Devil's Island

by C.M. Saunders

When Davon Rice returns from active duty in Afghanistan he is struck by the level of despair that awaits him in civilian life. Staving off boredom and depression and in need of a fresh challenge, he takes a job as live-in security guard on Devil's Island, a disused government research facility. But then he slowly comes to realize that he is not alone. As the terror mounts and he spirals toward an earth-shattering conclusion, Davon is brought face to face with his worst nightmares. And this is one battle he has to fight alone.

132 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2012

About the author

Christian Saunders, a constant reader who writes fiction as C.M. Saunders, is a freelance journalist and editor from south Wales. His work has appeared in almost 100 magazines, ezines and anthologies worldwide including Fortean Times, the Literary Hatchet, ParABnormal, Fantastic Horror, Haunted MTL, Feverish Fiction and Crimson Streets, and he has held staff positions at several leading UK magazines ranging from Staff Writer to Associate Editor. His books have been both traditionally and independently published, the latest release being Tethered on Terror Tract Publishing.

Reviews

[Keith Chawgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark adventure into the mind

Saunders has constructed a story that works on many levels with well defined characters, real life settings and a profound sense of dread.

Mastering his unique style, he is able to hone an intelligent plot which keeps it moving forward with his eloquent word styling. Using a third person perspective but entering on the first person, he wonderfully weaves a tale that sits on your mind long after the final page.

Devils island is a lengthy novella with a gripping storyline which never lags. His magnificent styling ups the ante in dark fiction making him one of the new breed of horror to look out for.

Both intelligent and entertaining, Saunders never misses a step. Excellent read and highly recommended.

[Dayle Grixti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on my blog (http://legionwood.wordpress.com/2012/...)

It’s been a while since I’ve read a good, solid horror novel. Sure, my favourite writer is Stephen King, and I bought and consumed his latest two books at a feverish pace, but it’s been quite a long time since I read a new novel that actually made me look over my shoulder to check if anything was there. I’m a stalwart of horror; I’ve become acclimatised to it, and nothing much can really scare me anymore. At least, this is what I like to think. Thus, when I received a complimentary copy of C.M Saunders’ new novella Devil’s Island (available in digital and paperback formats from Rainstorm Press), I deliberately went into it with my expectations lowered. “I’ll review this one based on whether or not I enjoyed the storyline”, I told myself. That was all. There was no way this book would actually manage to be scary. I was quite wrong; not only did I enjoy this book, but I found it suitably unsettling and atmospheric, just like a good horror story should be.

Devil’s Island is the story of Davon Rice, a veteran of two tours in Afghanistan, recently returned to civilian life and down on his luck. Desperate for w0rk, Davon accepts a mysterious job offer he finds online and becomes a live-in security guard for a supposedly abandoned military research facility off the coast of Scotland, the titular Devil’s Island. At first, Davon’s new job seems like an easy gig – all he has to do is keep the base maintained for a few months and make sure no wayward vagrants make off with the equipment left behind – but, after only a few days within the confines of the Island, things start to go downhill, and Davon realises he’s sharing his new accommodations with something very evil. What follows is an entertaining, genuinely menacing (if a little predictable) series of events, and this is what makes C.M Saunders’ book a worthwhile read.

As far as horror stories go, it’s a pretty simple premise, essentially boiling down to a creature feature with equal parts haunted house story. Don’t read Devil’s Island for a gripping storyline or complex characterisation. While Saunders does inject some backstory for Davon, attempting to subtly comment on war and its aftermath for veterans in the process, and he does attempt to place an emphasis on uncovering the mystery of the research facility, this is a book that is best read for scares.

While a stronger story would have been an excellent selling point for this book (particularly if there were more foreshadowing leading up to the rather jarring twist ending), what Saunders does extremely well here is create a stiffing atmosphere of isolation, uncertainty and lurking horror. Saunders’ style paints a perfect picture of how it feels to be alone in a dark, scary building while something undefinable stalks you at every turn. We rarely get to see Saunders’ “monster” in Devil’s Island (in fact, we only briefly get to glimpse it at the end of the book), but in true Lovecraftian fashion, this only somehow makes it scarier. Devil’s Island is macabre psychological horror at its – well, not best, but it’s still very good.

Considering Devil’s Island is available in digital formats and is relatively cheap, as well as being a reasonably short read, I’d fully recommend picking it up and saving it for a dreary day. You may start off thinking you’ve read this story before (and in some respects, you have), but if you’re looking for a book that will scare you and nothing more, you’ll soon find yourself drawn in by Saunders’ atmospheric prose, and when that happens, Devil’s Island won’t let you go.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read speculative fiction by the bucket load, but after exhausting my favorites, I moved onto other genres. Over the past few months, I’ve discovered some new authors in horror and sci-fi, and it’s all I’ve read since. Saunders is one of my recently discovered favorites and doesn’t disappoint with Devil’s Island.

Now, if you’re looking for a fancy or convoluted plot or lots of gore and bloody goings-on, this is not the book for you. The reason I love reading this author is that he writes with a clean style that pulls no punches, and it is this style that enables him to suck you into Devil’s Island without the bells and whistles. This book is all about the heebs you get when something (imaginary or not) is lurking just out of your line of sight, hunting you, breathing down your neck, whispering in your ear, persistently following you, waiting for the perfect opportunity to do whatever nasty it likes to do.

“Sounds like it’s been done before.” Well, you’d be right. It has. "So what makes this book different?" As you follow Davon, (the protagonist) into the isolated confines of Devil’s Island in the first pages, Saunders carefully injects a small amount of uncertainty, gently pushing you to the edge of your seat as you read on. Then he slowly builds the creep factor, scene by scene, disturbing your equilibrium just enough to make you turn the page, because you're hoping to find the solid ground horror authors usually give you between chapters(I call it the safe zone, where you're allowed to breathe and laugh at yourself for almost closing your eyes in previous pages). That solid ground never appears. No, not even at the end. This is what makes Devil’s Island worth reading.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.. Wished it was longer.