Dark Echo

by F.G. Cottam

Dark Echo is an unlucky boat. Despite this knowledge, Martin Stannard falls under her spell and prepares to sail her across the Atlantic with his wealthy father. But his lover Suzanne begins exploring the yacht's past. What she finds is terrifying.Because this boat isn't just unlucky, it's evil. It was built for Henry Spalding, a soldier and sorcerer who committed suicide yet still casts his malevolent spell nearly a century after his death. Suzanne must uncover his last, terrible secret before Dark Echo destroys the man she loves.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller, Ghosts, Historical Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published November 20, 2008

About the author

Reading is a cheap and totally effective way of being transported to another world. The same is true of writing. Mundane concerns only afflict your characters if you decide you want them to.
University was where I first thought seriously about fiction; hearing about Hemingway's iceberg theory and Eliot's objective correlative and having the luxury of time to ponder on the mechanics of the novel.
My first writing was journalism and pieces for I-D, Arena and The Face brought me to the attention of mainstream magazine publishers. In the '90's I edited FHM when it still majored on sport and fashion rather than Hollyoaks starlets and weather girls. Then I launch-edited the UK edition of Men's Health magazine and then came to the conclusion that if I didn't try to write some fiction it was never going to happen.
I read all kinds of fiction, but write stories with a paranormal element I think really because history fascinates me and ghosts allow the past to resonate shockingly, scarily and I hope convincingly, into the present.
I got off to an encouraging start but have suffered a few disappointments since then. I wouldn't in honesty want to do anything else, though. If I write a terrible novel it's my fault entirely. If I write a good novel, it's entirely my achievement.

Reviews

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first encounter with Dark Echo is one of my most cherished reading memories. I remember starting it and being swept up immediately by the story, knowing straight away that this was a book for me. I remember deliberately setting off for work early the next day and, for a full hour before my shift started, tucking myself up in the corner of an almost-empty cafe to read as much as I possibly could of the hardback copy I’d borrowed from the library. It was one of those perfect meetings of book and reader. It was one of those times you look up from a book disorientated and dazed, having been so immersed in its world that you’ve forgotten the real one.

This is a rich and elegant ghost story centring on an ‘unlucky boat’, the Dark Echo of the title. The schooner, having fallen into disrepair since its Jazz Age heyday, is purchased by self-made millionaire Magnus Stannard, who wants to restore it and sail across the Atlantic. It previously belonged to Harry Spalding, a former soldier whose glamorous playboy image concealed his dark appetites. Very quickly, very strange things begin to happen around and on board the Dark Echo. What unfolds is narrated by Stannard’s son Martin – a more gentle and measured man than his father – and sometimes by Martin’s girlfriend Suzanne, a fiercely smart and determined TV researcher who bears a striking resemblance to one of Spalding’s victims.

The plot of Dark Echo follows a pattern I always enjoy, across all genres: the mystery our heroes must decipher by, for example, digging through archives to find contemporaneous accounts, or seeking out those who might have known the key players. The unfurling of the dreadful, tangled story surrounding the boat is deliciously paced, meting out information at exactly the right rate. The narration and characters help, too. Martin and Suzanne are both so likeable, so well-drawn. As well as telling a gripping story, Martin’s narrative communicates his doubts and weaknesses in such a way that we fully understand what drives him and, in particular, the complicated nature of his relationship with his father. And the diabolical Harry Spalding is one of the most memorable villains I have encountered in any novel.

Does the book’s power to chill and horrify remain, now I know it so well? Not quite – after at least six rereads, I no longer find it frightening. What does endure is its strength as an absorbing and satisfying story. I love to be creeped out as much as the next horror fan – but horror that only scares you is an empty thrill. Dark Echo is an example of a story that retains its ability to compel me even though I know exactly what’s going to happen.

I have read every one of Cottam’s horror novels, and have enjoyed them all (other favourites from the author’s oeuvre are The Waiting Room, Brodmaw Bay, The Lazarus Prophecy and The Lucifer Chord), but nothing will ever top Dark Echo for me. It holds a special place in my heart and remains my favourite ghost story.

---
Earlier review (date unknown): I’ve read this four times now and it’s never lost its lustre or diminished in power and effectiveness. Many of my favourite books are modern classics but I love this one above almost everything else, with only a handful of exceptions, and could reread it endlessly.

Original review (September 2009): Initially, Dark Echo seemed perhaps too similar to Cottam’s debut The House of Lost Souls; substitute a haunted boat for a haunted house, and the premise is basically identical. But once I started reading, any reservations were dispelled. This is Lost Souls, but better – more confidently written, with stronger tone, pace, characterisation and narrative voice; superbly chilling, fantastically atmospheric and absolutely compelling from start to finish. A first-rate example of a truly disconcerting modern ghost story. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

TinyLetter | Linktree

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a long time to read this book, despite all my Goodreads ghost-loving friends' recommendations, because I thought a book about a haunted boat would be boring.

I was wrong!

This isn't at all what I was expecting. Most of the action takes place off the boat and is about research and history. I can see how some readers might find this dull (the book slows down a bit when Suzanne reaches Southport, especially), but I was fascinated by the steadily growing backstory and especially by the helpful intervention of another ghost. (I won't spoil his identity here, but I really enjoyed this addition to the story.)

I found the book spooky in places, too; the ghost was a really twisted character. I listened to the audiobook and the reader was excellent (even if his American accent occasionally wobbled, hehe!).

[Kelly McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Echo surprised me in a good way. I wasn’t sure what to expect because stories about haunted ships tend to be filled with cheap thrills and ridiculous characters. But this is a solid story with fantastically written characters and settings. The Dark Echo is a sailing boat purchased by Martin Stannard’s father. The family duo plan to sail her across the Atlantic but the boat’s sinister past has Martin worried. The boat was built for Harry Spalding, a WWI veteran, and his name raises questions for Martian’s girlfriend, Suzanne. She begins researching Harry Spalding and all the other owners of Dark Echo that have died violent deaths. The book is a classic mystery mixed with a ghost story. I have never been able to describe a book as chilling until now, because this book is downright creepy. In the end, I had to knock a star off because I thought the climax seemed rushed and maybe a bit mellow dramatic for my taste. All in all I really enjoyed Dark Echo and I want to read more books like it.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was written beautifully. At its core Dark Echo is a ghost story, and that alone provided a complex story line. But the history and mysteries involved in this novel delve much deeper than most ghost stories. I found it interesting that while this is a fictional account, the author tastefully ties in some references that are based in reality. The supernatural elements in no way came off as cliche or overdone; in fact, I was impressed by Cottam's originality and ingenuity in his use of incorporeal happenings. I enjoyed this story immensely, and I am so glad I came across it and bought it. This read was one of my favorite this year.

[Jaksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another rich, dark and atmospheric tale from Mr. Cottam. This one took me a little longer to read; it’s a dense read, loaded with ‘stuff.’ Good stuff. Characters, settings, scenes, dialogue, moments of insight, moments of darkness.

Magnus Stannard, a self-made millionaire, both arrogant and proud, decides to buy an old sailing vessel, a schooner, one which once belonged to a man of similar personality and pride ninety years ago. The boat’s in poor condition Stannard will go to great lengths to make the boat both beautiful and seaworthy. His goal, to travel across the Atlantic from Great Britain. Oh, Stannard also plans to bring along his adult son, Martin, another somewhat proud man who struggles to live up to the almost impossibly-high standards his father sets for him. There’s also Martin’s girlfriend, Suzanne, a brilliant, strong-minded and resourceful woman who could have written the song and lyrics, ‘Stand By Your Man.’ All three characters are well-written and perfectly-realized, and I found myself saying I know someone like…

Well, not exactly like, but close enough. Suffice to say these three are memorable, but the real MC in this book is the Dark Echo, the sailing ship which becomes Magnus Stannard’s obsession.

Problem is – and it’s a big one – is the Dark Echo cursed? Haunted? After the original owner’s death, it had other owners, all of whom died in strange and horrible ways. What is the boat’s long, dark, ominous history? Where are its original logs? Who’s read them; who hasn’t? And what about that first owner, Harry Spaulding, another important character in his own right even though he’s long dead?

Well, as I said, it’s a dense read. You can’t leisurely read this book while having the ball game on or people in the next room chatting. This is one that demands your whole attention, so I read it ALONE, on several rainy days and nights, in a room with the door shut.

Yeah, that helped.

Four stars.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable thriller/ghost story involving a cursed yacht with ties to an apparently cursed man who performed questionable deeds during WWI. Lots of researching by one of the primary characters who turns out to be a wonderfully strong heroine.

Not recommended for the faint of heart. There are some sections where the dread piles on thickly and I felt the need not to read late at night. But then I rushed through to the end, needing to know the story's resolution.

As a postscript: I forgot to mention this is a more literary read than, say, Stephen King or other more popular titles. The writing style is actually an interesting facet of the book.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[John Wiltshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm currently suffering the extremely unpleasant task of wading through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian on audio. It's not the gore putting me off, because, to be honest, I think people who found it violent possibly aren't horror fans? Gory and violent it's not. But it is...incredibly boring. There, I've said it. If I want a string of long words I can read them in a dictionary. Hell, I'd rather read a dictionary. I want plot! I want characterisation! But I'm not giving up on it. I am going to push through to the end and try to work out why it's lauded by critics and hailed as being an important work of literature.

And why do I mention this here on a review for Dark Echo? Well I almost guarantee that the majority of people who read Blood Meridian won't have heard of F.G. Cottam. I totally guarantee that the book reviewers in the NYT and The Guardian, who hailed McCarthy's spew of words, won't have a clue about this excellent author and so he'll never get such prominent publicity for his books.

I'm 40% into Dark Echo, the story of a haunted schooner, and I literally can't put it down. How's that for holding interest? There is a palpable sense of menace about this story. All its elements are brought together to add to a sense of dread that begins on the very first page. Weather is used particularly effectively: storms and rain battering old shipyards on the south coast of England buy into a almost physical manifestation of the evil unfolding.

Of course, McCarthy uses weather too (a lot). But in Blood Meridian, everything is always as if or like, nothing is ever just left to the reader's own imagination. It's simile on steroids.
In Dark Echo, as the protagonists battle to renovate this horrible boat, the weather brings fog, driving rain, cold, but we are left with the characters to interpret this how we wish. And it's the more unnerving for that.
I have no idea who chose the cover of this edition because it has absolutely nothing to do with the story, but makes it look like a Daphne Du Maurier romance for some reason.
As usual, I'll update when done...

Finished. This held its excellent level of tension and interest right to the end. Once the protagonists were aboard the Dark Echo, the story narrator changes to someone researching into the background of the events which lead to the damnation of the boat and its previous owner. It's an exciting read with really likeable characters.

I imagine some readers would have issue with the resolution of the story, but I found it intriguing and humbling. Excellent read, highly recommended.

[Leslee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cottam rises to the occasion again. There are strong similarities between this novel and the first of his that I read - The House Of Lost Souls. I felt that this one worked a lot better plotwise and the flow and pacing was much stronger than in his debut work, though I do think I like the storyline of the first one better.

I love the way Cottam handles the intermingling of historical figures with his modern day hauntings - something that I appreciated even more after reading the heavy-handed Shadow of Night. The book was nicely atmospheric and satisfied in that old school horror vein. I much preferred this to Adam Nevill's work (I noticed a street in here named 'Nevill' - I didn't know if this was some sort of shout out or homage, or if this is an actual street in the UK?) because I think it felt more grounded somehow. I think Cottam does a better job with mood and suspense than Nevill did, especially in Banquet for the Damned.

Would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good ghost story.

[F.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

With laborious and wordy prose which sucks the excitement out of all the chapters, as well as some truly awful dialogue, exposition and foreshadowing, this haunted boat story doesn’t have that much to recommend it. In fact by the time the characters board the boat, so much has been dragged up about its horrible past, that it’s amazing any of them will go within a hundred foot of it – and yet still they do.

To be fair though, I did like the character of demonic jazz-age rogue Harry Spalding.

Interestingly, this is the second horror novel I’ve read this year which concerned itself with The Spear of Longinus. The other was James Herbert’s awful ‘The Spear’. So I can’t help thinking that mixing that particular artefact with supernatural fiction doesn’t have the best of success rates.

[Linda Boa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic spooky novel - the best I've read for years; in fact I'd rather given up on the genre coming up with anything new. But FG Cottam's use of old music, crackling old radio transmissions, outfits, like spats, etc, on a haunted boat, which obviously you can't get off as you're crossing the Atlantic, adds something new to the horror novel. Highly recommended - this is his best, imho, along with The House Of Lost Souls.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was taken by Dark Echo right from the very first page. It was unputdownable.

The story was told from the perspective of Martin Stannard. He accompanied his father, Magnus to buy a boat for his retirement plan. The boat was the famous Dark Echo, once belonged to Harry Spalding. It didn't take long though before they noticed there was more to the boat. There were the unexplained accidents that befell the workers who tried to restore the boat, its enigmatic first owner, and the boat's own mysterious past. All in all, these provided a good chilly build up for the story.

Cottam also blending in few historical figures such as Mick Collins, Harry Boland (who were portrayed in ways that made me want to learn more about them), and mentioned few others such as Bricktop, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway etc. for the effect of the 1920s. The First World War also had a major part in explaining the connections and solving the ultimate mystery of the dark force. In fact, the prologue took place during WWI.

The book introduced various characters; and they each had a distinctive voice. My favorite characters were Suzanne, Martin's girlfriend and Jayne Boyte. I liked Suzanne right from her first appearance. We saw further of her character development when the story was switch from Martin's first person of view to Suzanne in third in person. She was smart, intelligent, resourceful and I found to be admirable. Her love for Martin and her not giving up the fight in order to save him and his father made her much more likable to me. I enjoyed reading from her perspective more than that of Martin's. As for Jayne Boyte, she was a fun and remarkable woman for her era. And maybe in a way, she was reincarnated as Suzanne.

The few things I didn't like was one, I thought the story was a bit dragging prior to the voyage; two, the ending was disappointing. After the sinister build up, I expected more or at least a twisty dark ending. Three, there was one instance where Martin mentioned something that seemed important at the beginning, but then it was never brought up again. So, that was a little meh.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book I have read by this author and I find them incredibly frustrating. The author is good at building up a story with tension and promise of a cracking ending or plot twist coming up and then...nothing. I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book but found the ending extremely weak and a real disappointment.

[SK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the cover put you off, like it almost did me. And, I would venture that if you like the look of this cover, the book is probably not for you. Really weird marketing move that I suspect has to do with how relatively few people seem to have read this book.

This English novel is pretty fantastic, and I fell under its spell right away. Wonderful writing, believable characters, an engrossing atmosphere, and a very creepy American villain.

I really thought it would be five golden stars but I was slightly disappointed by a narrative move the author makes toward the end of the story. After expertly building tension leading up to The Dark Echo's ill-fated departure, how dare the author shift the perspective away from the yacht's journey across the Atlantic Ocean, in order to have us follow Suzanne's much less interesting pursuit of Jane Boyte? Also, like so many ghost stories, things didn't tie up in the most satisfying way for me. Some of Harry Spalding's moves felt arbitrary toward the end of the novel. For example, why the yacht's return to England? This struck me as a contrived effort to reunite the characters, rather than something in keeping with Spalding's motives. . The majority of the novel was so enjoyable, though, that I still must recommend it.

Lastly, a note for Christian readers: This book's villain is involved in occult activity, and there is one very uncomfortable, though brief, scene toward the end involving the desecration of a Christian artifact. I think this will be more upsetting for devout Catholic and Eastern Orthodox believers than Protestants like myself, but I still let my eyes skip over it when I felt it coming and it did make me feel ill at ease. In the book's defense, however, (and this is a significant distinction for me, personally) the novel treats evil as evil and good as good. It doesn't confuse the two. Evil is definitely not glorified and, in the novel's world, there is the hope that good will triumph.

[Ceri · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the reasons F.G.Cottam is one of my favourite horror writers is not only due to his perfectly crafted Gothic ghost stories, but his well rounded characters. He has always written strong female protagonists. He writes women as human beings, which we are of course, yet that is sadly not often the case with male horror fiction writers. For the most part it is an extremely sexist genre.
Aside from that, this is such a wonderfully creepy read set around the unlucky vintage schooner 'Dark Echo' and the lives of those she infects with her malignant spell. 100% recommend for lovers of dark gothic fiction! 👻

[Hylary Locsin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

Magnus Stannard, a tenacious businessman, has made his career on unusual moves that have proved successful, resulting in a large fortune and a great deal of power. His only son, Martin, has failed to live up to this shining example of entrepreneurialism, and has always believed his father's feelings towards him to be those of disappointment. When Magnus acquires a vintage yacht called the Dark Echo he informs Martin, and his business partners, that he is retiring to a life at sea. He invites Martin to take a transatlantic voyage with him from England to New York to begin his new nautical existence. Martin, with the help of his researcher girlfriend Suzanne, begin looking into the history of the yacht. It seems that it was commissioned by a millionaire playboy and World War I veteran, Harry Spalding, in the 1920s. Spalding lived a dashing existence, but was also rumored to dabble in Satanism. The yacht is thought by those familiar with it to be cursed, but Magnus ignores these rumors. As the crew working to restore the boat falls victim to strange accidents, Martin and Suzanne become convinced that the history of the boat will reveal the truth about the dangers they now face.

This intriguing ghost story is a mixture of historical fact and fiction that makes for an intense, supernatural mystery. The reader comes to know the characters in the novel quite well, and this understanding makes the plot all the more interesting. Martin's failed attempt at a life in the Church, Suzanne's professional interest with Michael Collins, and Magnus' lifelong obsession with the yacht are just some of the subplots that add to the richness of the story. The historical figures placed in the book as well as the various locations in the UK set the tone for some of the creepy happenings. Overall, Cottam weaves an intricate tale that definitely pays off in the end.

I can proudly proclaim myself an F.G. Cottam fan after reading his second "ghost story" (the first was The House of Lost Souls, which I highly recommend.) Although I did prefer his first novel to this, Dark Echo is a very interesting story with a lot of history and some truly creepy moments. Definitely for readers who are into plots that are intense but with depth. I would only recommend this title for older teens as there is some violence and gory situations, but nothing too out of hand.

[Webbweaver Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a possessed boat, and the father and son duo who intend to sail her. Magnus Stannard is a rich and powerful business man by the time he buys a dilapidated boat called Dark Echo. He had seen it in a book as a child, and to the then poor boy, it represented greatness and wealth and freedom. Magnus wants to restore the enchanting boat and sail her on a trans-Atlantic route to America with his only son, Martin. This is to be his retirement.
But Martin gets an uneasy feeling about the boat, and about its original master, Harry Spaulding. Spaulding was a rich American with a dark past. To say the man, and the boat, had a dark and sometimes unlucky association, was putting it mildly. Magnus, however, didn’t share the concern. To him, there may have been unlucky owners, but a thing such as a boat was benign in nature, and certainly not cursed. Would their voyage be successful and without incident or would something much more sinister happen? The mind can play tricks on you, can’t it?
I love a good ghost story and I’m very much intrigued by the paranormal so this book was a no-brainer for me. It grabbed me from the very first page, and wouldn’t let me go right up until the very last page. I was oohing and aahing the entire time I was reading this work. Dark Echo is a fantastic book about the paranormal, and how the past can interfere with the present. It involves the demonic, and the holy. It involves all kinds of haunts, residual and intelligent, not only having to do with the boat, but the character’s encounters with other ghosts as well. If you are curious about the paranormal, you MUST read this book! Mr. Cottam has written a truly gripping, edge-of-your-seat story with Dark Echo. His knack for detail works to his advantage by scaring the ever-loving Hell out of you! And for you romantics, there is a bit of that also. A true love that shines through all the scary parts. What wouldn’t you do for the one you loved?
4 spiders for this one.
SB Price

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two feisty heroines in different eras, an atmospheric post-WW1 setting and a villain who’s a mash-up of Gatsby and Voldemort makes this the best FG Cottam book I’ve read so far. About a year ago I swore I would never read another book by FG Cottam again. I’d just read Brodmaw Bay and loved everything about it except the ending, which I felt destroyed my enjoyment of the book. In some ways it’s a great ending and I admire the author for daring to go in that direction with the plot, but it just wasn’t for me. But then I stumbled across Dark Echo on my library website and I was like an alcoholic falling off the wagon - I just had to get my fix.

I enjoyed this even more than House of Lost Souls and The Waiting Room. It doesn’t provide the chills or tension which those books serve up in large doses, but it makes up for this in atmosphere and characterisation. Instead of building up to a Big Revelation (the satanic pursuits of the villain are revealed early on) the book instead relies on interesting subplots and character arcs to keep the reader hooked. The blink-and-you’ll miss it climactic battle is a little underwhelming but a refreshing change from the hyped up clashes with terrifying monsters churned out with tedious predictability by the supernatural horror genre. It reads more like Robert Goddard with a dash of the occult, and what could be better than that?

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by F. G. Cottam, and it will not be the last. In fact, I am now reading another by him. I would say that he truly is a master of the horror genre. I read many horror stories, and have enjoyed many, but only a few have ever really creeped me out like this one did. This is about a haunted yacht built in the 1920s by a questionable character named Harry Spalding. It is purchased as a complete wreck by rich Magnus Stannard with the intention of refurbishing it and sailing with his son Martin from the UK to America. But things do not go smoothly. Is this ship haunted by a ghost, a malevolent entity, or both? This story is a classic fight between good and evil. What I really thought was terrific was the deeply foreboding feeling of this book from the very beginning and maintained throughout. You knew something was there, and something evil was going to happen, but you never really knew what, why and by what. This book scared me to read it, but I had to keep with it. It gave me nightmares, and I still get the chills thinking about it. Not only was the storyline strong and well done, the climate of the story expertly crafted, but all the characters, especially Martin's girlfriend Suzanne, very well developed. A book has not freaked me this bad while reading it since Pet Cemetery and The Shining both by Stephen King. I feel as though I just "discovered" another of my "most favorite authors" of all time. I highly recommend this to those who really enjoy getting chilled to the bone!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mangus Stannard is a wealthy entrepreneur who has risen from a poverty-stricken childhood. His dream is to sail the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland to America on a boat he refurbishes called the Dark Echo which has a dark past and, it seems, a dark present.
People have died on the Dark Echo and people have died working on her. Now, Mangus wants his son, Marty, to cross the ocean with him. Marty's lover, Suzanne, is a researcher and while they plan, she begins quick work to solve the boat's mystery and save Marty and his father if she can.
Evil is a forever condition and appears here as Harry Spaulding. Good is also a forever condition and the two are pitted against each other here.

It occurred to me to wonder if Mr. Cottam ever considered people had to do other things in life, like sleep. Don't start reading this book unless you have plenty of time because it is fast-paced, thoughtful and addictive.

Quote: "The sacrifice of his son to the priesthood was exactly like the medieval buying of indulgences by wealthy men too busy generating profit to find the necessary time for prayer."

While I liked this book very much, I still have to say, of the books of F.G. Cottam I have read, The Waiting Room is the best.

[Martin Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

F.G.Cottam never fails to entertain, I loved Dark Echo a truly creepy ghost story set on and around a boat called Dark Echo which has a truly horrific past, previously it's owners have been beset by tragedy and it's original builder, Harry Spalding is a man of hidden depths and his story is indelibly stained on the boats wooden planks.
Magnus Stannard a retired businessman buys the Dark Echo at auction and entices his son, Martin to sail the Atlantic with him. What begins as a simple restoration job in a small boat yard on the Hampshire coast turns into a horrific sequence of "accidents" and discoveries. Wonderfully creepy and full of suspense another gem of a novel by F.G.Cottam. A haunted house story set on a boat with a life of it's own! Brilliant!

[Jo Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel had alot of good creepiness factors going for it. I personally thought it could have been worth 4 Stars, but everytime the story started to get interesting one of the characters would do or say something awkward and it would destroy the moment for me. I also didn't think the ending was all that great.

What woman goes to rescue her man from evil and strikes him in the face not once but twice and then orders him to pick up his comatose father while he himself is battered and bleeding.

As I mentioned above the characters would act strangely in the most in appropriate moments. All in all not to bad of a story. 3.5 Stars.

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should really show a 3 1/2 star review. It was better than 3, not quite at 4. Bit slow at first, although spooky enough that I wanted to keep going. At the halfway point, we switch to mostly Suzanne's viewpoint/story, and while that it all interesting, the parts about Martin and his father on the boat Dark Echo are given almost no page time. I felt like the author built up so much suspense about the boat, who Harry Spaulding may or may not have been, the idea of ghosts or something worse, etc, that when he got to the two men actually being on the boat, it was like painting oneself into a corner...a "Now what?" kind of place.

I did like the characters, especially the Monsignor.

[Ellen Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of all of the Cottam books so far. Researched so well and completely chilling. Had to put it down at one point as it was doing the job of a proper ghost story too well. The characters are so well drawn, we see their flaws and feel their hope. The presence of evil is palpable. The intertwining of history, heroes, relics,family tragedies and triumphs and the pugilists stamina to persevere all weave together in a most satisfactory fashion. If you read it alone or in the late hours, keep a light on and keep the radio off.

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, as I have loved all of his books. I especially love the way Mr. Cottam portrays the women in his stories; they are all strong and very appealing. His writing is superb, so are his stories, I can't say enough about them. Can't wait for a new one! Highly recommended.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lured by the creepy appeal of a haunted boat, and on that score, the book delivers; there are plenty of suspenseful, chilling moments, and there is an eerie boat.  However, it wasn't quite what I had in mind.  For one thing, much less of the action takes place on the Dark Echo than I expected.  For another... Well, I can't go into details without potentially spoiling the whole thing.  (If you don't mind spoilers, see the next section.)

I'd recommend this novel to fans of ghostly horror who are not squeamish about the occasional depiction of graphic violence or especially bothered by a sprinkling of curses.  To clarify, the violence and gore are not lingered over or described in great detail, but they are there.  If you're a frequent reader/viewer of horror, you'll probably shrug and wonder what I was talking about, but for someone unused to it, this might induce a squirm or two. 

In my opinion, it's not paradigm-shiftingly great, but if you're in the mood for suspenseful horror with the sweeping scale and "epic" feel of a blockbuster film, this is one way to pass some time.


Specifics (with SPOILERS):
--  The story was going along nicely enough to begin with... and then Martin goes on the boat and hears a man's voice saying, "Relax, old chum".  Um, okay... By the end of the book, that doesn't seem quite so strange to me, but at the time I read it, it was oddly jarring to have the "ghost" just speaking-- especially to hear him using silly period slang like "old chum".   (...Also, if Spalding is capable of speaking out of thin air, across an unknown distance, why all the fuss with the old-fashioned recording device, later in the book?  Couldn't he just have spoken to Magnus and Martin in the same way?)

--  Maybe I'm just jealous ;o) but despite hearing over and over again about what a genius researcher Suzanne is, I didn't see her do much that I couldn't have thought of, myself!  Her one really clever move was figuring out that the spear tip was hidden under the mountain of beets, and I don't see how that had anything to do with her amazing research abilities... More a matter of intuition.

--  So... Is Suzanne the reincarnation of Jane?  I guess it's up to us to decide.  Seems a very odd coincidence that someone who looks just like Jane should happen to fall in love with Martin, who just happens to be the son of Magnus, who is predestined to own the Dark Echo... Yeah, none of it's coincidence.  It's supposed to be fate, I'm sure.

--  Suzanne knows that she's a dead ringer for Jane-- which is why I find it so irritating/hilarious that she's so obsessed with Jane's looks.  She's constantly commenting on how beautiful Jane was.  Ugh!  Vain, vain woman!   "My God, she really does look just like me, Suzanne thought, who knew that her looks had intimidated more men than they had attracted..."  "She was a pioneer aviator and drop-dead gorgeous to boot."  "She had been a celebrated beauty."  "No wonder Vera Chadwick had felt insecure, with friends like Jane and Helen around."

--  The tying in of Michael Collins was not especially interesting to me because... Well, I don't know much (at all) about him or that part of UK/Irish history.  No offense intended to anyone, but it's not a topic I care to research simply for the sake of better understanding this book.  I vaguely recognized his name as having something to do with Ireland, but that was it.  So, suffice it to say that that whole aspect of the book was less than enthralling for this particular reader.

--  It's interesting to note that the author was born in Southport, a city that plays an important role in the book.  Since he's English, I'm surprised that he called a sweater a sweater and not a jumper.  I thought that was the British word for sweater.  (Isn't this a fascinating review?)

--  Is anyone actually named "Magnus" these days?  I mean, I'm sure someone is... but it has ghost-story connotations for me.  "Count Magnus" and all that.

--  I found it amusing that the chaplain (Derry Conway) was "an old-fashioned follower of what, a generation earlier, had been termed muscular Christianity"-- because I just (for the first time?) encountered that unfamiliar term in something I read last month (Wildfire at Midnight). 

--  I'm always amused by a reference to Sweden... Magnus sighs over Martin's car-- a Saab.  "What's the prob, Dad?" asks Martin (or something to that effect).  "The Saab's fine." To which Magnus replies:  "Fine if you're a Swede.  Fine if you follow the gospel of self-deprecation.  Which the Swedes, as Scandinavians, have no recourse but to do."

--  What was with all the radios playing "When Love Breaks Down"?  I assumed it was Spalding's way of taunting/terrorizing Martin and Suzanne, since it was one of Martin's favorite songs (if I remember correctly).  Maybe, I thought, it was foreshadowing the breaking of the couple's relationship under the pressures Spalding applied.  But then the author (through Suzanne) explains it away as being a song that Spalding heard when he abducted the two teenage fishermen in 1985.  ...So, in that case, why is Spalding now making it playing everywhere?  Why choose that particular song to torment his new victims?

Either Spalding's been using some creepy magic to spy on them and learn that the song has significance to them or Spalding heard the song at random on the radio in 1985.  Either one of those on its own?  Ok.  Both?  Erm...

Also, what has Spalding been doing for all this time?  I assumed he could come and go as he pleased-- but apparently he looks pretty bad. (Seriously, dude.  Strike a better deal, next time you sell your soul.  Right?)   I guess that explains why he wouldn't get out much-- and maybe why a song he heard back in 1985 would make such a strong impression, if you accept that he doesn't have access to a radio or TV.  :o/

--  At one point, I wondered if Magnus might be the descendent (grandchild?) of one of the members of the Jericho Crew.  At least that might explain his bizarre attraction to the Dark Echo.  Except that the Jericho Crew were all American, and Magnus' family have probably lived in England forever.

--  The two-man crew on board the Dark Echo seems like it would be foolhardy under any circumstances, even if there were no evil man-demon out to get them.  What if one or both of them became ill?  Sickness isn't uncommon enough to risk it.

--  When Suzanne finally finds the document that she's been looking for-- Jane's deposition-- does she read it as quickly as possible, desperate for the answers that could well save her boyfriend's life?  No, of course not.  "She wanted to read what she had discovered in the space and at the time of her choosing.  There was urgency there.  But she felt she would glean more from the deposition away from where she'd discovered it."  What?!  Read the darn thing right away, woman!

--  In her diary, Jane refers to Spalding as "my obnoxious American", which seems a strangely understated way to describe a man who attempted to rape her. 

--  Suzanne's cold case detective is amazingly helpful.  He assembles a team to dig up the yard of Spalding's old rented home on the very day that she brings him her evidence (the aerial photo Jane took).  Apparently there's no such thing as red tape and paperwork in Merry Old England!  Then, when they discover the spear, he's only too happy to release it into Suzanne's care.  "'Won't people see it's missing?  'It won't be missing.  I'll replace it myself with one similar from the dead wood in the park over the way.'"  Ha!  Convenient.  Oh, and though he does say he'll need her to give a statement, it can wait for another time.  No biggie.  Whenever's convenient for you, woman I've never met before today.  I trust you implicitly.  (Must've been stunned into submission by her incredible personal beauty.)

--  The French farmer compliments "madame" on her courage in having laid the curse.  She responds, "Could you not have done it?"  (Yes, how about that?)  "My father tried.  It destroyed him." Okaaaay.  What made Suzanne so special, then?   Also, the scary dudes who seem to hang out in a van around the French countryside.  The ones the farmer shoots dead.  Who exactly are they and what have they been doing all this time?  I know they're somehow connected to the Satanic cult that Spalding's family was part of, but... Beyond that?  Strange that they stay in the background so much, if they are also desirous of keeping the desecrated holy relic in place.

--  The appearance of Vera Chadwick's ghost seems pointless.  ...What is the point, really?  To further suggest to us that Suzanne is the reincarnated Jane, however much she may deny it?

--  We learn that Magnus has gone into some type of shock-induced coma.  Martin says, "I've been feeding him, chewing his food.  He throws a lot of it up."  Um, gross.  Thank you for that little tidbit, Martin!  Next time, maybe use food softened with water or something... Broth... Make pre-chewed food your last option, okay?

--  Spalding and Martin engage in fisticuffs.  "'You're old,' Martin said.  'It's a young man's game.'  He spat a tooth on to the sand."  . . . . . . Bwa-ha-ha!  Did he also say "patooie" as he did so?  Because that wouldn't make it much sillier, in my humble opinion. 

--  I must've forgotten something.  What happened to Martin's arm on board the boat?  By the time they hit land, it's infected, but I can't recall anything that should have reopened his old wound.

--  Speaking of which, the book could've used a little more detail on what happened on the boat after Spalding reveals his plan to Martin and Magnus.  However, the biggest mystery of all is why they got on board to begin with!  Sure, sure, it's partly explained away by a change in the weather-- familiarity dulling the sense of evil-- etc.  But it's odd.  If you had the experience Martin described on his first time aboard, would you ever agree to go on a trans-Atlantic voyage aboard that boat?  Ultimately, Martin himself tells us that he will go on the voyage-- even against his better judgement-- simply because he loves his father and can't let him go alone.  I can't say that Magnus seems worth such self-sacrifice, sadly.

--  So... How much was Magnus supposed to have known about the boat beforehand?  During his delirium, he confesses to Martin that he was hoping Spalding would somehow bring about a reunion with his dead wife and daughter.  ...But... But... I though Magnus was obsessed with the Dark Echo after seeing her in a book, as a child.  I guess he realized after reading the log (which, incidentally, why would Spalding have written what actually happened in the log?  just as a sign of his arrogance?) that Spalding had some magical powers.  It doesn't make much sense to me, to be honest, but I guess none of it makes real sense, seeing as it's a ghost story, so... ~shrug~

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the opening chapters of Dark Echo: there's atmospheric description aided by plenty of historical detail, but sadly, as the story progressed, I became less convinced. Too many inconsistencies, coincidences and clichés: how many times did the writer have to describe the antagonist's 'sardonic laugh'? I just wasn't able to suspend my disbelief and, despite the author's best efforts, I was never chilled. Disappointing.

[Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm in the hard minority here I know but in spite of the fact that this story had a seed of something very cool in it, it just never got there for me. Found myself just not caring about any of the characters or what happened to them, found myself wishing the antagonist was more fleshed out. Just didn't feel it.

[Tattooed Horror Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this read, I found it a bit slow to start, but once it got going, I struggled to put it down.

[Kirsty]

I just wanted a creepy story to go with my G&T on a lovely summer night. Friends, this was not that story. Perhaps there is a solid creep-fest hidden beneath all the backstory (the first five chapters are basically all backstory and info-dumping), but I couldn't find it. Also I kept tripping up because apparently it's set in the modern day, but the dialogue is so old-fashioned and clunky (example: "I never possessed the strength to talk about your sister at all. And your mother kept silent on the subject, I think to spare me from the ordeal of being forced to do so.") I was intrigued by the idea of a haunted boat, but when I flipped to the middle of the book and found they still weren't even in the bloody boat, I gave up.