What do you think?
Rate this book
Conjure
Newly pregnant, stuck in a job she doesn't like and mourning the death of her cousin, Beth Hammond’s life isn’t working out the way she thought it would. So when her boyfriend wins a weekend away at the seaside resort of Heyton, Beth thinks this could be just what they need — to get away, relax, and make plans for the future.
But as they begin their weekend, a JCB driver accidentally damages a centuries-old memorial at the beach. He hopes no one will notice, but something has… a presence that was buried beneath the memorial, sealed in a stone tomb. Now that presence wants its revenge on the people of Heyton.
But as they begin their weekend, a JCB driver accidentally damages a centuries-old memorial at the beach. He hopes no one will notice, but something has… a presence that was buried beneath the memorial, sealed in a stone tomb. Now that presence wants its revenge on the people of Heyton.
- GenresHorror
ebook
First published January 1, 2009
9 people want to read
About the author
Mark West
67 books173 followersMark West was born in Northamptonshire in 1969. Writing stories since the age of eight, he discovered the small press in 1999 and since then, he’s published more than 90 stories in various publications around the world.
The Book Folks published his debut mainstream thriller DON’T GO BACK in February 2022. It was followed by WATCHING OVER YOU, THE HUNTER'S QUARRY, STILL WATERS RUN, A KILLER AMONGST US and WE WERE SEEN. His latest, TO SEE TOO MUCH, was published in November 2024. He is currently working on his next thriller novel.
His other works include:
Collections: “Strange Tales” (2003) and “Things We Leave Behind” (2017)
Horror Novels: “In The Rain With The Dead” (2005) and “Conjure” (2009)
Horror Chapbooks/Novelettes: “The Mill” (2011), “What Gets Left Behind” (2012), “The Goblin Glass” (2019) and “Mr Stix” (2019)
Horror Novellas: The Lost Film” (2015), “The Factory” (2016) and “The Exercise” (2021).
Dark Thriller Novellas: “Drive” (2014) and “Polly” (2017)
“Anatomy Of Death” (2013) was a Hersham Horror Books anthology edited by West.
Mark lives in Rothwell, with his wife Alison and their son, Matthew, where he is currently working on a new novel. He can be contacted via his website at www.markwest.org.uk
The Book Folks published his debut mainstream thriller DON’T GO BACK in February 2022. It was followed by WATCHING OVER YOU, THE HUNTER'S QUARRY, STILL WATERS RUN, A KILLER AMONGST US and WE WERE SEEN. His latest, TO SEE TOO MUCH, was published in November 2024. He is currently working on his next thriller novel.
His other works include:
Collections: “Strange Tales” (2003) and “Things We Leave Behind” (2017)
Horror Novels: “In The Rain With The Dead” (2005) and “Conjure” (2009)
Horror Chapbooks/Novelettes: “The Mill” (2011), “What Gets Left Behind” (2012), “The Goblin Glass” (2019) and “Mr Stix” (2019)
Horror Novellas: The Lost Film” (2015), “The Factory” (2016) and “The Exercise” (2021).
Dark Thriller Novellas: “Drive” (2014) and “Polly” (2017)
“Anatomy Of Death” (2013) was a Hersham Horror Books anthology edited by West.
Mark lives in Rothwell, with his wife Alison and their son, Matthew, where he is currently working on a new novel. He can be contacted via his website at www.markwest.org.uk
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 20, 2009
I always enjoy Mark West's main characters. They are working class people with struggles just like ours. We can relate to these characters, and while they have their faults, they are also good people that we come to care about very quickly.
I don't read the horror genre as a rule, as I don't like graphic violence, but Mark West does it so well! The book, about a young couple going on a holiday only to find that scary things await them in the form of a dead woman's malevolent spirit, is very suspenseful, and the violence, while not being gratuitous, is intense enough to please fans of the genre.
If I could give 5 stars to Mark's ability to create suspense by making us care about his characters, I would do it! He's an expert at it.
I don't read the horror genre as a rule, as I don't like graphic violence, but Mark West does it so well! The book, about a young couple going on a holiday only to find that scary things await them in the form of a dead woman's malevolent spirit, is very suspenseful, and the violence, while not being gratuitous, is intense enough to please fans of the genre.
If I could give 5 stars to Mark's ability to create suspense by making us care about his characters, I would do it! He's an expert at it.
June 24, 2016
Seeing as how this is genre'd under horror, I kept waiting to be scared or even slightly creeped out. Unnerved. Something. Unfortunately that never happened. I've been more shook up after an episode of Criminal Minds.
When telling the meat of the story, the writing is decent. But when writing the filler, it becomes very paint by numbers. They went here, they did this, she said that, then they went here. The atmosphere is practically non-existent. The only really good scenes are the ones involving the "ancient horror", and you can tell that's the stuff the author actually cared about. If that kind of writing had spread to the rest of the book, it might have been better.
But still not scary.
When telling the meat of the story, the writing is decent. But when writing the filler, it becomes very paint by numbers. They went here, they did this, she said that, then they went here. The atmosphere is practically non-existent. The only really good scenes are the ones involving the "ancient horror", and you can tell that's the stuff the author actually cared about. If that kind of writing had spread to the rest of the book, it might have been better.
But still not scary.
October 16, 2013
This is the second fabulous book I have read by Mark West. Have you ever picked up a book where you just have to keep reading it because you believe it can't get any scarier? I struggle to put his books down once I start them and am looking forward to reading more of his work. What do I read next?
March 16, 2011
Great story - review to come soon at Xomba Horror.
February 27, 2011
Mark West writes heartfelt, traditional horror, taking the best of what developed in the eighties (and ignoring the bad old stuff that was spat out in a publishing glut where anything with a skull on the cover could end up in bookstores) and giving it a fresh new presentation. Conjure is a straightforward little novella, the power of which comes not from a twisting plot (it's clear where the story's going about a third of the way through), but from heartfelt characters, who are honestly portrayed. The story follows Beth and Rob, soon to be parents, soon (possibly) to be married, as they escape the drudge of their lives with a weekend break to the seaside town of Heyton. The timing's bad, because an ancient monument has just been damaged, and something has escaped. Something vicious, with a liking for babies... The plot is a muscular straight line, pacy and exciting, and though it left some loose ends dangling, I had a good time with it. It's not quite up there with the author's full length novel In The Rain With The Dead, but it's always good to get some West. It's unfortunate that, having read the book on the Kindle, there are a many formatting problems with my copy, especially some strange tabulation, which do the author and his story little service - I hesitate to mention this, as nobody else has, so I'm beginning to wonder if it's just my copy - but it really did hamper the reading experience to the point where it gets three stars, where the story probably deserves at least four.
September 13, 2013
(I received this book for free as part of Greyhart Press' 'read...review...repeat' offer).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I found this novella to be quite an interesting one. The characters came across as well-written and well-rounded, even Isabel - though I couldn't see her as quite the victim she was made out to be in the flashbacks.
I liked Beth's relationship with Rob. I didn't much like Steve, though I'd be interested to see what happened to him after the events that occurred here. I felt sorry for Mandy and Jill. Also, I was a bit disappointed that nothing came from the other visions, or episodes, that Beth had. I felt that a lot of the loose ends weren't really tied up.
I noticed several errors in the book. Also, Isabel's 'ghost' switched between italics and normal formatting when speaking, which was a bit confusing. I couldn't always tell when she was speaking.
I did think that some parts of this story came across as a bit rushed. I would have liked to see it stretched further out, with more emphasis on Isabel being a victim... or not. It seemed that she could have gone both ways. Also, was she a witch all along? It's not made entirely clear.
The concept of Isabel wanting unborn children was an interesting one, but I was confused about what the tendrils were all about. I think this could have done with being a longer book. Also... just because something's a horror, that doesn't mean there needs to be 'one more scare' at the end.
The book was quite well-written and very descriptive. I'd probably read more books by this author.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I found this novella to be quite an interesting one. The characters came across as well-written and well-rounded, even Isabel - though I couldn't see her as quite the victim she was made out to be in the flashbacks.
I liked Beth's relationship with Rob. I didn't much like Steve, though I'd be interested to see what happened to him after the events that occurred here. I felt sorry for Mandy and Jill. Also, I was a bit disappointed that nothing came from the other visions, or episodes, that Beth had. I felt that a lot of the loose ends weren't really tied up.
I noticed several errors in the book. Also, Isabel's 'ghost' switched between italics and normal formatting when speaking, which was a bit confusing. I couldn't always tell when she was speaking.
I did think that some parts of this story came across as a bit rushed. I would have liked to see it stretched further out, with more emphasis on Isabel being a victim... or not. It seemed that she could have gone both ways. Also, was she a witch all along? It's not made entirely clear.
The concept of Isabel wanting unborn children was an interesting one, but I was confused about what the tendrils were all about. I think this could have done with being a longer book. Also... just because something's a horror, that doesn't mean there needs to be 'one more scare' at the end.
The book was quite well-written and very descriptive. I'd probably read more books by this author.
May 23, 2022
My second published novel, this marked a sea-change in my story, moving away from the gorier excesses and into quieter, darker, more supernatural areas. Originally published in 2009 by Rainfall Books, it was re-published (in print and digital editions) by Greyhart Press in 2012.
May 23, 2022
The original Rainfall Books edition of my second horror novel.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews