Echo Valley

by J.C. Matheson

Mathew and Stacey are taking a normal, everyday ride to college on the train. Yet when Mathew takes a seemingly harmless photograph of his friend, he finds the world has fallen away from under him. The train has stopped, a strange wind howls throughout a dark landscape overlooked by inky maroon sky … and every other passenger in the carriage has vanished—including Stacey.

The only hope Mathew has of finding his friend is to venture into the strange, desolate town where he has ended up. But nothing is right here. Darkness roils beneath the town’s surface, as well as behind the smile of the peculiar mayor who ushers Mathew through the streets, haunting—and watchful.

Welcome to ECHO VALLEY.

Genres: Fantasy

125 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2017

About the author

Jonathon Christopher Matheson is an indie author from South West Devon, UK. In 2017 he released his first book, A fantasy horror novella: Echo Valley.

Reviews

[Marcus Jeffery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic first book! If It wasn't for doing long hours at work I wouldn't have been able to put this down. Loved the characters and the dark setting of Echo Valley. Really enjoyed switching from present to past throughout and seeing how it all began. Bravo Mr Matheson, I can't wait to read your next publication.

[Tashfin Awal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways and have chosen to give my honest opinion about it.
Not really my scene or genre, but I actually enjoyed this book. It was a short read, which is always nice and makes it less daunting, but the premise and storyline was more than daunting and frightful! The characters were interesting and the constant twists and horrors kept the plot alive and me flipping pages. Would definitely recommend!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo Valley - a mysterious little town where Mathew somehow finds himself. One minute he’s taking a Polaroid on a train of his friend, Stacey, and the next she’s disappeared and he’s at a creepy abandoned train station, acquainting himself with Theo, the teenage mayor of Echo Valley.

I enjoyed how this story plunged you straight into the premise, no build-up, with only enough back-story revealed for all the elements to fit into place. We discover things at the same pace as Mathew and take each twist and revelation as it comes. This being a fantasy / horror tale, there was a healthy dose of creepy settings and mysterious happenings throughout to give just the right level of suspense.

I also liked the underlying story of friendship and love, it could almost be read as a parable for having the right close friends around you and being brave enough to trust your own instincts. Due to this, there was a surprisingly sweet ending, which I wasn’t expecting, but really liked – it gave the book that little bit more depth.

[M.R. Tapia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great debut from Matheson. Echo Valley is a well written tale which follows Mathew into a different world. Throughout the bizarre journey he is able to keep true to himself, keeping a good heart and finding the bravery he isn’t accustomed to needing. Likable characters and many ‘double-exposure’ twists kept me flipping through the pages.

[Marty Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this book, good story and well written

[Ceal Clem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well constructed storyline. Some serious Stranger Things vibes ! Can’t wait for the next book.