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Drive
David Moore has one night left in Gaffney and is at a party he doesn’t want to attend. Natasha Turner, at the same party, is lost for a lift home.
Meanwhile, three young men have stolen a car, and as the night darkens and the roads become deserted, David and Nat enter into a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse. . .
“Drive takes you for a journey down the darkest alleyways of human savagery. A fast paced, high tension thriller that delivers on all fronts....”
- Jim Mcleod, The Ginger Nuts Of Horror
"Drive is a gripping, tense urban noir with prose as tight as a snare drum..."
- Paul D. Brazill, Guns Of Brixton.
Meanwhile, three young men have stolen a car, and as the night darkens and the roads become deserted, David and Nat enter into a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse. . .
“Drive takes you for a journey down the darkest alleyways of human savagery. A fast paced, high tension thriller that delivers on all fronts....”
- Jim Mcleod, The Ginger Nuts Of Horror
"Drive is a gripping, tense urban noir with prose as tight as a snare drum..."
- Paul D. Brazill, Guns Of Brixton.
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2014
25 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
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 16, 2014
Mark West’s latest novella is in some ways a departure from the author’s previous work; there’s none of the supernatural horror of The Mill here. But despite its realism there are scares aplenty in Drive and its small-town English realism adds to the effect. Drive’s set up is simple: David and Nat are on their way back from a party; they've never met before but David has offered Natalie a lift home. On the way, they encounter a group of drunk and possibly high boy racers in a souped up car, who they see nearly run over some women in the street. Almost at random, David and Nat are targeted by these youths, and the two spend the rest of the night driving round the estates and one-way system of Gaffney, attempting to flee their pursuers, who become increasingly violent and unhinged.
It’s a tense ride indeed for the reader, and ideally one read in a single sitting with no pit-stops. The story is pared down, barely giving you room to breathe. The characterisation and changing relationship between David and Nat is well done, occurring for the reader in the brief windows between the action. By contrast, the yobs with their laddish banter and blaring music are presented with no back-story, no real explanation for their acts. This seems a deliberate ploy by West, emphasising the essentially random nature of the violence, and giving the car that pursues David and Nat some of the impersonal, relentless horror of the truck from Duel. (It’s certainly a more inventive and original reworking of that theme than the recent Stephen King/Joe Hill collaboration.)
In short this is another impressive work from West, who seems to be mastering the novella form. Published by Pendragon Press, and available both as an ebook and as a limited edition paperback, this one is very much worth a test drive.
It’s a tense ride indeed for the reader, and ideally one read in a single sitting with no pit-stops. The story is pared down, barely giving you room to breathe. The characterisation and changing relationship between David and Nat is well done, occurring for the reader in the brief windows between the action. By contrast, the yobs with their laddish banter and blaring music are presented with no back-story, no real explanation for their acts. This seems a deliberate ploy by West, emphasising the essentially random nature of the violence, and giving the car that pursues David and Nat some of the impersonal, relentless horror of the truck from Duel. (It’s certainly a more inventive and original reworking of that theme than the recent Stephen King/Joe Hill collaboration.)
In short this is another impressive work from West, who seems to be mastering the novella form. Published by Pendragon Press, and available both as an ebook and as a limited edition paperback, this one is very much worth a test drive.
September 29, 2014
Drive is a tight, efficient dark thriller. Mr. West skilfully crafts a nightmarish yet chillingly plausible scenario, and then puts the pedal all the way to the metal. Fans of non-supernatural horror or jet black thrillers will find a lot to like here. Recommended for a quick, super-tense, one-sitting read.
August 16, 2014
I didn't mean to sit up late in order to finish Drive, the new novella from Mark West, published by Pendragon Press. I really didn't. However, once I started to read, I found it difficult to stop. It's not often I get caught up in the moment with a book; usually I get drawn in slowly, soaking up the atmosphere. Yet here I was, quite unable to put the thing down, compelled to find out what happens next.
West's writing style, which I am familiar with from several excellent short stories (The Bureau of Lost Children springs to mind, from the excellent collection Ill At Ease 2) is perfect for this style of breathless adventure. David finds himself in the nondescript urban sprawl of Gaffney, attending a course for his work. He offers Natasha a lift back to her flat, and becomes haplessly embroiled in a night of pursuit, escalating violence and terror. Although Drive is not a supernatural tale, the setting of a deserted town in the early hours of a weeknight works well enough to suggest dark stories of the past, such as Don't Get Lost by Tanith Lee. The protagonists become drawn deeper into a furious chase through the sodium-lit streets, trying to escape from a mysterious and threatening Audi.
"The Audi pulled up alongside and David glanced over. The driver was looking straight ahead, his hood pulled up so that all could be seen was the tip of his nose and his pursed lips. There was a person in the back, also wearing his hood, slumped low and almost out of sight".
A sense of impending confrontation pushes things along at breakneck pace, and by the time the satisfying conclusion arrived, I had to read something a little more relaxing before going to sleep... Drive is a great tale, atmospheric and exciting. Perhaps this could be the first of a series? Recommended for all lovers of a high-octane read!
West's writing style, which I am familiar with from several excellent short stories (The Bureau of Lost Children springs to mind, from the excellent collection Ill At Ease 2) is perfect for this style of breathless adventure. David finds himself in the nondescript urban sprawl of Gaffney, attending a course for his work. He offers Natasha a lift back to her flat, and becomes haplessly embroiled in a night of pursuit, escalating violence and terror. Although Drive is not a supernatural tale, the setting of a deserted town in the early hours of a weeknight works well enough to suggest dark stories of the past, such as Don't Get Lost by Tanith Lee. The protagonists become drawn deeper into a furious chase through the sodium-lit streets, trying to escape from a mysterious and threatening Audi.
"The Audi pulled up alongside and David glanced over. The driver was looking straight ahead, his hood pulled up so that all could be seen was the tip of his nose and his pursed lips. There was a person in the back, also wearing his hood, slumped low and almost out of sight".
A sense of impending confrontation pushes things along at breakneck pace, and by the time the satisfying conclusion arrived, I had to read something a little more relaxing before going to sleep... Drive is a great tale, atmospheric and exciting. Perhaps this could be the first of a series? Recommended for all lovers of a high-octane read!
November 26, 2014
With The Mill, Mark West showed us that he had quiet, creepy horror pretty much nailed. With Drive, he turns his hand to the balls-to-the-wall thriller, and proves he's the master of that, too.
Drive pushes all the right buttons for me. In a genre overrun by maudlin tales of middle class angst and artsy-fartsy soul searching, along comes a fast-paced suburban nightmare adventure. Instead of story as a look-at-me excuse for flowery prose, we have tight, expressive writing that exists to serve the plot. Storytelling as it should be.
Mark West's writing is strong because it evokes people we know, in places we know, in situations we hope we'll never know. His characters are the people you work with, your friends, your neighbours, and his backdrops are right outside your door. Drive is set in his fictional town of Gaffney, a place he knows well, and through his writing, you will too. This novella perfectly captured that feeling of driving late at night through deserted neon lit streets that should be safe but you know aren't, meeting fellow late night citizens you hope are harmless, but fear could be feral. A skulking Audi with booming bass could be next to you at the lights, and after reading Drive, you'll certainly wish it wasn't.
All this pulls together to drag you into the page, and make sure that you can't leave until the author has finished with you. The tension ramps until you're breathless.
Brilliantly evocative, finger on the pulse storytelling. If you enjoy a good page turner, I suggest you get your ass into gear, pop the clutch and rush out to snag your copy...
February 14, 2016
A book stacked with high tension and fear. It takes a great story for the reader to feel that fear as well.
June 26, 2019
I literally roared through this novella in a couple of quick sessions. It's a tightly-paced edge-of-your-seat thriller which does exactly what it needs to do and doesn't outstay its welcome. David and Natalie are returning from a party which neither of them wanted to go to and are embroiled in a cat-and-mouse chase with three drugged-up youngsters through the deserted streets of Gaffney. Characters are sharply defined. David is an everyman and its easy to map how we might react in his position and Natalie isn't simply a damsel in distress. The villains are more than one-dimensional. Where West succeeds is in making some of their decisions odd - and therefore making them human. I loved Jay, whose out-of-it manner makes the situation much more realistic. If there's a definition of a page-turner, then this novella is it.
February 2, 2016
The story follows David, as he gives Nat a lift home from a party that he didn’t want to go to. Meanwhile, the town of Gaffney is being terrorised by three hoodlums in a stolen Audi. They cruise the streets looking to cause trouble, attempting to snatch a young lady from outside the kebab shop, and nearly knocking a group of party goers over as they cross the street.
David is a true gentleman and refuses to abandon Nat at the party, he drives her home, and they witness the near miss between the Audi and the pedestrians. Both shaken, they continue on their way oblivious to the roller coaster ride they are about to embark on.
Reading Drive has quite possibly put me off going out at night ever again! We’ve all seen young lads driving too fast around our hometown, the music pumping so loud you can see the car windows vibrating, but Mark’s imagination pulls at that thread of fear that the lads aren’t just cruising the street, but that they are dangerous and would threaten your life.
Three young men, high on drugs, hoods drawn up to cover their faces, steer their stolen car around the streets of Gaffney in the early hours of the morning. The police are nowhere to be seen; the station closed for the night. It’s clear that these young men are looking to harm both David and Nat. The cat-and-mouse chase through town is terrifying, and Mark sets the scene incredibly well. Panic began to swell in my chest as I read how the stolen Audi swerved, coerced and finally cornered our hero and heroine.
The ending was better than I could have imagined and added to the nail-biting suspense. If you’re looking for a quick read full of suspense, thrills and mystery, then Drive is the book for you. Highly recommended.
David is a true gentleman and refuses to abandon Nat at the party, he drives her home, and they witness the near miss between the Audi and the pedestrians. Both shaken, they continue on their way oblivious to the roller coaster ride they are about to embark on.
Reading Drive has quite possibly put me off going out at night ever again! We’ve all seen young lads driving too fast around our hometown, the music pumping so loud you can see the car windows vibrating, but Mark’s imagination pulls at that thread of fear that the lads aren’t just cruising the street, but that they are dangerous and would threaten your life.
Three young men, high on drugs, hoods drawn up to cover their faces, steer their stolen car around the streets of Gaffney in the early hours of the morning. The police are nowhere to be seen; the station closed for the night. It’s clear that these young men are looking to harm both David and Nat. The cat-and-mouse chase through town is terrifying, and Mark sets the scene incredibly well. Panic began to swell in my chest as I read how the stolen Audi swerved, coerced and finally cornered our hero and heroine.
The ending was better than I could have imagined and added to the nail-biting suspense. If you’re looking for a quick read full of suspense, thrills and mystery, then Drive is the book for you. Highly recommended.
September 20, 2014
YES!! A new novella by Mark West! Okay, just to get it out of the way I’m a big fan of Mark West. He has a way of plotting the course and leading you down the dark and twisted corridors of his mind. Drive is another example of a top-notch tale.
Have you ever been out alone in the middle of nowhere driving? Have you ever thought what if? What if someone forced you off the road, what if you have a flat and a car full of men pull up, or what if…..
David Moore is just another average man on a business trip. Attending an obligatory business party he finds himself chatting up a young woman named Nat. When he learns that she is without a ride home he offers her a lift. What should have been an act of chivalry turns into a nightmare of epic proportions.
Sam was out delivering pizzas on a moped when a red Audi with music blaring pulls up behind him. The Audi begins bumping the moped until Sam is thrown from the bike.
Jennifer is waiting outside a pizza shop when a red Audi basting music pulls up besides her and the front passenger tries to abduct her.
David is driving Nat home when he hears a booming bassline coming from behind; looking in his rearview mirror he spots a red Audi. The Audi pulls along side David and the game begins. Playing cat and mouse through the roadways, David thinks he finally shook the tail, only to soon realize he is sadly mistaken. The game has only started.
Mark West takes us on a wild pulsating ride on highways and backroads, to a heart-stopping conclusion that will make you think twice the next time you need to drive anywhere at night. Don’t miss this read!
Have you ever been out alone in the middle of nowhere driving? Have you ever thought what if? What if someone forced you off the road, what if you have a flat and a car full of men pull up, or what if…..
David Moore is just another average man on a business trip. Attending an obligatory business party he finds himself chatting up a young woman named Nat. When he learns that she is without a ride home he offers her a lift. What should have been an act of chivalry turns into a nightmare of epic proportions.
Sam was out delivering pizzas on a moped when a red Audi with music blaring pulls up behind him. The Audi begins bumping the moped until Sam is thrown from the bike.
Jennifer is waiting outside a pizza shop when a red Audi basting music pulls up besides her and the front passenger tries to abduct her.
David is driving Nat home when he hears a booming bassline coming from behind; looking in his rearview mirror he spots a red Audi. The Audi pulls along side David and the game begins. Playing cat and mouse through the roadways, David thinks he finally shook the tail, only to soon realize he is sadly mistaken. The game has only started.
Mark West takes us on a wild pulsating ride on highways and backroads, to a heart-stopping conclusion that will make you think twice the next time you need to drive anywhere at night. Don’t miss this read!
