Skendleby

Ancient Gramarye #1

by Nick Brown

In the rolling Cheshire countryside surrounding Alderley, scarred by the mansions of celebs and footballers, something buried for millenia is stirring. But something equally ancient keeps watch. Its dark energy disturbs psychic Claire Vanarvi, compelling her to visit an archaeological dig taking place on the purportedly cursed estate of Skendleby Hall, now set to become a sprawling commercial development.
Blinded by greed, the Hall's new owner and his political cronies are blissfully unaware of the terrible evil that lies beneath the surface and only Claire, who no one will believe, can see it coming.
Now only the tenacious psychic and her accomplice - the local self-loathing, agnostic vicar - stand in the way of a force which could put an end to Skendleby and disturb the fabric of existence.
Skendleby is a tale of Christmas haunting, greed, faith, love and horror mixed with a pinch of quantum strangeness.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy

350 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2013

About the author

Nick Brown has an extensive background teaching and writing in the field of archaeology and ancient history and has taught and studied at Leeds and Manchester universities.

Brown later taught at a number of Manchester schools, where he experienced first hand the racial tensions plaguing the area. At one of the schools a pupil was stabbed to death in the playground, an event which Brown has described as ‘life changing’. He moved to Oldham to work for the council, advising schools and planning a reconstruction of a Romano-British Villa with Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit.

Soon after arriving, he was asked to take over the headship of an Oldham school where a pupil had been killed in a racially-charged shooting. Brown later became Principal of a new Sixth Form college, set up by Oldham council in an attempt to instill a multi- racial ethos. In his 20 years there the college became one of the most successful in the country, and Brown has been awarded an OBE for his work.

Since leaving the school, he now devotes his time to writing. This is Brown’s debut novel and is the first in a series set in the fascinating and tumultuous 5th Century BC Athens.

Reviews

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to confess that I have read very little horror or fantasy... it's normally just not my kind of genre but, for my own reasons, I decided I wanted to read Skendleby.
The truth is that it reminded me very much of a '70s Hammer Horror movie in print, with all the cliches and a degree of predicability that came with those films. The characters could also have stepped right out of "Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" or suchlike film; sceptical archaeologists, easily spooked assistants (always women!), an unbelieving priest and a lord of the manor and, of course, greedy businessmen about to bulldoze some ancient site that should really have a health warning and armed guards around it...
One of my problems with the book lies in the old belief that the most frightening horror is that which plays on the psychological aspect... "Did that move then? Must have been the wind." "Bit creaky this house." "Eric saw what? Yeh, sure, obviously had too much to drink." The worst kind of horror is when the monster makes an appearance very early on in the film - often as a big "BOO" moment that then, very quickly, loses its impact. Reading Skendleby I wish more had been left to the imagination or taken place on the fringe of the story so that one gradually gets a sense of unease as the climax begins to build, yet there is one "horror" that works really well on the imagination.
Part of the problem I had with the book might lie in the fact that the cast is a little too big and we follow what happens to all of them (like in a film). It might have worked better if we had followed the story through the eyes of just one of the characters. Things also seem to be going on on the periphery (like the murders or assaults in "town" which just suddenly start to make the news) which could have been a more active part of the build-up. There were annoying print errors - the book would have benefitted from a good editorial check - sentences had words missing and this was on top of what felt like continuity "jumps" in parts of the story.
All the negatives aside, I have given it three stars. It was interesting, despite my criticisms. Some things are well observed and even quite pithy at times and there are enough twists and loose ends left at the end to leave one wondering about the outcome and what happens next...

[J.F. Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something ancient & dark is buried under Skendleby. But now it's been uncovered ...

[N.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skendleby is a town in the heart of North West England. It has a market square, a university, a shopping centre with the usual suspects and a seriously expensive gated estate for seriously expensive individuals looking to show off their wealth. Unfortunately for Skendleby it also has a Neolithic burial mound sitting in the middle of a large field which has been earmarked for a modern commercial development.

The book opens with a dream sequence set in the distant past that sets the scene for the main story of the archaeological dig that is taking place in the present day where a dysfunctional group of experts have discovered the remains of an old settlement and are being pressured into finishing their work so the development can begin. In the course of their work they discover that what they thought was a natural rise in the ground is in fact a previously undiscovered burial mound that pre-dates Christianity. The leader of the dig, Giles, is at first none too keen to extend the dig to allow for the excavation of this mound but is persuaded to give it a few more days and it soon becomes clear that what they have discovered is a site of very high scientific interest.

During this period, we are also introduced to a vicar who has lost not only his faith in God but also any faith he had in himself. They are joined by a wise woman called Claire who is plagued by increasingly terrible dreams, one of which forms the basis of the prologue, and a brash, crass, bling obsessed property developer called Si Carver who has bullied his way to getting planning permission for the shopping centre that will be built on the field that lays claim to the burial mound. This turns out to be a mistake of pretty monumental proportions as becomes clear as the story opens up.

This is a book of two halves. The first half is taken up with the relationships between the protagonists and how they come to inform the decisions that culminate with the burial mound being opened and the second half deals with the fall out of the opening. This works well because it means that when the characters start to fall victim to whatever it is that has been released from the tomb we care about their fate.

The evil in question is never fully explained but there is a sense of foreboding that comes in very early on that lets us know that whatever it is it is ancient, malevolent and completely agnostic as to who it chooses to prey on. Nick Brown has put this across well by giving Skendleby some unseasonably foggy weather which contributes to the slow tearing apart of the local social fabric. That along with the subtle messages that people send out with their body language help to create an atmosphere that is both claustrophobic and threatening in equal measure.

The prose fitted the story perfectly in that it put across a countryside that was at times austere and cold but never barren. The sense that we were just guests’ in a world that has been here for a lot longer than we have and is so much more that the superficial gloss that we as modern inhabitants place on it came through very well and made for a forceful backdrop to the story of an interloper in Carver and the locals who have to deal with the fallout of his sudden arrival.

I have to say that I loved the ending of the book. It was very well conceived and executed and it leaves a number of threads nicely open for the sequel, The Dead Travel Fast.

All told this book is an excellent example of the horror genre. It’s intelligent, slow burning and delivers a great story which keeps you wanting more.

For these reasons I’ve given it 5 stars.

[Simon Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of an ancient burial ground which is excavated, leading to all sorts of horrific goings-on, is something that’s been done many times, so it’s a pleasant relief when an author has the ability to make something extremely readable and compelling from such a plot.

To be fair, it doesn’t take too long for the reader to realise that this is going to be an enjoyable and worthwhile read regardless. there are two key strengths to Nick Brown’s writing- his characters and his willingness to ensure that the technical / historical details are correct or at least make sense within the context. I’m not sure if he already had a certain amount of archaeological knowledge or if he went and did the research. Either way it’s commendable.

Back to the characterisation. Above everything else it was the personalities in Skendleby that made me want to keep reading. The plot was solid, the ideas interesting, the descriptions vivid, but the characters were well-rounded, three-dimensional and in a few cases, people who I found myself caring about (particularly Giles and Clare in my case). The important people in the book all have fascinating histories and flawed personalities, and the author expertly stirs these into the mix.

There are some aspects to the book that need some attention, but mainly relate to grammatical editing rather than the story itself. Grammar can be fixed- a story is either good or it isn’t, and excellent grammar isn’t going to fix a bad story. A few editing touches here and there with Skendleby, on the other hand, will help this excellent story shine even more brightly.

Recommended for all fans of atmospheric horror. I’ll be getting the next book in the series (this one ends with quite a cliffhanger or two).

[Andrew Critchley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written and engrossing...there is an excellent dynamic to the book where the warmth and frailties of the superbly crafted characters contrast perfectly with the dark and, at times, thoroughly scary and macabre storyline.

Perfectly paced and an ideal length. The ways the different strands of the remarkable story intertwined demonstrate an outstanding example of how the construct and build a story. Brown even saves his best until last with a magnificent scene involving a flock of Black Birds and a previously tormented and troubled clergyman.

And last, but certainly not least, a very offbeat and engaging love affair thrown in for good measure.

I will undeniably be purchasing other works by Nick Brown.

In summary, very highly recommended.

[Kurt Thomas Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a nutshell, Skendleby is a haunting archaeological adventure set on the plains of Cheshire. What begins as a routine CRM dig turns rather quickly into a horror laced mystery with a crew of cursed shovelbums and a vengeful mystical force at the very center. At 237 pages, it is a quick but plot-packed read. It avoids the pitfalls of most current horror literature, mainly predictability.

While Skendleby is written by an archaeologist, it isn't necessarily written for archaeologists (I'm an archaeologist, hence I point that out). Brown successfully manages to splice just the right amount of technicality into his work to keep a professional interested, while dodging hang ups on the minute details of stratigraphic profiles and radiocarbon dating that may alienate someone unfamiliar with archaeological fieldwork. Truth be told, the fact that the story centers around a group of archaeologists is just a bonus. This is a novel that any fan of horror could enjoy.

I have only two gripes. First, I wish the book had been longer. Like I said, it was a quick read and the story was great; I could have stayed in that world a bit longer. Second, some of the characters lack being memorable. This doesn't in any way affect the plot, just something I wanted to point out and maybe something that could have taken care of gripe number one. Fortunately, Brown manages to form a close-knit group of central characters (some likable, some loath-able) that kept the story moving and my interest peaked up to the final page.

I’m anxious for more by Brown. As I write this I'm about sixty pages deep into Luck Bringer, his first novel centered around the Persian Empire. According to his website, Skendleby is part of a planned Ancient Gramarye series, so I kindly request that he get to work on the next in the series.

[D. J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was frustrating at times, but overall I liked it - so I'll happily say it deserves at least the three stars I've given it.

The author took a well-hashed premise but was still successful in making his story compelling at times, and he definitely excelled in establishing the creepy and atmospheric environment needed for a reader to maintain interest in the novel.

My main issues with the book were the many grammatical and spelling issues which should have been picked up by an editor or proof-reader. There was often a strange use of commas and semi-colons throughout the text, especially when a full-stop/period and a new sentence (or sometimes a colon) would have been appropriate:

e.g:
He seemed desperate to watch something at the entrance, Jim remembered Lisa.

Occasionally, words were missing from sentences rendering them nonsensical and pulling the reader briefly from the story to decipher the intended meaning:

e.g:
When Giles first the idea of the Journal’s exclusive coverage of the excavation he’d been carried along by the persuasive manner.

Lastly, and very rarely, incorrect words were used:

e.g:
Happy, he wondered outside to inspect the arsenal of fireworks he’d have the staff detonate at midnight. (*wandered)

Criticism aside, the story was solid and some of the characters created were memorable and I hope they are revisited in the sequels. I hope this brief review doesn't come across as overly pedantic - but I do expect errors such as this to be corrected before a book is offered for sale.

I will definitely read more of this author's work. I've already bought the second book in this series and plan on reading it soon.

[Anne Stripeycat Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An archaeological dig is taking place on the estate of Skendleby Hall, investigating a piece of land before it is set to be commercially developed by a member of the nouveau riche who's taste lies firmly in his mouth.
As the weather turns and glorious autumn becomes deadly winter we are drawn further into the lives of those involved with the dig and those whom reside close by.
An accident on site is only the start and incidents follow like red flags of warning, creating a corridor of fear from countryside to town, leading directly from Skendleby to the University.
As freezing fog closes in on a Manchester at Christmas, we share the streets with a stalking dread that conjures the atmosphere of Victorian London at the time of Jack the Ripper. More than once I actually had to put the book down and look over my shoulder, the footsteps within my imagination and not on the road outside.
What has been released from it's ancient resting place? Who is the watcher in the woods? and How can the spreading evil be contained?
Nick brown has created a modern ghost story for Christmas with more than a cursory nod to M.R.James, his ability to weave homage, folklore and fact into his writing inform a narrative that owes as much his personal knowledge of archaeology, history and dark literature as it does to classic mystery and horror.
Skendleby did that rarest of things, it transported me. It took me to a place in the author's mind and held me there. I cannot recommend it more highly.

'Dead Travel Fast' the second in the ancient gramarye series of five will be published later this year, this reader for one, cannot wait.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best horror books I've read recently. My favourite kind of tale - ancient entities, paganism, witches, alternate realities, possession, dusty old bones, lots of darkness, British weather and tea and all set in my own backyard of the North-West of England. I will be seeking out this author's other books. He deserves to be better known. This story would make a very scary movie.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

First half deals with archaeology and setting, the second builds into matters of faith and horror. Love corvids! Enjoyed it.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyably spooky.

I have read this book over the last few days, sat in my armchair during the late afternoon and early evening, in the suitably darkening room, in the fading autumnal light. I am happy to say that the atmosphere complemented the story and created a pleasingly spooky experience.
The plot, of an ancient evil being released into a modern urban setting is very well managed and kept me turning the pages. The characters are well drawn,( with the exception of the new owner of the manor house, who do found more of a comic villain) and again held my interest until the very end. I did however find it very difficult to find any sympathy with any of them. In fact the only decomposing that I have is that at times the dialogue is a little stilted.
A number of recovers have drawn comparisons between the author and Phil Rickman. I have to say that apart from the occult angle I could see very little to compare. There are similarities with the writings of MR James and the plot of Skendleby but only in the folklore used in both ; "Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad" being the obvious reference point.
I will be reading more of Mr. Brown and hope that I continue to get as much enjoyment as I have with Skendleby.

