What do you think?
Rate this book
Jump Cut
The Simulacrum is the most famous lost movie in film history – would you tell someone your darkest secrets, just to lay hands on a copy? 104-year-old Mary Arden is the last surviving cast member of a notorious lost film. Holed up in Garthside, an Art Deco mansion reputed to be haunted, she has always refused interviews. Now Mary has agreed to talk to film enthusiast Theda Garrick. In return she demands all the salacious details of Theda's tragic past. Only the hint of a truly stupendous discovery stops Theda walking out. But Mary's prying questions are not the only thing Theda has to fear. The spirit of The Simulacrum walks Garthside by night, and it will turn an old tragedy into a new nightmare...
- GenresHorror
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2023
2 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Helen Grant
68 books197 followersHelen Grant has a passion for the Gothic and for ghost stories. Joyce Carol Oates has described her as 'a brilliant chronicler of the uncanny as only those who dwell in places of dripping, graylit beauty can be.' A lifelong fan of the ghost story writer M.R.James, she has spoken at two M.R.James conferences and appeared at the Dublin Ghost Story Festival. She lives in Perthshire with her family, and when not writing, she likes to explore abandoned country houses and swim in freezing lochs.
Helen's most recent novel Jump Cut was published by Fledgling Press in 2023.
Helen's most recent novel Jump Cut was published by Fledgling Press in 2023.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 26, 2023
Jump Cut is a story that will stay with you. Emotionally tense and gloriously hypnotic, it is a story that is sure to enclose you in its tight embrace.
Jump Cut is Helen Grant’s next novel and lord is it a throat punch. I absolutely adored her last novel, Too Near the Dead and this one emitted similar feelings. The impending sense of dread, brilliant character development, a sense of place. I love the gothic nature of her tales; you really appreciate the blend of history and the present time coming together to create a hugely compulsive read.
Even if you’ve never read a Helen Grant book before, I 100% know that you’re going to love Jump Cut. A Gothic house with things that go bump in the night. Art Deco era. A vicious old hag that think she knows everything. A lost silent film with huge stakes.
Dear Helen Grant, thank you for writing yet another amazing horror/thriller read but dear god, am I cross at having yet another book hangover from your amazing writing!
Theda Garrick is grieving the loss of her much-loved husband, Max. Those opening chapters set the tone perfectly, the protagonist is floundering a bit since his death but being an avid silent era film enthusiast, she seeks out the aging Mary Arden, the actress of the lost film, The Simulacrum. She has refused to see anyone else about it but somehow Theda has passed some kind of test and is being allowed into Ms. Arden’s inner sanctum – Garthside, an art deco mansion to write a book on the film.
The journey to Garthside in Scotland is fraught with problems, most notably getting her car stuck in a ford that has to be pulled out by a tractor by a young farmer. When I say there is some highly strung sexual tension between the two, well, I’m not joking. But its too soon for her to be feeling these things, right?
The interviews with Mary Arden don’t quite go to planned. There’s a bit of give and take. Mary Arden gives her the information she needs for her book but in drips and drabs but in return Theda has to tell Mary about her life with Max. It’s nothing short of torture and Theda very quickly dislikes Mary Arden -she’s a snake that feeds from others misery. Maybe that’s why she’s lived so long.
Jump Cut is a story that keeps you hooked. I found myself thinking about it when I had to do other things – loading the dishwasher left me daydreaming of when I could get back to my book. Sudden moments of clarity would arrive, and I’d need to get back to reading – and it really was a need.
Jump Cut is Helen Grant’s next novel and lord is it a throat punch. I absolutely adored her last novel, Too Near the Dead and this one emitted similar feelings. The impending sense of dread, brilliant character development, a sense of place. I love the gothic nature of her tales; you really appreciate the blend of history and the present time coming together to create a hugely compulsive read.
Even if you’ve never read a Helen Grant book before, I 100% know that you’re going to love Jump Cut. A Gothic house with things that go bump in the night. Art Deco era. A vicious old hag that think she knows everything. A lost silent film with huge stakes.
Dear Helen Grant, thank you for writing yet another amazing horror/thriller read but dear god, am I cross at having yet another book hangover from your amazing writing!
Theda Garrick is grieving the loss of her much-loved husband, Max. Those opening chapters set the tone perfectly, the protagonist is floundering a bit since his death but being an avid silent era film enthusiast, she seeks out the aging Mary Arden, the actress of the lost film, The Simulacrum. She has refused to see anyone else about it but somehow Theda has passed some kind of test and is being allowed into Ms. Arden’s inner sanctum – Garthside, an art deco mansion to write a book on the film.
The journey to Garthside in Scotland is fraught with problems, most notably getting her car stuck in a ford that has to be pulled out by a tractor by a young farmer. When I say there is some highly strung sexual tension between the two, well, I’m not joking. But its too soon for her to be feeling these things, right?
The interviews with Mary Arden don’t quite go to planned. There’s a bit of give and take. Mary Arden gives her the information she needs for her book but in drips and drabs but in return Theda has to tell Mary about her life with Max. It’s nothing short of torture and Theda very quickly dislikes Mary Arden -she’s a snake that feeds from others misery. Maybe that’s why she’s lived so long.
Jump Cut is a story that keeps you hooked. I found myself thinking about it when I had to do other things – loading the dishwasher left me daydreaming of when I could get back to my book. Sudden moments of clarity would arrive, and I’d need to get back to reading – and it really was a need.
January 9, 2025
When I finished this last night, I gave it four stars. But, this morning, I've spent a lot of time thinking about the plot and how it unravels, and I've bumped my rating up to five.
This fell under my radar, but Ellen Datlow gave it a mention in her intro to Best Horror of the Year volume 16, and I absolutely love horror novels that involve movies or TV show in some way. The plot is so well-crafted, the characters are fantastic, and the short chapters make for a compulsive read. I think I finished it in four sittings, and the number was only that high because I have to sleep!
A hidden gem, I urge horror lovers to give this one a try.
This fell under my radar, but Ellen Datlow gave it a mention in her intro to Best Horror of the Year volume 16, and I absolutely love horror novels that involve movies or TV show in some way. The plot is so well-crafted, the characters are fantastic, and the short chapters make for a compulsive read. I think I finished it in four sittings, and the number was only that high because I have to sleep!
A hidden gem, I urge horror lovers to give this one a try.
September 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this novel and found the story to be quite haunting and eerie in places. The main characters of Mary and Theda are really well written, I didn’t especially like them at the beginning but as the story progressed I warmed to the two women. This whole novel is a page turner and I found myself thinking about what was going to happen next and trying to guess the story. I think this is a really good novel for fans of horror/thriller novels.
I received a gifted copy of this novel. This review is my honest opinion and written voluntarily.
I received a gifted copy of this novel. This review is my honest opinion and written voluntarily.
December 5, 2023
Christmas is approaching and we're well into long-dark-evenings territory, and it's the ideal time to read ghost stories and horror. If you're looking for a creepy read to get stuck into when it's pitch-black by 4pm and the wind is throwing sleet at the windows like handfuls of gravel, I can recommend Jump Cut, the latest novel by Helen Grant.
Helen Grant is one of my favourite writers of ghost stories and suspense fiction, with a flair for Gothic undertones. In Jump Cut, Grant takes the best ingredients of Gothic horror and transposes them on to more modern concepts. Theda Garrick (film buffs will notice that she shares her first name with the enigmatic silent movie vamp, Theda Bara) is a young widow in her late 20s, mourning the traumatic loss of her handsome, capable husband Max, without a job following her pre-wedding redundancy and without the emotional support of family or friends. Looking for a project in which she can fully immerse herself, Theda hopes to write a book on The Simulacrum, a famous lost film from the early 1930s that saw the screen debut of legendary movie star Mary Arden.
When the reclusive Arden, now 104, agrees to cooperate, Theda can’t believe her luck. She makes her way to Garthside, Arden’s isolated mansion in Scotland, where she plans to stay for as long as it takes to gather the information she needs. But why has Mary Arden suddenly decided to break her silence on The Simulacrum? And what is it that Theda can hear creeping through Garthside’s empty hallways at night?
Jump Cut takes the classic Gothic trope of a young woman, alone in the world and trapped in a lonely mansion, and subverts it. Garthside is no Victorian pile - instead, it's a place of vintage Art Deco splendour, full of ice cream colours, fan-shaped mirrors and luxury bathtubs, and the elderly lady of the manor is decked out daily in sickly bright pastels and matching nail polish. Instead of ancient horrors, the terror of Jump Cut comes from the early innovations of cinema.
As someone who watches a lot of films from the first half of the 20th century, I’m very familiar with that slightly eerie feeling of watching the distant past and scores of its long dead actors captured on celluloid at for an eternity, and Helen Grant squeezes every last drop of horror from this notion. The crackle of an old film running in a glowing monochrome is just as good a vehicle as any of MR James's dusty old manuscripts or ancient buried artefacts for awakening a dormant evil.
In Theda, we have a likeable narrator, and yet readers will have questions which she consistently refuses to answer. How reliable a narrator is she? Can we trust Theda’s account of her own past any more than we can trust Mary to tell the truth about her strange entry, aged 15, into the world of film?
Their conversations feel a little like a conversation between the fly and the spider in the latter’s parlour. Theda, whose car has been badly damaged during a skirmish with a flooded ford on the way to Garthside and sent for repair without her input, is effectively trapped at Garthside, at the mercy of Mary, her Mrs Danvers-like housekeeper Mrs Harris, and after dark, something altogether worse.
There's a sinister sadism to the way Mary torments Theda with intrusive questions about her recently dead husband, the price Theda has to pay for a capricious drip-feed of revelations about The Simulacrum delivered purely on Mary's terms. As their prickly, uncomfortable interviews continue, Mary offers Theda more and more compelling material in return for Theda's own secrets, and there's a sense of suffocating co-dependency in their relationship.
For the reader, the urge to grab Theda by the shoulders and tell her to run for the hills is strong. Theda is an intelligent, capable woman, but she's alone and grieving and made doubly vulnerable by the intensity of her fascination with her subject. Every film fan who has ever read everything there is to read about a lost film they have no chance of seeing will understand Theda's burning curiosity, but there's also a strong sense that 'be careful what you wish for' is the best advice she could be given. Even at night, when Mary retreats to her private wing and Theda is left to her own devices, there's no respite from the mounting unease.
Scenes in which Theda becomes aware of someone - something? - that walks the corridors of Garthside at night are notable for the gradually increasing sense of threat, with the initial unease building to full-scale terror in nightly increments. Helen Grant's writing is a masterclass in how to make something all the more sinister for being largely unseen.
Jump Cut is a tremendously enjoyable, original take on Gothic suspense, and my favourite horror novel of the year. It's published by an Edinburgh-based independent press, and if you have a ghost story aficionado in your life they may have missed it, so do them a favour and buy them Jump Cut for Christmas. It's a sinister surprise that will keep them reading late into the winter nights.
Helen Grant is one of my favourite writers of ghost stories and suspense fiction, with a flair for Gothic undertones. In Jump Cut, Grant takes the best ingredients of Gothic horror and transposes them on to more modern concepts. Theda Garrick (film buffs will notice that she shares her first name with the enigmatic silent movie vamp, Theda Bara) is a young widow in her late 20s, mourning the traumatic loss of her handsome, capable husband Max, without a job following her pre-wedding redundancy and without the emotional support of family or friends. Looking for a project in which she can fully immerse herself, Theda hopes to write a book on The Simulacrum, a famous lost film from the early 1930s that saw the screen debut of legendary movie star Mary Arden.
When the reclusive Arden, now 104, agrees to cooperate, Theda can’t believe her luck. She makes her way to Garthside, Arden’s isolated mansion in Scotland, where she plans to stay for as long as it takes to gather the information she needs. But why has Mary Arden suddenly decided to break her silence on The Simulacrum? And what is it that Theda can hear creeping through Garthside’s empty hallways at night?
Jump Cut takes the classic Gothic trope of a young woman, alone in the world and trapped in a lonely mansion, and subverts it. Garthside is no Victorian pile - instead, it's a place of vintage Art Deco splendour, full of ice cream colours, fan-shaped mirrors and luxury bathtubs, and the elderly lady of the manor is decked out daily in sickly bright pastels and matching nail polish. Instead of ancient horrors, the terror of Jump Cut comes from the early innovations of cinema.
As someone who watches a lot of films from the first half of the 20th century, I’m very familiar with that slightly eerie feeling of watching the distant past and scores of its long dead actors captured on celluloid at for an eternity, and Helen Grant squeezes every last drop of horror from this notion. The crackle of an old film running in a glowing monochrome is just as good a vehicle as any of MR James's dusty old manuscripts or ancient buried artefacts for awakening a dormant evil.
In Theda, we have a likeable narrator, and yet readers will have questions which she consistently refuses to answer. How reliable a narrator is she? Can we trust Theda’s account of her own past any more than we can trust Mary to tell the truth about her strange entry, aged 15, into the world of film?
Their conversations feel a little like a conversation between the fly and the spider in the latter’s parlour. Theda, whose car has been badly damaged during a skirmish with a flooded ford on the way to Garthside and sent for repair without her input, is effectively trapped at Garthside, at the mercy of Mary, her Mrs Danvers-like housekeeper Mrs Harris, and after dark, something altogether worse.
There's a sinister sadism to the way Mary torments Theda with intrusive questions about her recently dead husband, the price Theda has to pay for a capricious drip-feed of revelations about The Simulacrum delivered purely on Mary's terms. As their prickly, uncomfortable interviews continue, Mary offers Theda more and more compelling material in return for Theda's own secrets, and there's a sense of suffocating co-dependency in their relationship.
For the reader, the urge to grab Theda by the shoulders and tell her to run for the hills is strong. Theda is an intelligent, capable woman, but she's alone and grieving and made doubly vulnerable by the intensity of her fascination with her subject. Every film fan who has ever read everything there is to read about a lost film they have no chance of seeing will understand Theda's burning curiosity, but there's also a strong sense that 'be careful what you wish for' is the best advice she could be given. Even at night, when Mary retreats to her private wing and Theda is left to her own devices, there's no respite from the mounting unease.
Scenes in which Theda becomes aware of someone - something? - that walks the corridors of Garthside at night are notable for the gradually increasing sense of threat, with the initial unease building to full-scale terror in nightly increments. Helen Grant's writing is a masterclass in how to make something all the more sinister for being largely unseen.
Jump Cut is a tremendously enjoyable, original take on Gothic suspense, and my favourite horror novel of the year. It's published by an Edinburgh-based independent press, and if you have a ghost story aficionado in your life they may have missed it, so do them a favour and buy them Jump Cut for Christmas. It's a sinister surprise that will keep them reading late into the winter nights.
March 21, 2025
Really fun book! I didn't want to stop reading it at all
My biggest critiques are that I think it made went on for too long after the big reveal
And I really dont understand Miss Harrises motivation to be in on the scheme after Mary's death
My biggest critiques are that I think it made went on for too long after the big reveal
And I really dont understand Miss Harrises motivation to be in on the scheme after Mary's death
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2024
Grant writes a fluid page-turner and this one is no exception. The set-up and characters contain enough appeal and intrigue to keep things moving and there are powerfully dramatised themes of memory, regret, and desire, all expressed through cinema. I think that the ending loses some credibility due to some logical inconsistencies and one part of the plot going under-explained.
September 25, 2023
Introduction
I was given a copy for a book tour hosted by Love Book Tours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #BookTourSpot #VirtualBookTour #LoveBookTours #LBTCrew #Ad #ADPR #HelenGrant #JumpCut
Review
This is a hard book to pin down in terms of genre but it most definitely ticks a lot of my boxes as a horror, supernatural and thriller fan. I have to say I wasn’t fully sure what to expect but the blurb did peak my interest and when the chance arose I was lucky enough to get on to the book tour I was so glad I did.
Jump Cut focuses on 104-year-old Mary Arden who is the last surviving cast member of The Simulacrum, the most famous lost movie in film history. Now she lives in Garthside, an Art Deco mansion reputed to be haunted and she has never given an interview. But now Mary has agreed to talk to Theda Garrick, a film enthusiast. But there is a price for this interview, in return Mary Adren wants all the salacious details of Theda’s past. Theda considers walking away from the eccentric woman but the hint of a stupendous discovery halts her, Arden might just have a copy of the lost film. But it soon becomes clear that Arden’s questions are not the only thing that Theda has to fear, the spirit of The Simulacrum walks Garthside by night and it could turn an old tragedy into a new nightmare. Would you tell someone you darkest secrets for a chance to possess the film?
I have to be honest that while I loved the book I did find both Theda and Mary a tad infuriating at the start but I believe this matched their characters well. The story itself has an element of more a gothic horror in the sense that it’s a case of we aren’t sure what or who is causing the strange noises at night and who is walking the hallways. I think this atmosphere is only aided by the isolation of the mansion with seemingly a small staff and few inhabitants. It gives a creepy undertone that I love in my horror fiction and one that Grant executes well.
As the story progresses so do the characters, I slowly began to like Theda and Mary more as their meetings went on and the events continued to escalate. It’s hard to do this review without spoilers but I will try my best and say I particularly enjoyed the idea of what The Simulacrum could do. I would have liked a bit more detail on how it did work and what had caused it but at the same time it added to the mystery as well. I won’t say much else for the risk of spoiling it.
I did like the mix of genres has mentioned and the ending was one I wasn’t expecting, at least not on the way it played out. The Simularcrum was a great novel and one I enjoyed, I think it would be a good bridge novel into horror or gothic horror for those who are wanting to branch out. A solid 5 stars.
Hashtags
#BookTourSpot #VirtualBookTour #LoveBookTours #LBTCrew #Ad #ADPR #HelenGrant #JumpCut #BookReview #BookReviewer #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book
I was given a copy for a book tour hosted by Love Book Tours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #BookTourSpot #VirtualBookTour #LoveBookTours #LBTCrew #Ad #ADPR #HelenGrant #JumpCut
Review
This is a hard book to pin down in terms of genre but it most definitely ticks a lot of my boxes as a horror, supernatural and thriller fan. I have to say I wasn’t fully sure what to expect but the blurb did peak my interest and when the chance arose I was lucky enough to get on to the book tour I was so glad I did.
Jump Cut focuses on 104-year-old Mary Arden who is the last surviving cast member of The Simulacrum, the most famous lost movie in film history. Now she lives in Garthside, an Art Deco mansion reputed to be haunted and she has never given an interview. But now Mary has agreed to talk to Theda Garrick, a film enthusiast. But there is a price for this interview, in return Mary Adren wants all the salacious details of Theda’s past. Theda considers walking away from the eccentric woman but the hint of a stupendous discovery halts her, Arden might just have a copy of the lost film. But it soon becomes clear that Arden’s questions are not the only thing that Theda has to fear, the spirit of The Simulacrum walks Garthside by night and it could turn an old tragedy into a new nightmare. Would you tell someone you darkest secrets for a chance to possess the film?
I have to be honest that while I loved the book I did find both Theda and Mary a tad infuriating at the start but I believe this matched their characters well. The story itself has an element of more a gothic horror in the sense that it’s a case of we aren’t sure what or who is causing the strange noises at night and who is walking the hallways. I think this atmosphere is only aided by the isolation of the mansion with seemingly a small staff and few inhabitants. It gives a creepy undertone that I love in my horror fiction and one that Grant executes well.
As the story progresses so do the characters, I slowly began to like Theda and Mary more as their meetings went on and the events continued to escalate. It’s hard to do this review without spoilers but I will try my best and say I particularly enjoyed the idea of what The Simulacrum could do. I would have liked a bit more detail on how it did work and what had caused it but at the same time it added to the mystery as well. I won’t say much else for the risk of spoiling it.
I did like the mix of genres has mentioned and the ending was one I wasn’t expecting, at least not on the way it played out. The Simularcrum was a great novel and one I enjoyed, I think it would be a good bridge novel into horror or gothic horror for those who are wanting to branch out. A solid 5 stars.
Hashtags
#BookTourSpot #VirtualBookTour #LoveBookTours #LBTCrew #Ad #ADPR #HelenGrant #JumpCut #BookReview #BookReviewer #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book
March 19, 2024
Jumpcut
Theda Garrick has become a widow after only 3 years of marriage with the love of her life, Max. Stricken with grief she throws herself into her film research work. Named after a famous silent movie star, Theda Bara, she has always been fascinated by a legendary lost film, ‘The Simulacrum’.
Mary Arden, now aged 104, is the last surviving cast member of the film and does not grant many interviews. But she has agreed to speak to Theda and so she travels up to Scotland to Mary’s home, the imposing Garthside. On the way up there, Theda has an accident and meets a local man, Angus and his dog Jess. They will be a welcome escape from Garthside and the strange events that will befall Theda.
Mrs Harris, the housekeeper informs her that she is not allowed to go into the west wing and of Mary’s schedule which involves one hour of interviewing per day. This means that it will be a long process but Theda agrees. But later that night she hears creaks, as if someone was approaching very softly on tiptoe, from the upper west wing. The sounds come closer and closer to her bedroom door which she has very sensibly locked.
The interviews begin and slowly they begin to turn into a game of cat and mouse and go into another, unexpected direction that Theda cannot control. Mary is as sharp as a razor and she knows how much Theda is hooked on the story of the film’s director and the great love of her life. Mary reveals her knowledge a little at time and knows that Theda craves more and more. Mary is always holding out the next crumb of information just out of reach to keep Theda in thrall. And too late Theda realises that the trap is about to be sprung and the nightly wanderings of the mysterious nocturnal visitor become more determined. The ultimate prize is a screening of ‘the Simulacrum’ as Mary has the only surviving copy. Theda is in too deep to back out now and as the opening credits come up on screen she realises too late the price that must be paid….
I won’t say too much more because of spoilers but there was one twist that I wasn’t expecting and the atmosphere and suspense were excellent. The nocturnal walker feeling their way around Theda’s locked bedroom door was particularly good. I admired her bravery in unlocking the door and actually going out to see who it was only to see the door to the west wing swinging shut. Theda was a resourceful heroine who I liked a lot.
There were echoes from other works; Mrs Harris reminded me of Mrs Danvers in ‘Rebecca’, the legendary Japanese horror and ‘Ringu’ was also referenced amongst others. I thought that ‘Jumpcut’ was a rattlingly good read which I read at one sitting as there was no way that I was going to bed until I’d finished it and found ‘The Simulacrum’s secrets! A great book to read on a winter’s night.
Theda Garrick has become a widow after only 3 years of marriage with the love of her life, Max. Stricken with grief she throws herself into her film research work. Named after a famous silent movie star, Theda Bara, she has always been fascinated by a legendary lost film, ‘The Simulacrum’.
Mary Arden, now aged 104, is the last surviving cast member of the film and does not grant many interviews. But she has agreed to speak to Theda and so she travels up to Scotland to Mary’s home, the imposing Garthside. On the way up there, Theda has an accident and meets a local man, Angus and his dog Jess. They will be a welcome escape from Garthside and the strange events that will befall Theda.
Mrs Harris, the housekeeper informs her that she is not allowed to go into the west wing and of Mary’s schedule which involves one hour of interviewing per day. This means that it will be a long process but Theda agrees. But later that night she hears creaks, as if someone was approaching very softly on tiptoe, from the upper west wing. The sounds come closer and closer to her bedroom door which she has very sensibly locked.
The interviews begin and slowly they begin to turn into a game of cat and mouse and go into another, unexpected direction that Theda cannot control. Mary is as sharp as a razor and she knows how much Theda is hooked on the story of the film’s director and the great love of her life. Mary reveals her knowledge a little at time and knows that Theda craves more and more. Mary is always holding out the next crumb of information just out of reach to keep Theda in thrall. And too late Theda realises that the trap is about to be sprung and the nightly wanderings of the mysterious nocturnal visitor become more determined. The ultimate prize is a screening of ‘the Simulacrum’ as Mary has the only surviving copy. Theda is in too deep to back out now and as the opening credits come up on screen she realises too late the price that must be paid….
I won’t say too much more because of spoilers but there was one twist that I wasn’t expecting and the atmosphere and suspense were excellent. The nocturnal walker feeling their way around Theda’s locked bedroom door was particularly good. I admired her bravery in unlocking the door and actually going out to see who it was only to see the door to the west wing swinging shut. Theda was a resourceful heroine who I liked a lot.
There were echoes from other works; Mrs Harris reminded me of Mrs Danvers in ‘Rebecca’, the legendary Japanese horror and ‘Ringu’ was also referenced amongst others. I thought that ‘Jumpcut’ was a rattlingly good read which I read at one sitting as there was no way that I was going to bed until I’d finished it and found ‘The Simulacrum’s secrets! A great book to read on a winter’s night.
October 3, 2023
Did I like the book?
Although the blurb sounded very intriguing, I was a little wary of the subject of movies and cinema. I am not a huge fan and my interest mostly revolves around The Incredibles! I was never one to watch old movies. But I dived in anyway, and I am glad I did. You may have read my review of Helen Grant’s novel Ghost (you can find my thoughts here). I adored it and was in awe of the writing. Giving this new book a miss was out of the question, and once again, the author blew my mind with her ability to get the reader to jump into the pages and get absolutely immersed in the world she creates.
Did I enjoy reading it?
Jump Cut is impossible to categorize. Again, I am not one for Literature with a capital L. I get tired very quickly of trying to decipher sentences that are as clear as mud while looking for an obscure plot which actually barely exists. Yet, Jump Cut deserves a capital L for literature. It ticks the boxes of the most adored titles in classic literature. However, don’t be fooled, it is much more than that. It pulses with a majestic writing which serves an enthralling and intoxicating plot. The kind of twisted plots that keep you flinching, jumping, and wanting more. Classic literature without the dust!
What did I feel?
Jump Cut is a haunting novel. A widow, a very old actress, a movie no one has seen, an old house lost somewhere in the Scottish green. What more do you want? As soon as Theda set foot at Garthside, I knew it was a terrible idea. But just as you know not to split up in horror movies, you keep doing it. So I kept reading, of course! Helen Grant knows how to slip under your skin and make you care. I felt closer to Theda as I turned the page, without realizing I was trapping myself in the movie created within the book. I found myself despising old Mary Arden, sensing something was off with the old bat without ever being able to put my finger on the why. I imagined many things but never could I have gone as far as the author took me! What started as a quest for answers about a movie turned into a spiralling tale of personal stories and how far some people are ready to go to get what they want.
I absolutely adored the creepiness oozing from the pages, the sense of danger stalking my finger as I turned the pages, and the outstanding storytelling powers displayed throughout the novel.
How would I describe it?
Pure gothic literature with both feet in the thriller genre. Spooky in a very intelligent way.
Anything else to add?
Not one to suspend my disbelief, only the big revelation left me somehow cold (that word has a different meaning once you’ve read the book!). My other little niggle was with the ending, that I felt was slightly rushed for my taste.
Although the blurb sounded very intriguing, I was a little wary of the subject of movies and cinema. I am not a huge fan and my interest mostly revolves around The Incredibles! I was never one to watch old movies. But I dived in anyway, and I am glad I did. You may have read my review of Helen Grant’s novel Ghost (you can find my thoughts here). I adored it and was in awe of the writing. Giving this new book a miss was out of the question, and once again, the author blew my mind with her ability to get the reader to jump into the pages and get absolutely immersed in the world she creates.
Did I enjoy reading it?
Jump Cut is impossible to categorize. Again, I am not one for Literature with a capital L. I get tired very quickly of trying to decipher sentences that are as clear as mud while looking for an obscure plot which actually barely exists. Yet, Jump Cut deserves a capital L for literature. It ticks the boxes of the most adored titles in classic literature. However, don’t be fooled, it is much more than that. It pulses with a majestic writing which serves an enthralling and intoxicating plot. The kind of twisted plots that keep you flinching, jumping, and wanting more. Classic literature without the dust!
What did I feel?
Jump Cut is a haunting novel. A widow, a very old actress, a movie no one has seen, an old house lost somewhere in the Scottish green. What more do you want? As soon as Theda set foot at Garthside, I knew it was a terrible idea. But just as you know not to split up in horror movies, you keep doing it. So I kept reading, of course! Helen Grant knows how to slip under your skin and make you care. I felt closer to Theda as I turned the page, without realizing I was trapping myself in the movie created within the book. I found myself despising old Mary Arden, sensing something was off with the old bat without ever being able to put my finger on the why. I imagined many things but never could I have gone as far as the author took me! What started as a quest for answers about a movie turned into a spiralling tale of personal stories and how far some people are ready to go to get what they want.
I absolutely adored the creepiness oozing from the pages, the sense of danger stalking my finger as I turned the pages, and the outstanding storytelling powers displayed throughout the novel.
How would I describe it?
Pure gothic literature with both feet in the thriller genre. Spooky in a very intelligent way.
Anything else to add?
Not one to suspend my disbelief, only the big revelation left me somehow cold (that word has a different meaning once you’ve read the book!). My other little niggle was with the ending, that I felt was slightly rushed for my taste.
September 26, 2023
104-year-old Mary Arden, the last living link to a legendary lost film, has finally broken her silence. But her price for revealing the secrets of "The Simulacrum" is steep - the intimate details of Theda Garrick's past. An eerie mansion, a haunting past, and a sinister spirit combine in this spine-tingling tale. Will the pursuit of fame prove worth the cost?
"Fame is a cold thing, Theda Garrick, but it's very much better than nothing." This quote from Mary Arden perfectly encapsulates the haunting essence of "Jump Cut" by Helen Grant.
This novel weaves a captivating tale of mystery, fame, and the eerie allure of the past. The story is shrouded in an atmosphere of chilling suspense, as readers are drawn into the enigmatic world of the lost film, "The Simulacrum," and the secrets it holds.
The character of Mary Arden, at 104 years old, is a true enigma herself. Her decision to reveal the film's secrets in exchange for the darkest details of Theda Garrick's past sets the stage for a psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The complexities of human desires and the pursuit of fame are expertly explored through her character.
Grant's writing effortlessly creates a sense of foreboding, and the Art Deco mansion, Garthside, with its haunted reputation, becomes a character in its own right. The eerie nights at Garthside, haunted by the spirit of The Simulacrum, provide a backdrop of spine-tingling suspense that will send shivers down your spine.
While "Jump Cut" is a masterful exploration of the lengths to which people will go to achieve their desires, it also delves into the consequences of those choices. The characters' dark pasts and the mysteries surrounding the lost film make for an intricate and engaging narrative that leaves you guessing until the very end.
In conclusion, "Jump Cut" is a thrilling journey into the shadows of fame and the chilling secrets that bind us. Helen Grant has crafted a story that not only keeps you hooked from start to finish but also leaves you pondering the price one is willing to pay for a taste of the spotlight. So, dive into this atmospheric tale, but be warned – you might just find that fame, as Mary Arden suggests, is indeed a cold thing, but sometimes, it's the only thing worth pursuing.
"Fame is a cold thing, Theda Garrick, but it's very much better than nothing." This quote from Mary Arden perfectly encapsulates the haunting essence of "Jump Cut" by Helen Grant.
This novel weaves a captivating tale of mystery, fame, and the eerie allure of the past. The story is shrouded in an atmosphere of chilling suspense, as readers are drawn into the enigmatic world of the lost film, "The Simulacrum," and the secrets it holds.
The character of Mary Arden, at 104 years old, is a true enigma herself. Her decision to reveal the film's secrets in exchange for the darkest details of Theda Garrick's past sets the stage for a psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The complexities of human desires and the pursuit of fame are expertly explored through her character.
Grant's writing effortlessly creates a sense of foreboding, and the Art Deco mansion, Garthside, with its haunted reputation, becomes a character in its own right. The eerie nights at Garthside, haunted by the spirit of The Simulacrum, provide a backdrop of spine-tingling suspense that will send shivers down your spine.
While "Jump Cut" is a masterful exploration of the lengths to which people will go to achieve their desires, it also delves into the consequences of those choices. The characters' dark pasts and the mysteries surrounding the lost film make for an intricate and engaging narrative that leaves you guessing until the very end.
In conclusion, "Jump Cut" is a thrilling journey into the shadows of fame and the chilling secrets that bind us. Helen Grant has crafted a story that not only keeps you hooked from start to finish but also leaves you pondering the price one is willing to pay for a taste of the spotlight. So, dive into this atmospheric tale, but be warned – you might just find that fame, as Mary Arden suggests, is indeed a cold thing, but sometimes, it's the only thing worth pursuing.
October 5, 2023
‘Jump Cut’ is an atmospheric, chilling read that was an emotionally tense experience! Helen is not an author that I have read before and this type of thriller is not my usual go-to read but I wanted to give it a try for ‘Spooky Season’ aka October! And I am glad that I did. I found it to be a haunting piece of prose that drags you deeper the more you read. I'm not one to scare easily but this definitely made me uncomfortable in places. If you are on the fence with this one from reading the blurb I urge you to give it a go as I was thoroughly freaked!
The Simulacrum is the most famous lost movie of all time. 104-year-old Mary Arden is the last surviving cast member of the film and was its star. Holed up in Garthside, an ageing Art Deco mansion in the remote Scottish countryside she has always refused interviews. Until now. She has agreed to talk to Theda Garrick who is a huge enthusiast of old films. In return she demands all the salacious details of Theda’s last relationship. Only the hint that there is a copy of the film stops Theda from walking away. But Mary’s questions are not the only thing to fear, there is a unknown person stalking the halls in the middle of the night and Theda slowly becomes terrified.
There was such an impending sense of tension and dread in this novel and it built up to a terrifying crescendo! The pacing was a little slow in the first half of the book but it definitely picked up from the halfway point and didn't let the reader go until the last page. There was such a gothic sense to this novel - big house, country location, historical feel and a villain that no one would like at all! At times my senses were on overload and it definitely will keep the reader hooked.
Let me know if you read this one!
The Simulacrum is the most famous lost movie of all time. 104-year-old Mary Arden is the last surviving cast member of the film and was its star. Holed up in Garthside, an ageing Art Deco mansion in the remote Scottish countryside she has always refused interviews. Until now. She has agreed to talk to Theda Garrick who is a huge enthusiast of old films. In return she demands all the salacious details of Theda’s last relationship. Only the hint that there is a copy of the film stops Theda from walking away. But Mary’s questions are not the only thing to fear, there is a unknown person stalking the halls in the middle of the night and Theda slowly becomes terrified.
There was such an impending sense of tension and dread in this novel and it built up to a terrifying crescendo! The pacing was a little slow in the first half of the book but it definitely picked up from the halfway point and didn't let the reader go until the last page. There was such a gothic sense to this novel - big house, country location, historical feel and a villain that no one would like at all! At times my senses were on overload and it definitely will keep the reader hooked.
Let me know if you read this one!
October 8, 2023
Here’s my review of Jump Cut :
I got into this book straight away and it’s quite an enjoyable read with things going bump in the night! Poor Theda is getting woken up during the night with something rattling her doorknob on her bedroom door but when she asks, ‘Who’s there,’ there is just silence. Whatever it is, it disappears off into the west wing of the house, the part where she is
strictly forbidden to go. The horror fan in me is loving this and wondering where it will all end. Also, I’m wondering what part the one hundred and four year old resident has got to play in it. She likes to make Theda relive her worst moments of her life just to get snippets that Mary wants to tell her about Lilian, the director of The Simulacrum. It's quite a good read with an interesting storyline. It’s the first time I have read this author.
Blurb
The Simulacrum is the most famous lost movie in film history – would you tell someone your darkest secrets, just to lay hands on a copy? 104-year-old Mary Arden is the last surviving cast member of a notorious lost film. Holed up in Garthside, an Art Deco mansion reputed to be haunted, she has always refused interviews. Now Mary has agreed to talk to film enthusiast Theda Garrick. In return she demands all the salacious details of Theda’s tragic past. Only the hint of a truly stupendous discovery stops Theda walking out. But Mary’s prying questions are not the only thing Theda has to fear. The spirit of The Simulacrum walks Garthside by night, and it will turn an old tragedy into a new nightmare...
I got into this book straight away and it’s quite an enjoyable read with things going bump in the night! Poor Theda is getting woken up during the night with something rattling her doorknob on her bedroom door but when she asks, ‘Who’s there,’ there is just silence. Whatever it is, it disappears off into the west wing of the house, the part where she is
strictly forbidden to go. The horror fan in me is loving this and wondering where it will all end. Also, I’m wondering what part the one hundred and four year old resident has got to play in it. She likes to make Theda relive her worst moments of her life just to get snippets that Mary wants to tell her about Lilian, the director of The Simulacrum. It's quite a good read with an interesting storyline. It’s the first time I have read this author.
Blurb
The Simulacrum is the most famous lost movie in film history – would you tell someone your darkest secrets, just to lay hands on a copy? 104-year-old Mary Arden is the last surviving cast member of a notorious lost film. Holed up in Garthside, an Art Deco mansion reputed to be haunted, she has always refused interviews. Now Mary has agreed to talk to film enthusiast Theda Garrick. In return she demands all the salacious details of Theda’s tragic past. Only the hint of a truly stupendous discovery stops Theda walking out. But Mary’s prying questions are not the only thing Theda has to fear. The spirit of The Simulacrum walks Garthside by night, and it will turn an old tragedy into a new nightmare...
February 12, 2025
Till know I only knew Grant from the Ghost & Scholars corner of fiction. And when I randomly saw this title on Amazon, my thought process was: oh, I like her short stories, good for her—she wrote a novel!, and it’ll be here Tuesday with my Noxema, sweet. I went in confident I’d be getting something worthwhile, basically, at the very least.
Other than the film reel depicted on the cover and the title (which I may have misinterpreted as Jump Scare), I knew nothing about the book. I loved the premise once it was revealed and I was engaged the whole time. Lost media is a personal fascination of mine, so that helped.
By the end I felt it would have been a stellar novella. It never felt like Grant was going through the motions but except for the finale I could see where she was headed. I needed more menace, more sharp edges, more story to justify the length. There was one very creepy scene (when our protagonist overhears the old couple talking about unspeakable things), but it was under exploited. Also, Theda being a throughly good girl hurt the book, I think, as she couldn’t really match the campiness of the grizzled old film star.
This was a good read even though my tastes really don’t run to Gothic horror. I do like Grant’s style, though. She’s a fine writer. (And I did the old facepalm when I saw she’s written other novels!) Maybe her next book will be more to my tastes.
Other than the film reel depicted on the cover and the title (which I may have misinterpreted as Jump Scare), I knew nothing about the book. I loved the premise once it was revealed and I was engaged the whole time. Lost media is a personal fascination of mine, so that helped.
By the end I felt it would have been a stellar novella. It never felt like Grant was going through the motions but except for the finale I could see where she was headed. I needed more menace, more sharp edges, more story to justify the length. There was one very creepy scene (when our protagonist overhears the old couple talking about unspeakable things), but it was under exploited. Also, Theda being a throughly good girl hurt the book, I think, as she couldn’t really match the campiness of the grizzled old film star.
This was a good read even though my tastes really don’t run to Gothic horror. I do like Grant’s style, though. She’s a fine writer. (And I did the old facepalm when I saw she’s written other novels!) Maybe her next book will be more to my tastes.
October 2, 2023
The book begins with Theda Garrick attending her husband’s funeral. She is devastated, but at this point we know nothing of the circumstances surrounding his death. Seven months later she has secured herself an interview with 104-year-old film star Mary Arden (born the same year as my own mother). My mother used to tell me about the film stars she and my grandmother adored – Theda Bara, Clara Bow, Greta Garbo (her favourite) and later Veronica Lake after whom she named me, albeit with a different spelling.
Others have tried to meet Mary Arden and failed, so why has Theda succeeded?
On the way to Mary’s Art Deco home Garthside, Theda drives into a ford and breaks down. The weather is horrendous, but luckily she is rescued by the lovely Angus, who manages to tow her out and then gives her a lift to Garthside. But I digress.
Theda is scheduled to meet Mary the following afternoon – in the meantime she is shown around by the strange Mrs Harris, who warns her never to enter the double doors which lead into the West Wing, where Mary lives.
The first thing Mary tells Theda the next day, is that she can only give her an hour each day as she gets too tired. She also informs Theda, that for everything she is prepared to reveal, Theda must give her something in return. That’s the deal, and Theda must decide just how much she wants The Simulacrum, the most famous lost movie in film history.
I love that the way we discover what happened to her husband Max is told by Theda herself as part of the tit-for-tat arrangement. But I never could have imagined how this book would pan out when I started reading. Chilling, creepy, and sinister, I loved every scary minute.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #JumpCutTour
Others have tried to meet Mary Arden and failed, so why has Theda succeeded?
On the way to Mary’s Art Deco home Garthside, Theda drives into a ford and breaks down. The weather is horrendous, but luckily she is rescued by the lovely Angus, who manages to tow her out and then gives her a lift to Garthside. But I digress.
Theda is scheduled to meet Mary the following afternoon – in the meantime she is shown around by the strange Mrs Harris, who warns her never to enter the double doors which lead into the West Wing, where Mary lives.
The first thing Mary tells Theda the next day, is that she can only give her an hour each day as she gets too tired. She also informs Theda, that for everything she is prepared to reveal, Theda must give her something in return. That’s the deal, and Theda must decide just how much she wants The Simulacrum, the most famous lost movie in film history.
I love that the way we discover what happened to her husband Max is told by Theda herself as part of the tit-for-tat arrangement. But I never could have imagined how this book would pan out when I started reading. Chilling, creepy, and sinister, I loved every scary minute.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #JumpCutTour
October 6, 2023
"Driving away from my old life, into the unknown."
I'll start by saying that I loved everything about this book, it's a perfectly haunting read for autumn and I had chills and fun reading it. More chills than fun, but nevertheless it was thrilling.
Atmospheric, mysterious, with a ghost or two and a whole lot of secrets that are kept by living or dead. The ending was quite satisfying too, even though I personally think the main character Theda was too dramatic and I should have been the one who was offered that instead of her. I definitely would have agreed and enjoyed it all.
So, a successful old actress who is 104 years old agrees to talk about the mysterious film that was made years ago, there's no copies of it and she is the only one who has seen it and is in possession of. She only will tell the story to Theda, and only on her own terms, in exchange of the glimpses of her past, she asks Theda, recently widowed writer to answer personal questions, which don't seem too hard, until they get too demanding and in the end Theda is left wondering if it all is worth that much trouble.
"My soul for a piece of hers."
The twists in the end, the ending, they all were delicious and satisfying. I didn't expect to like this book this much, but I wasn't disappointed.
I'll start by saying that I loved everything about this book, it's a perfectly haunting read for autumn and I had chills and fun reading it. More chills than fun, but nevertheless it was thrilling.
Atmospheric, mysterious, with a ghost or two and a whole lot of secrets that are kept by living or dead. The ending was quite satisfying too, even though I personally think the main character Theda was too dramatic and I should have been the one who was offered that instead of her. I definitely would have agreed and enjoyed it all.
So, a successful old actress who is 104 years old agrees to talk about the mysterious film that was made years ago, there's no copies of it and she is the only one who has seen it and is in possession of. She only will tell the story to Theda, and only on her own terms, in exchange of the glimpses of her past, she asks Theda, recently widowed writer to answer personal questions, which don't seem too hard, until they get too demanding and in the end Theda is left wondering if it all is worth that much trouble.
"My soul for a piece of hers."
The twists in the end, the ending, they all were delicious and satisfying. I didn't expect to like this book this much, but I wasn't disappointed.
October 2, 2023
Jump Cut follows Theda, a recent widow, who we join first as she attends her husband's funeral. Needing a new start, she heads to Scotland in search of Mary Arden, an actress and last surviving cast member of the lost film, The Simulacrum. Mary has refused to speak to anyone about the film until now - although Mary wants something in return.
I fell in love with Helen Grant's writing when I read Too Near the Dead so couldn't wait to start Jump Cut. I found it to be thrilling, eerie and addictive.
The characters and their development are written extremely cleverly and the story hooks you from the first few chapters. Both Theda and Mary aren't particularly likeable to start with but they do grow as the story progresses and we learn more about them.
It is certainly a thrilling gothic horror with a building sense of suspense and unease, a sure page turner of which I couldn't get enough. The chapters are short enough that you can pick up the book easily here and there if needed, I couldn't put it down though. I ploughed through the last few chapters especially, both needing to finish but not wanting it to end.
Would recommend to any readers of gothic, eerie fiction.
I fell in love with Helen Grant's writing when I read Too Near the Dead so couldn't wait to start Jump Cut. I found it to be thrilling, eerie and addictive.
The characters and their development are written extremely cleverly and the story hooks you from the first few chapters. Both Theda and Mary aren't particularly likeable to start with but they do grow as the story progresses and we learn more about them.
It is certainly a thrilling gothic horror with a building sense of suspense and unease, a sure page turner of which I couldn't get enough. The chapters are short enough that you can pick up the book easily here and there if needed, I couldn't put it down though. I ploughed through the last few chapters especially, both needing to finish but not wanting it to end.
Would recommend to any readers of gothic, eerie fiction.
September 28, 2023
Jump Cut is not my usual genre, but I'm certainly glad i gave it a go.
Jump Cut is emotional and is story that will definitely remain with you long after you finish the last page.
This is my first Helen Grant novel but I'll certainly be checking out her other works, Too Near the Dead now being on my TBR list.
I found Jump Cut to have incredible character development with an impending sense of dread always being close to the surface, combined with a gothic style of writing, throw In a pinch of history mixed with the present, and you find yourself flying through this read at a fast pace, always wanting to see what happens on the next page.
I enjoyed the Art Deco setting, a period of history that I love and the theme of the lost silent film.
All in all, I found this to be a great thriller/horror and so give it four 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's, being a novel that will definitely keep you hooked from beginning to end.
Jump Cut is emotional and is story that will definitely remain with you long after you finish the last page.
This is my first Helen Grant novel but I'll certainly be checking out her other works, Too Near the Dead now being on my TBR list.
I found Jump Cut to have incredible character development with an impending sense of dread always being close to the surface, combined with a gothic style of writing, throw In a pinch of history mixed with the present, and you find yourself flying through this read at a fast pace, always wanting to see what happens on the next page.
I enjoyed the Art Deco setting, a period of history that I love and the theme of the lost silent film.
All in all, I found this to be a great thriller/horror and so give it four 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's, being a novel that will definitely keep you hooked from beginning to end.
October 5, 2023
Wow! What a book! It was complete not what I was expecting, it turned out to be so much better! I’m not usually a fan of spooky books, but this one was great and just in the edge of my spooky border. The author has expertly created a haunting atmosphere that leaves tingles running up your spine. The setting, a huge,old house in the mid of nowhere, cut off from civilisation by a river that is usually too full to cross, is perfection. Theda is a great character, on the run from her past and the death of her husband. I do think she is vulnerable because she is so recently widowed, which leaves her mind open to the power of suggestion and manipulation. As you read further, other reasons come to light for this as well. I couldn’t decide if Mary was just evil, or if she was the product of having been manipulated herself. She is definitely cunning. This was a fabulous read and a totally epic surprise!
September 25, 2023
Where to begin with this book…?
I enjoyed this - in a ‘it gave me all the creepy feelings’ sort of way.
This is a good horror - I loved the concept, it’s really unique and intriguing.
The author creates such a creepy atmosphere in this book. The remote location, the spooky old house, things that go bump in the night are all perfect for scene setting and getting your heart racing.
I found the characters unlikeable in their own ways but in many ways this is one of the factors that makes this book so good and I did enjoy getting to know them more as the novel went on. I liked learning their back stories and it definitely helped to understand the characters they had become.
The paranormal elements were perfect for this time of year and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a spooky, creepy read.
I enjoyed this - in a ‘it gave me all the creepy feelings’ sort of way.
This is a good horror - I loved the concept, it’s really unique and intriguing.
The author creates such a creepy atmosphere in this book. The remote location, the spooky old house, things that go bump in the night are all perfect for scene setting and getting your heart racing.
I found the characters unlikeable in their own ways but in many ways this is one of the factors that makes this book so good and I did enjoy getting to know them more as the novel went on. I liked learning their back stories and it definitely helped to understand the characters they had become.
The paranormal elements were perfect for this time of year and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a spooky, creepy read.
October 4, 2023
I don’t know where to start with this book. In a really good way, I am going to struggle to find the words. It is both creepy and compelling. There were times I was almost too scared to carry on reading but at the same time I was too scared to stop. Helen Grant has a way of getting right under your skin and making the hairs on the back of your neck prickle. This story is both thrilling and chilling and I honestly don’t know if I loved or hated it. One thing I know for sure, I was definitely sleeping with the light on, on the nights I read it at bedtime. If you want to be creeped out and terrified but also fully invested, if you want to be intrigued and immersed and massively entertained by a story where you can’t possible predict the outcome - this book is for you. Order it immediately. Five stars and if I could give more I would. (PS I actually loved it)
October 4, 2023
3.5/5
AD-PR PRODUCT
Thank you so much Love Book Tours for including me as part of the Jump Cut Tour.
Widow Thea, goes to stay at Mary Arden’s mansion to interview her as she is the last remaining cast member of the most famous lost movie, The Simulacrum. In exchange for information about the film, Thea has to reveal her darkest secrets to Mary.
This book was absolutely perfect for spooky season! I’m not normally a fan of haunted house books but this was written well and not too over the top.
I didn’t like Thea or Mary but I loved the scenes of them together and enjoyed reading their interactions.
There is a big reveal towards to end of the book, and I would have liked the following chapters to have been more drawn out to avoid a rushed ending.
If you liked Verity or The Only One Left but want a more spooky vibe, then definitely check this on out!
AD-PR PRODUCT
Thank you so much Love Book Tours for including me as part of the Jump Cut Tour.
Widow Thea, goes to stay at Mary Arden’s mansion to interview her as she is the last remaining cast member of the most famous lost movie, The Simulacrum. In exchange for information about the film, Thea has to reveal her darkest secrets to Mary.
This book was absolutely perfect for spooky season! I’m not normally a fan of haunted house books but this was written well and not too over the top.
I didn’t like Thea or Mary but I loved the scenes of them together and enjoyed reading their interactions.
There is a big reveal towards to end of the book, and I would have liked the following chapters to have been more drawn out to avoid a rushed ending.
If you liked Verity or The Only One Left but want a more spooky vibe, then definitely check this on out!
October 29, 2023
This is the second book I have read from Helen Grant and I am rapidly becoming a fan of her style.
This is the tale of a young writer who has been invited to visit an ancient on movie diva , the first who's been given the right to document the story of a famous unreleased picture (Simulacrum).
It took it's time to draw me in , built the world so well and completely caught me off guard when what was really going on emerged (on both sides). Haunting, truly haunting. No sure if it's the right word but felt gothic.
There were themes there that can be difficult for me to read (due to childhood experience) but it was handled so subtly and carefully that it was no trouble at all and truly made the story about as horrific as it could be for me without being cruel.
I really loved this. A perfect read for spooky season.
This is the tale of a young writer who has been invited to visit an ancient on movie diva , the first who's been given the right to document the story of a famous unreleased picture (Simulacrum).
It took it's time to draw me in , built the world so well and completely caught me off guard when what was really going on emerged (on both sides). Haunting, truly haunting. No sure if it's the right word but felt gothic.
There were themes there that can be difficult for me to read (due to childhood experience) but it was handled so subtly and carefully that it was no trouble at all and truly made the story about as horrific as it could be for me without being cruel.
I really loved this. A perfect read for spooky season.
October 1, 2023
Although the blurb drew me to this book, it didn't come close to preparing me for the story! We've all read books about creepy goings on in isolated country houses - things that go bump in the night and so on - but this is (literally) something else!
For me, the beauty of the book was in what the author didn't write - enough detail is left to the reader's imagination to make us imagine events in the scariest form possible for us, if that makes sense! Sometimes I read a book where everything is described in minute detail and the mystery, tension or fear is lost. Not the case here!
An unsettling read, perfect now the nights are drawing in!
Thanks to the author, and Love Book Tours for the eARC of this book.
For me, the beauty of the book was in what the author didn't write - enough detail is left to the reader's imagination to make us imagine events in the scariest form possible for us, if that makes sense! Sometimes I read a book where everything is described in minute detail and the mystery, tension or fear is lost. Not the case here!
An unsettling read, perfect now the nights are drawing in!
Thanks to the author, and Love Book Tours for the eARC of this book.
October 11, 2023
Somehow, this is the first book I've read by this author - but be sure, I'm adding all of her previous books straight to my wish list!!
This is the perfect read for this spooky season and I loved it!!
Be aware though, that if you're not keen on gothic horror, then this won't be the book for you.
If like me, you can't get enough of it, then I couldn't recommend this enough!
I was completely hooked right from the first page to the last and (as is the way!) I raced through this. I couldn't wait to find out what was happening and where this would take us, but also I was thoroughly creeped out!
When Theda is invited to 104 year old actress Mary's house to finally be granted the illusive interview everyone wants - she jumps at the chance.
Mary starred in 'The Simulacrum', the last surviving member of the cast of this most famous lost film in all of movie history.
Will the interview be worth the terror and Mary's questioning - or should she have listened and stayed away?
I loved that the cast here was small. It really allowed us to become invested in them both equally.
They were well presented and developed throughout and through the narrative, we were able to learn about their lives outside of the interview content.
The setting was perfect. Isolated in the remote art deco mansion created the perfect backdrop for things of an eerie nature.
The writing was intense and had me on the edge of my seat (and racing up the stairs in the dark!) - exactly what you'd expect from this genre.
I absolutely loved this and can't wait to explore more from this author soon
This is the perfect read for this spooky season and I loved it!!
Be aware though, that if you're not keen on gothic horror, then this won't be the book for you.
If like me, you can't get enough of it, then I couldn't recommend this enough!
I was completely hooked right from the first page to the last and (as is the way!) I raced through this. I couldn't wait to find out what was happening and where this would take us, but also I was thoroughly creeped out!
When Theda is invited to 104 year old actress Mary's house to finally be granted the illusive interview everyone wants - she jumps at the chance.
Mary starred in 'The Simulacrum', the last surviving member of the cast of this most famous lost film in all of movie history.
Will the interview be worth the terror and Mary's questioning - or should she have listened and stayed away?
I loved that the cast here was small. It really allowed us to become invested in them both equally.
They were well presented and developed throughout and through the narrative, we were able to learn about their lives outside of the interview content.
The setting was perfect. Isolated in the remote art deco mansion created the perfect backdrop for things of an eerie nature.
The writing was intense and had me on the edge of my seat (and racing up the stairs in the dark!) - exactly what you'd expect from this genre.
I absolutely loved this and can't wait to explore more from this author soon
October 6, 2023
Wow. My mind is a little all over the place right now. In a good way. I think.
This was a fantastic story. For me, the writing style stole the show. Don't get me wrong, the plot was good, the setting was creepy, and the characters were great. However, the authors writing style really elevated everything.
The twist? Colour me shocked cause I did not see that coming. The ending wrapped everything up, and it was just perfect. What I mean is, I usually like an epilogue, but this story did not need it, nor was it too short that I had questions.
Definitely recommend.
Thank you to author Helen Grant, Fledgling Press, and Love Books Tours for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a fantastic story. For me, the writing style stole the show. Don't get me wrong, the plot was good, the setting was creepy, and the characters were great. However, the authors writing style really elevated everything.
The twist? Colour me shocked cause I did not see that coming. The ending wrapped everything up, and it was just perfect. What I mean is, I usually like an epilogue, but this story did not need it, nor was it too short that I had questions.
Definitely recommend.
Thank you to author Helen Grant, Fledgling Press, and Love Books Tours for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 16, 2025
First thing -- thus book is the latest addition to my favorite horror subgenre, cursed or haunted media, usually film.
Second thing -- it's quite a good book, a go thick horror slow burn.
Third thing -- I am absolutely sure that the title Helen Grant intended to use was The Simulacrum, not Jump Cut. I'm sure her agent or publisher insisted she change the name to something that would tell the potential reader that this was a novel about movies, and to also imply it was a horror story. Don't be turned off by the title -- there are no jump cuts here, and this story isn't related to modern slasher movies that make overly generous use of that technique. Like I said, think gothic and slow burn.
Second thing -- it's quite a good book, a go thick horror slow burn.
Third thing -- I am absolutely sure that the title Helen Grant intended to use was The Simulacrum, not Jump Cut. I'm sure her agent or publisher insisted she change the name to something that would tell the potential reader that this was a novel about movies, and to also imply it was a horror story. Don't be turned off by the title -- there are no jump cuts here, and this story isn't related to modern slasher movies that make overly generous use of that technique. Like I said, think gothic and slow burn.
October 4, 2023
📽️JUMP CUT📽️
⭐⭐⭐.5
Wow! What can I say expect this book had me literally jumping at every sound around me🤣
Within the first couple of chapters without even a mention of paranormal activity it gave me haunted house vibes. I read around the 50% mark whilst in bed and at this point the Author had created the perfect eerie vibe to the point where I couldn't sleep well at all. The perfect spooky season read for anyone wanting a haunted house, evil old lady and plot twist that leaves you shaken!
It's was thoroughly addictive and I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to reading more of Helen's work
⭐⭐⭐.5
Wow! What can I say expect this book had me literally jumping at every sound around me🤣
Within the first couple of chapters without even a mention of paranormal activity it gave me haunted house vibes. I read around the 50% mark whilst in bed and at this point the Author had created the perfect eerie vibe to the point where I couldn't sleep well at all. The perfect spooky season read for anyone wanting a haunted house, evil old lady and plot twist that leaves you shaken!
It's was thoroughly addictive and I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to reading more of Helen's work
October 3, 2023
My honest thoughts:
This book was VERY challenging to put down! And when I managed to use all my strength to put it down I couldnt stop thinking about it..
I really needed to know what was happening in the next sentence, then the next page and then the next chapter..
So yes it was gripping and intruging to say the least.
I probably would have done the same as Theda..
I do wonder how long she would have played it for if Richard hadnt done what he had done.. if he wasnt so jealous and angry..
This book was VERY challenging to put down! And when I managed to use all my strength to put it down I couldnt stop thinking about it..
I really needed to know what was happening in the next sentence, then the next page and then the next chapter..
So yes it was gripping and intruging to say the least.
I probably would have done the same as Theda..
I do wonder how long she would have played it for if Richard hadnt done what he had done.. if he wasnt so jealous and angry..
October 10, 2023
This book was so good. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started but holy cow I couldn't put this down. I mean i loved the characters and holy cow the writing of this book for me really just took this to a whole new level. The twists the turns. Wow. I can't even. This was such a good book. I need more by this author!! This was my first read by her and it won't be my last. I definitely recommend this book. Yall go and get this book !!
November 18, 2023
3.5
Not the type of book I’d usually read but trying to read outside of my norm. Saw it reviewed on Twitter (I will never say X) and decided to give it a go. Some of the plot directions not massively to my taste but I really liked the writing and I thought it did a very good job of creating a creepy gothic setting. Enjoyed overall
Not the type of book I’d usually read but trying to read outside of my norm. Saw it reviewed on Twitter (I will never say X) and decided to give it a go. Some of the plot directions not massively to my taste but I really liked the writing and I thought it did a very good job of creating a creepy gothic setting. Enjoyed overall
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews