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The River Dark
The river remembers everything…
A life is saved and a life is cursed. David Weaver is haunted by dreams and ghosts as the river calls to him as it always has done, since August 1976- the hottest summer ever.
The watery history of a rural English town resides in the dark tunnels beneath medieval ruins. An ancient energy slumbers there waiting to feed on Man’s capacity for evil…
The River Dark is a novel about the dark psychology of a nothing little town where the waters rarely seem to stir. But the older inhabitants know different. They know that there is a vicious under-current to life along the River Meas. Always has been, will be always.
A life is saved and a life is cursed. David Weaver is haunted by dreams and ghosts as the river calls to him as it always has done, since August 1976- the hottest summer ever.
The watery history of a rural English town resides in the dark tunnels beneath medieval ruins. An ancient energy slumbers there waiting to feed on Man’s capacity for evil…
The River Dark is a novel about the dark psychology of a nothing little town where the waters rarely seem to stir. But the older inhabitants know different. They know that there is a vicious under-current to life along the River Meas. Always has been, will be always.
824 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2013
2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Bennett
1 book5 followersBorn and raised in Evesham, Worcestershire. I left the area in my early twenties to seek fame and fortune as a singer in a rock 'n' roll band. When that didn't work out as planned, I became a teacher of teenagers (a responsibility that stills gives me sleepless nights- but that's a good thing, I'm told).
The wanderlust started when I left for Brighton and Blur and Oasis were battling it out and continued long in to my early 40s. My family and I have lived and worked in Egypt, France and Thailand but now reside happily in Suffolk. We have an unwritten rule that bans the sharing of pictures of far-flung exotic locations. Got to keep those feet from itching.
I've always been a writer of sorts. There has never been a time in my life when I didn't write something- no matter what the reason. Poetry, song lyrics, short stories and the occasional long work. "The River Dark" is the first one I've managed to put out there but now I've started, I can't seem to stop. It's a joy to write, that's the long and tall of it.
Back in Blighty, teaching and writing, writing and teaching. Playing with the kids, walking the dog. Forty-three and expanding.
The wanderlust started when I left for Brighton and Blur and Oasis were battling it out and continued long in to my early 40s. My family and I have lived and worked in Egypt, France and Thailand but now reside happily in Suffolk. We have an unwritten rule that bans the sharing of pictures of far-flung exotic locations. Got to keep those feet from itching.
I've always been a writer of sorts. There has never been a time in my life when I didn't write something- no matter what the reason. Poetry, song lyrics, short stories and the occasional long work. "The River Dark" is the first one I've managed to put out there but now I've started, I can't seem to stop. It's a joy to write, that's the long and tall of it.
Back in Blighty, teaching and writing, writing and teaching. Playing with the kids, walking the dog. Forty-three and expanding.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 19, 2015
It's the undercurrent, y' see....
Weighing in at nearly six hundred pages, this was an ambitious first novel. And I must say, a well written one.
I came across this book one day when I was browsing Amazon for a new horror novel. The River Dark came up in my search. It was by a new author, it was his first novel, and there weren't very many reviews to go on. I decided to go for it; I have found rare jewels lost in the millions of books on Amazon before. I was not disappointed.
Set in semi-rural England, The story revolves around the fictional river town of Measton. With the murky River Meas and the ruins of a sixteenth century abbey as a backdrop, the author takes us through the history of the town, its residents, and its dark secrets.
The main characters have depth and are believable, from the diffident David Weaver, to the independent Mary Moran, to the stalwart policeman Collins. The secondary characters (and there are many) are well drawn and diverse. The story is paced extraordinarily well- which causes it to belie its length- and I finished this book a lot faster than I expected to.
The book is suitably creepy but I can't tell much without spoilers.
There is a chapter where one of the main characters is trapped in the dark, underneath the old abbey.... My favorite parts by far were the interludes; the author- Nicholas Bennett, please remember the name- tells stories within the story that really add to the flavor of the book and give the reader a better understanding of the residents of Measton.
If I had to be critical at all it would be that there are some formatting issues with the ebook. It wasn't enough to bother this reader but some may find the occasional changes in line spacing annoying.
In any case I would recommend The River Dark to anyone who is a fan of the genre. I have found it more difficult to find good horror novels over the last decade or so and welcome Nicholas Bennett and look forward to reading more of his work.
June 27, 2014
This is an odd novel set in the fictional Cotswold town of Measton. It centers on the dark events involving the river that runs through the town. This book is a mystery of the secrets that the river holds and the supernatural events that happen to the locals.
It is easy when I walk my dog along a river bank to day dream about the life, out of sight, that the river holds. This is the mood the reader must take as they plough through this very long novel. There is a lot of darkness in this book as very slowly the mystery begins to unfold. There are lots of characters involved in this story and it is easy to loose track of who is who.
Gradually the plot moves on from what you first thought was a regular crime thriller, through something creepy, then something supernatural to a nightmare of ghoulish proportions. My reading pleasure ranged day by day as I read through this book. At first I thought it was interesting, then a little slow with no progression. Slowly I got drawn into the mystery of the river and what dark secrets lay behind it's history. Then my interest waned somewhat as the story lost it's realism and it became a little bit of nonsense.
Overall this is a good book that captures your imagination as you dream of the possible secret world beyond the river. Rivers can be very creepy with many deaths taking place over the years with the victims taking their secrets to their watery graves. Some victims are never found and the mystery surrounding the river deepens.
Nicholas writes in an easy to understand British way with quite a lot of social commentary thrown in for good measure. The ending was a bit of a let down but the journey through the darkness of life around the river was a good one that I will vote 4 stars.
It is easy when I walk my dog along a river bank to day dream about the life, out of sight, that the river holds. This is the mood the reader must take as they plough through this very long novel. There is a lot of darkness in this book as very slowly the mystery begins to unfold. There are lots of characters involved in this story and it is easy to loose track of who is who.
Gradually the plot moves on from what you first thought was a regular crime thriller, through something creepy, then something supernatural to a nightmare of ghoulish proportions. My reading pleasure ranged day by day as I read through this book. At first I thought it was interesting, then a little slow with no progression. Slowly I got drawn into the mystery of the river and what dark secrets lay behind it's history. Then my interest waned somewhat as the story lost it's realism and it became a little bit of nonsense.
Overall this is a good book that captures your imagination as you dream of the possible secret world beyond the river. Rivers can be very creepy with many deaths taking place over the years with the victims taking their secrets to their watery graves. Some victims are never found and the mystery surrounding the river deepens.
Nicholas writes in an easy to understand British way with quite a lot of social commentary thrown in for good measure. The ending was a bit of a let down but the journey through the darkness of life around the river was a good one that I will vote 4 stars.
January 5, 2018
Thank god I am finally done with this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews