Hell's Ditch

Black Road #1

by Simon Bestwick

In this "gripping" post-apocalyptic thriller, a woman driven by dark forces leads a rebellion against the dictator reigning over a post-nuclear Britain (Tim Lebbon, New York Times –bestselling author of The Silence ).

Haunted by the ghosts of her murdered family, Helen Damnation takes to The Black Road for revenge. As she traverses a landscape decimated by nuclear war, her resolve to take down Commander Tereus Winterborn and his brutal militia of Reapers only strengthens with every step. Along the way, Helen is reunited with her old mentor Darrow, who has formed a militia of his own from a rag-tag band of youths—the most formidable of them is Danny, a fighter so green only his skill with a gun and his grit keep him alive. Helen is also reunited with her ally Alannah, an intelligence officer so traumatized during the war she is more than ready for the coming revolt. All they need now is Gevaudan Shoal, the last surviving member of the genetically engineered Grendelwolves. Once Helen and her band of rebels win Shoal to their side, they'll be a force to be reckoned with. 

Still, Commander Winterborn is a formidable nemesis. The only thing rivaling Winterborn's insatiable need for power is his all-too-personal vendetta against Helen. And with Dr. Mordrake working under his command on Project Tindalos, a top-secret experiment to harness of the potential of ancient technologies, Winterborn may just succeed at world domination. 

But Winterborn doesn't foresee the devastation Tindalos could wreak on the world once unleashed. Unless Helen and her rebel faction stop him first.

"One of those stories that grabs you and won't let go." —Pat Cadigan, Hugo Award–winning author of Mindplayers

Genres: Horror, Post Apocalyptic

428 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

Simon Bestwick was born in Wolverhampton in 1974. He has worked in various jobs, from fast food operative through drama teacher to training administrator. His short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Nasty Piece of Work, All Hallows, Darkness Rising, Extremes 5, and Beneath the Ground. He lives in Swinton, Lancashire, and when not writing can be found indulging his interests: walking, films, literature, rock, folk, and jazz music, good food, and the occasional pint.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set twenty years into the future, after an apocalypse has decimated the earth, this follows rebel Helen Damnation who is fighting against the powers-that-be, led by Winterborn, an old adversary. Things already look bleak - the Reapers govern by brutal force and the general populous is dying of disease and starvation - but when the rebels hear of Project Tindalos, it seems like things are going to get a lot worse. Read for a critique, this is very different to Simon’s usual milieu (if I had too, I’d say it was more sci-fi/post-apocalyptic/urban fantasy than anything else) and not a sub-genre that I’m well-versed in. Having said that, it’s up to his usual high standards and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Placing the POV over a small cast - Helen, Danny a young soldier, Alannah and Gevaudan, a Grendelwolf - he paints a quick but thorough picture of the world, piles on the atmosphere and dread and never skimps on the nasty stuff - especially the fall-out of Tindalos itself. The first book in a proposed trilogy, I enjoyed it a lot and would highly recommend it.

[Steve Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Bestwick is an excellent wordsmith, and I'm always heartened to see quality writers who're not afraid to tackle action thrillers. Hell's Ditch is a lovely, decidedly British dystopian novel, which reminded me of grand old Brit tv series like Blake's 7. Gritty, down to earth characterisation, and a plot that creates a mythos to rival Lovecraft, ensure a thoroughly entertaining read. Good stuff.

[Laura Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

it would be remiss of me not to review this book it since it is very good. Set in a resolutely dystopian future Britain, the story revolved around Helen Damnation, a woman simultaneously haunted by her own failures and determined to seek revenge. Helen averts my most hated ‘Strong Female Character’ cliche in that she is obviously flawed, and those flaws inform her decisions throughout the narrative. Fighting alongside her is a motley crew of old allies and newer, younger recruits; the latter serve as a lens through which the reader is able to understand the grim reality of this new Britain; the way they relate to the older characters, who remember something of the world before, is at times quite heartbreaking. And then there’s Gevaudan Shoal…

The compelling characters and chillingly believable glimpse into a cold, unfriendly future make Hell’s Ditch a darn sight better than your average post-apocalyptic romp.