Schreeuw in de nacht

by Rodney Stone

WHAT DO YOU DO IN A STRANGE HOUSE, IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, WITHOUT EVEN A LIGHT, IN THE MIDDLE OF A THUNDERSTORM, WHEN YOUR CHILDREN GO MISSING?

Jim and Emma Freeling have been drifting apart; they need time together to repair their crumbling marriage. A peaceful holiday in an isolated cottage in the depths of rural France seems to offer the ideal opportunity, the perfect escape from the grinding pressures of their daily lives -
until their two children vanish in the middle of the night at the height of a savage thunderstorm.
Their disappearance is horrific enough, but when Jim and Emma meet with official stonewalling and local hostility in their attempts to recover their children, the mystery takes on much more sinister tones. With horror. Jim and Emma begin to suspect that behind the bizarre conspiracy of silence lie deadly secrets shrouded in the terrors and hatreds of the past...

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Also writes as Matthew Hunter

Reviews

[Sango Zonke · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise promises a lot; "every family's ultimate nightmare" is the kind of tagline that sets high expectations for dread and tension and the atmosphere on the surface delivers some of that. There's a genuinely unsettling mood running through it, the sense of a family's safety quietly eroding. Where it fell a bit flat for me was the follow-through. The tension builds well early on, but it didn't sustain itself all the way through. A few stretches felt like they were coasting on atmosphere rather than actually escalating the stakes. I wanted the dread to tighten as it went; instead it plateaued. Not a bad read by any means, just a middling one. Solid setup, muted payoff. Worth it if you're in the mood for slow-burn suspense, but it didn't fully stick the landing for me.

[Grim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok so...this book was absolutely terrible. Poorly written and made little sense at all. I had a hard time reading it. The characters didn't act or talk like humans. It was all very strange. I decided to give it 1 star because the last few chapters starting from where Jim had gone to Madame Soult's house onwards were actually interesting. So really the ending wrapped up nicely, story wise. I feel if written properly it might be ok but otherwise its nonsensical trash. If willing to stick it out you might enjoy the ending but I don't recommend it. Life is too short for bad books.

[Mestor · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tedious, drawn out, unthrilling thriller that would have worked far better as a novella. There is some terrible writing on display. The only thing saving it from one star is the fact that some of the descriptions of setting and mood is highly atmospheric.

[Eugene Indico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, I gave 4 stars as it gave me some sort of shivers and there are precise implications of how the surroundings was going on. It's just that, I agree with other readers wherein, it could acquire more sensation and thrill especially, at the end. But it's a great story and time worthy to read.

[toastnim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was 9 when I read it and it scared me. Didn't like it much but earned a 3 star for keeping me awake for a night. Now 8 years later, I think it's stupid.