story written by my
friend, Walter Gascoigne. The title refers to a genre of Gothic stories
featuring working class characters, stories that range from, to quote
the introduction, “darkly humorous to the weirdly strange and
occasionally horrific.” Walter’s story is all of the above and much
more.
I just received my Kindle copy last night, and I
immediately flipped to Walter’s story, “The Sanitation Solution.” I
haven’t taken the time yet to read any of the other stories, but I was
so taken by “The Sanitation Solution” that I wanted to recommend it
immediately. Knowing Walter like I do, I can tell you that the story
is, like Walter himself, a unique experience.
Only Walter could
preface a story by quoting Charles Manson and close by quoting
Shakespeare. I’m not going to spoil anything by describing what happens
in between, except to tell you that you’ll experience laughter and
disgust and irony – not bad for a short story. He writing is lean and
efficient and straight forward, reminding me a little bit of Richard
Matheson at his best. Walter begins the story with these two
sentences: “From my vantage point on top of this mountain of trash and
maggots, I could see the rats were the size of small dogs. Just last
week I saw one tearing apart what was left of a tiny infant.” Perfect.
There’s no way anyone can read that and not be compelled to keep
reading.
And it only gets better as Walter draws you into his
weird world and its twisted logic and strange characters. It’s a
testament to Walter’s skill in that only a few pages you are taken away
to a world of his imagining.
Walter’s story is only one of many
in this collection, and if it were the only one, it’d be worth the price
of purchasing the book. I’m hoping that as I read the rest of the
book, I’ll find more stories that disgust and amuse me and make me
think, even though I know there is only one Walter.
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