[C.M. Blackburn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this as friend gave it to me and I live locally so nice to have something set in the area. My first shock was the really, and I mean REALLY terrible writing. I cannot believe this book got past an editor. The writing is possibly the worst published writing I have ever read. It is clichéd, hackneyed,loaded with stereotypes, and quite often either repeats or contradicts itself. In an attempt to create horror it just uses purple prose. Everything is constantly in a state of extremes that frankly made me actually laugh it became so ridiculous.
The characterisation is zero, and you would struggle to distinguish between each pre cut character. The 'twist' is telegraphed so obviously from the get go it was ridiculous. I mean I love a spooky book but this really was overwhelmingly bad. In writing advice they say don't tell, show. This is something Nick Brown needs to learn. I couldn't believe it had found a publisher, but now I see it is self published. There is a reason for that...

[Jules · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something evil escapes a burial mound when some archaeologists decide to open it as the crowning glory of their so far unsuccessful dig. The ancient evil takes over a depressed young woman but then is exorcised by the local pretty witch who warned them against opening the grave in the first place. The evil entity has no where to go but back to the burial mound where the archaeologists reclose the mound and banish the evil forever. Or do they? Find out in the next unexciting instalment of the story. However, you will be alone in reading it, I think, my life is too precious to waste on more of this drivel. This kind of story isn't new and it has been done much better. It didn't give me the creeps in the slightest. There was too much dialogue and not enough atmosphere and I don't think there was an original idea in there. I had hoped for more.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Ancient evil, weird villagers, lots of blackbirds. Sounds good and atmospheric, right? Wrong!

The writing is awful. It reads like the author was trying to adapt a schlocky, cheap straight-to-cable film into a lousy novelization. Dialogue is painfully bad and editing is all over the place. I forced myself to keep reading in hopes it would even out, but no. I'm actually angry at how bad this book is since I had such high hopes. I couldn't finish it.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but it was a bit of a disappointment. I think I've become spoiled by the likes of Phil Rickman and F.G. Cottam.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric

I enjoyed the somewhat Gothic horror of this book - good characters and good setting, and the writing is accomplished. I found it slightly woolly in places but I'd like to read some more by this writer.

[Paula Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Skendelby draws on familiar themes in the horror genre, it avoided excessive gore and entertained me sufficiently that I have bought the next book in the series. Helpful if you are familliar with the Alderly Edge /Wimlsow area.

[Martin Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok

I firstly bought this book for its setting, just a few miles up the road from where I am sitting. It was an ok, entertaining read but fairly predictable. I found the characters a little stereotypical and some of the geography a little off.

[Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling read containing some great pastiches of the master of the ghost story - MR James. Even those who don't usually like horror/ghost stories are likely to enjoy this. Nick Brown's style, as ever, is accessible to all as he never takes himself too seriously.

The fact that the story takes place in and around his hometown of Manchester, and that it draws from his experience as an archaeologist, help add a spooky believability to what should be an outlandish tale.

In short: A group of archaeologists, and a group of property developers, both set their sites on a mysterious mound just outside of the fictional town of Skendleby. Some of the locals notice that something spooky is happening as both groups come closer to digging up the mound, which turns out to be the site of an ancient burial...

[Liz Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book to read at this time of year as it is extremely
atmospheric. Nick Brown conjurors up a chilling and eerie presence,
recently released from a burial excavation, which dominates the life of a
village and forms a stark contrast to the prosaic capitalist greed of a
property developer.

We get increasingly involved with a range of diverse characters and
become bound up with the terrible results of this haunting presence. It
is a compelling but chilling read .

[Chris Wackett · Rating 2 out of 5]

pedestrian . not a bit scary . good visuals in the writing (it did read more like a screenplay than a book ) that said I have started the second book in the series ...... and not just because id already bought it . shrugs .

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy the ending of the book, but it seemed to take too long to get there for me. I was going to rate it a 2 until it got closer to the ending and started getting better.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun read - Almost like watching an old Hammer movie!