London Under Midnight

by Simon Clark

The graffiti spread through London that summer like wildfire. Its population carried on with life as usual in one of the richest cities on the planet. But beneath the surface there is change. Men and women are going missing without trace. What has the old African preacher seen emerging from undergrowth near the river? Is this the essence of evil encountered long ago? Ben Ashton is an investigative writer. When he's commissioned to find out who is responsible for the Vampyr Sharkz graffiti he thinks his luck has changed for the better. Little does he guess how wrong he is.

Genres: Horror, Vampires

214 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Born, 20th April, 1958, Simon Clark is the author of such highly regarded horror novels as Nailed By The Heart, Blood Crazy, Darker, Vampyrrhic and The Fall, while his short stories have been collected in Blood & Grit and Salt Snake & Other Bloody Cuts. He has also written prose material for the internationally famous rock band U2.

Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs, that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stacking, office work, and scripting video promos.

He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.

Reviews

[David Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book at the local library because I was looking for Clark's book Night of the Triffids, having read the original. I decided to give this a go. It reminded me very much of the early James Herbert books like Rats, Lair and The Fog. It was gory, sometimes incredibly graphic and often very grim. However, the sheer strength of the narrative kept you reading. When it got to the end, the most difficult part of any book to get right, it tied everything up in a way that made perfect sense in the context of what had gone before. It was an excellent read, but beware if you are more than a little squeamish!

[Taldragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The graffiti spread through London that summer like wildfire. Its population carried on with life as usual in one of the richest cities on the planet. But beneath the surface there is change. Men and women are going missing without trace. What has the old African preacher seen emerging from undergrowth near the river? Is this the essence of evil encountered long ago? Ben Ashton is an investigative writer. When he's commissioned to find out who is responsible for the Vampyr Sharkz graffiti he thinks his luck has changed for the better. Little does he guess how wrong he is?

meh, is my well-considered impression. this was ok, mostly inoffensive but there didnt seem to be much substance and the ending was a bit of a cop-out (imo).

[Ladiibbug · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Gruesome Alert - Not for the Weak of Stomach*

3.5 stars

Grafitti warning of vampires suddenly appears all over London. Is it a promo for a new rock band or CD? A new video game? The name of a gang? Or is it just what it appears to be -- a warning about vampire?

Investigative writer Ben Ashton is dispatched to get to the bottom of the grafitti and its meaning. He runs into his good friend April and her new love. When April goes missing, it appears to be related to the vampire grafitti warnings.

I enjoyed this unique twist on the usual vampire story. LOTS of gore, so be forewarned.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really lackluster vampire story from a writer who can do so much better. The ending in particular just felt like a cop out, like one of those...and then he woke up and discovered it was all a dream. Simon Clark used to be one of my favorites, his early horror books were fun, original and exciting. Not quite sure what happened, must be the demands of the public, vampire fiction is all the rage nowadays. It would be a shame to lose yet another great english horror author to a genre popularity contest, fantasy, scifi and mysteries. At least Clark stays within horror realm. If you've never read Clark, don't base your opinion of him on this book. Fans of vampire genre might like this one.

[Michael Lynam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as his other books I have read. What happened Simon?

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A quick enjoyable read. Not Mr. Clarks best but I did enjoy it over Vampyric Rites.

[colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

read 11.25.07
Vampire Sharkz in London.

[Brett]

Horror