February 7, 2019
After reading The Mill by Mark West recently, I wanted to read more by him, so obtained a copy of Drive. Like The Mill, this is not a full-length novel. To be fair, though, I’m not sure I’d have been able to bear much more of it – and I mean that in a good way! Because this is a story that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and drags you along with it. And a lot of that is down to the tension that you begin to feel building up in the opening chapter, then becomes overwhelming as the story progresses. It’s very rarely that a book will give me a physical reaction, but this one did. I could feel the tension building up in my body along with the story. Frankly, how I slept that night is beyond me.
The storyline itself is deceptively simple, but I would challenge anyone to read this without their heart pumping. The only comparison I can make is with when I first watched The Hitcher back in the 1980s. The sense of threat and menace is so palpable, you want it to end, but you can’t turn away from it because it is so compelling.
The storyline itself is deceptively simple, but I would challenge anyone to read this without their heart pumping. The only comparison I can make is with when I first watched The Hitcher back in the 1980s. The sense of threat and menace is so palpable, you want it to end, but you can’t turn away from it because it is so compelling.
March 1, 2016
Are you an adrenaline junkie?
A great fun, heart racing read.
What would you do if you gave a friend a ride home, and ended up be chased down by 3 crazy guys, with nothing better to do?
Read this brilliantly written, edge of your seat book and find out what David and Nat. Non-stop action. Got my heart rate up many a times!!
My first book by Mark West. Won't be my last.
A great fun, heart racing read.
What would you do if you gave a friend a ride home, and ended up be chased down by 3 crazy guys, with nothing better to do?
Read this brilliantly written, edge of your seat book and find out what David and Nat. Non-stop action. Got my heart rate up many a times!!
My first book by Mark West. Won't be my last.
September 19, 2016
I've read Mark's horror stuff with one eye closed and I welcome this move into the chiller/grip-lit categories.
Reminding me of the old film, 'Deliverance', 'Drive' kept me glued to my ereader during a train journey as the characters went through the building tension and fear of randomly being singled out to be terrorised. Entirely believable, this story involved and immersed me.
Reminding me of the old film, 'Deliverance', 'Drive' kept me glued to my ereader during a train journey as the characters went through the building tension and fear of randomly being singled out to be terrorised. Entirely believable, this story involved and immersed me.
September 2, 2015
A Quick Review of Drive Very well written but almost traumatically dark and horrific.
September 9, 2018
Suspenseful and thrilling, Drive is a high octane car chase between a couple that had just met and a group of drugged up punks. West writes a lean fast paced story with a great neo noir vibe. The suspense is palpable and the characters are vivid. Definitely worth a read for fans of noir.
December 24, 2019
I had trouble engaging with the story and characters. The tension was not as palpable as I would have liked and I couldn't relate with David or Nat. Technically, the writing is sound; I just needed more from the tale.
April 23, 2016
Drive is a chilling tale of what happens when one man helps out a stranger in a strange town.
David offers friend of a friend Nat a lift home after meeting at a party, while at the same time a group of youths are cruising around the town of Gaffney in a stolen Audi, music blaring, looking for trouble.
The joyriders are either drunk or high on drugs and they begin their late night reign of terror by toying with a pizza delivery guy out on his moped. When they've had their fun with him they try to abduct a young girl outside a kebab shop but it's not until they try to mow down a group of women crossing the street that they encounter David and Nat at a set of traffic lights and the real terror begins.
For a novella Drive packs one hell of a punch. Both David and Nat's characters are developed enough that you can empathise with them, which is no easy feat in a novella. I was reading with a real sense of trepidation, I knew something was going to happen, it was just a case of what, when and how. Just when I thought that David and Nat were safe. . . . . . boom, boom, boom can be heard again from the Audi's stereo or the headlights reappear in the rear view mirror. This is one thriller that will make your heart race and leave you breathless.
David offers friend of a friend Nat a lift home after meeting at a party, while at the same time a group of youths are cruising around the town of Gaffney in a stolen Audi, music blaring, looking for trouble.
The joyriders are either drunk or high on drugs and they begin their late night reign of terror by toying with a pizza delivery guy out on his moped. When they've had their fun with him they try to abduct a young girl outside a kebab shop but it's not until they try to mow down a group of women crossing the street that they encounter David and Nat at a set of traffic lights and the real terror begins.
For a novella Drive packs one hell of a punch. Both David and Nat's characters are developed enough that you can empathise with them, which is no easy feat in a novella. I was reading with a real sense of trepidation, I knew something was going to happen, it was just a case of what, when and how. Just when I thought that David and Nat were safe. . . . . . boom, boom, boom can be heard again from the Audi's stereo or the headlights reappear in the rear view mirror. This is one thriller that will make your heart race and leave you breathless.
September 24, 2014
Preying on your fears of driving around an unfamiliar town at night...
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews