Judas Tree

by Simon Clark

Amelia Thomas goes to the Greek island of Voros to recover from a serious head injury. But the island is a sinister place full of ghosts that, although unseen, make their presence felt through the minds of the inhabitants. Gradually, the sanity of those who live there is eroded.

Genres: Horror

423 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

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

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I haven’t read any of Simon Clark's novels since his first two. Judas Tree is his seventh, and shows very well Clark’s development as a novelist.

The tiny Greek island of Voros is home to a motley crew of inhabitants, mainly incomers, including Amelia Thomas’ mother Catherine. Amelia escapes her life in the north of England for what she hopes will be the safety and security of Voros, and a new start in the relationship with her mother.

But it soon becomes clear that Voros is no ordinary Aegean sun-trap for the tourist and expatriate. The Thomas’ villa is outwardly luxurious and magnificent, but that impression barely conceals many trivial and unexplainable happenings, and an overall sense of unease and the growing conviction that the whole island is the centre of unknown forces. As if Voros is alive and taking an active part in the lives of its guests, both past and present.

Unlike Clark’s earliest novels, Judas Tree is understated, subtle, and conveys a brooding sense of unease and suppressed horror, all in the sun-soaked and idyllic Greek setting, which is also very well realised. As the novel moves towards its end, Simon keeps the reader guessing as to exactly what it will be. The number of pages shrinks, but no resolution seems to be in sight. However, we are left with a fast and dramatic conclusion, and one that also preserves the complete oddness and otherness of Voros.

Highly recommended!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the few Simon Clark books I've read so far, this has to be up there as one of my favourites. The characters and setting of Voros are skilfully and vividly drawn, and there is some wonderfully creepy imagery -- the statues in the villa immediately spring to mind. This is a beautifully written ghost story, poetic and beguilingly strange, which subtly builds to a satisfactory and chilling climax. In "Judas Tree" Simon Clark succeeds in blending the contemporary with the traditional, creating a horror story with impressive resonance and depth. Highly recommended.

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and with believable characters (although a little too much time is spent pre-island), this is a good read for those who enjoy a dash of the supernatural in their tales. As is often the case, the ending is a bit of a let-down, but it was still an enjoyable read.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In need of a good edit: very repetitive. We get it, every time someone opens the door during the storm, grit gets in their eyes. We get it. I also don't see the point in introducing Bill as a character if he was just going to disappear for the second half of the book and never return in any substantial way.

The disgust characters felt towards the statues that had pieces missing was just... over the top. I don't doubt that having them towering over you in your house during a dark and intense storm would be scary, but could we not with the continuous "eww deformed creatures, rotten, they make me feel sick" thing? Especially as this attitude was mirrored in Amelia's reaction to the Oxford children.

Why oh why was Julius' and Gregoriou's intimate interaction, whatever it may have been (implied to be a blow job), set up in the narrative to be just another horror element during the, ahem, climax of the plot?! Why was Amelia so horrified and running away like "oh no, the mute guy is doing something evil and horrible to the elderly man"?! Absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary.

I'm also that person who hates when books end on an ambiguous note. Okay, so there was pretty much no room for imagining that Amelia actually ends up leaving Voros, but did Bill find her when she wandered? Did she die? What happened with Rachel & Lucy? Etc, etc, etc. I prefer things wrapped up, but I know that's my problem and not the book's.

[Neil Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judas Tree is not only one of the best Simon Clark books I've read, but one of the best books I've read in a long time. Don't expect gory, in-your-face horror from this one, it's a delightfully slow, eerie, atmospheric tale with characters you genuinely care about or, in one case for me, dislike intensely. Beautifully written. A must read for lovers of wonderfully crafted literature of any genre.

[Paul Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remembered this being a haunting tale set on a windswept Greek Island. Having re-read it a few years later I can confirm it is just that and nothing more. A slow-paced yarn with an unsatisfying ending.