Fur The old aged pensioners of Boxford are very set in their ways, loyal to each other and their daily routines. With families and loved ones either moved on to pastures new or maybe even the next life, these folk can get dependant on one another. But what happens when the natural ailments of old age begin to take their toll? What if they were given the opportunity to heal and overcome the things that make every day life less tolerable? What if they were given this ability without their consent?
When a group of local thugs attack the village's wealthy Victor Krauss they unwittingly create a maelstrom of events that not only could destroy their home, but everyone in and around it. Are the old folk the cause or the cure of the horrors?
Matthew Cash, or Matty-Bob Cash as he is known to most, was born and raised in Suffolk; which is the setting for his debut novel Pinprick. He is compiler and editor of Death By Chocolate, a chocoholic horror Anthology and the 12Days: STOCKING FILLERS Anthology. In 2016 he launched his own publishing house Burdizzo Books and took shit-hot editor and author Em Dehaney on board to keep him in shape and together they brought into existence SPARKS: an electrical horror anthology, The Reverend Burdizzo’s Hymn Book, Under The Weather* Visions From the Void ** and The Burdizzo Mix Tape Vol. 1. He has numerous solo releases on Kindle and several collections in paperback. Originally with Burdizzo Books, the intention was to compile charity anthologies a few times a year but his creation has grown into something so much more powerful *insert mad laughter here*. He is currently working on numerous projects, his third novel FUR was launched in 2018. *With Back Road Books ** With Jonathan Butcher
He has always written stories since he first learnt to write and most, although not all, tend to slip into the many layered murky depths of the Horror genre. His influences ranged from when he first started reading to Present day are, to name but a small select few; Roald Dahl, James Herbert, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Stephen Laws, and more recently he enjoys Adam Nevill, F.R Tallis, Michael Bray, Gary Fry, William Meikle and Iain Rob Wright (who featured Matty-Bob in his famous A-Z of Horror title M is For Matty-Bob, plus Matthew wrote his own version of events which was included as a bonus). He is a father of two, a husband of one and a zoo keeper of numerous fur babies.
I absolutely loved this book. I was initially intrigued by the concept of geriatric werewolves and how an infusion of youthful vigour would change their lives but the book went above and beyond my expectations and each of the characters faced different challenges due to their varying backgrounds and philosophies. The story was quickly paced and full of action and I could easily see it being made into a film.
A werewolf novel that goes beyond the mindless monster tropes.
Here we have a story of friendship, generational divides, & the horrors of poverty (for young & old).
The geriatric werewolves did cause mayhem, and yes, there is gore and violence and a fair amount of shocking sections. It was kinda cute in a way though how they all helped each other.
Now, the reason I’ve given 3 stars is that I felt some sections were rather slow. I could see the value in building the narrative, character development, and creating ambience, but I still prefer a more fast paced book.
Excellent book. A superb werewolf story with a touch of the Thursday murder club about it, in a good way. The book moves at a fast pace and is written well, with great characters. The action is plentiful and the gore thrown around in good measure. All in all it is a great take on the genre with good pace and great humour. If you like werewolf stories this is a must read. If you like horror, this is a must read. If you like.......... I'll stop there, just go out, buy a copy and enjoy reading it
If I'm honest, I knocked all the werewolf/shapeshifter novels on the head for quite some time. I read lots of them, but found that the more I read, the more similar, generic, they became. And then Fur came along.
Cash's novel about werewolves of a certain age is so very different to anything I've ever read, in this genre. It's a social commentary on one hand, highlighting a divide in the classes, that pits a teenage gang (that thinks nothing of terrorising the Green Man Estate, and Boxford as a whole), against a group of geriatrics with a difference. It's time for the old timers to take back their independence, their lives, their territory, and boy do they do that.
If you're easily disgusted/offended, this novel, coming in at five hundred and three pages, may not be your cup of tea.
Fur's pages are filled with gore, horror and violence, but hand in hand with all of that, it's a story of friendship, and how far you would go to protect that. There are moments of genuine tenderness intertwined with terror. There are parts that raise a chuckle or two, that make you cringe with disgust. Parts that are repulsive, parts that are genuinely moving.
Approaching the end, and without trying to give too much away, I kind of knew what was going to happen. I had an inkling, anyway. I didn't like what I was thinking, and really hoped I was wrong. Then, the moment came when my thoughts were confirmed, and it left me shocked, speechless in fact. I didn't want to read any more at this point, but something made me. To resist was impossible, and that something, dear readers, is the writing. Cash had me hanging on every word.
The only reason I haven't given Fur a full, five stars, is that there were a number of mistakes and typos, towards the last quarter of the book in particular. At times, sentences became a little confused, muddled up, but that is my only criticism of this otherwise perfect book, a book that I would place firmly at the top of its genre.
If you're looking for a werewolf novel with a lot more bite, and heart, Fur should be next on your to-read list.
This is an incredible, accomplished novel by a very talented writer. Fur takes the mythology and horror of werewolves and transports it to a totally original setting. What could have easily been a comedic romp (think Cockneys v's Zombies) is instead a serious horror story, touching on themes such as the fear of growing old and dying, friendship and loyalty, and morality and ethics. But that's not to say that this is a dry book, far from it. Fur has a very visceral punch of bloody terror and gore (this is after all a Matthew Cash novel) and MC's ability to make you visualise the mutilations adds a very real, stomach churning element to the story. This is not a book for the squeamish, in terms of gore or the plot. This is a story that leaves you shaking your head in disbelief at what the author has dared to do, and I love him for it. This is HORROR, no apologies or excuses, and it is all the more refreshing for it. There is also, and I don't say this lightly, something of a Shakesperian Tragedy about the book. The characters are troubled, doomed souls, trapped by their own lives and fated to be undone by their own actions - whilst being completely aware of everything and having no way to do anything differently. A fantastic, rewarding novel, and one I can highly recommend!
Fur tells the story of a group of pensioners who have their worlds turned upside down by a revelation that one of their number isn’t what they seem.
This book I really enjoyed. There is a pretty broad group of characters that have their own identities and motivations. The core group of senior citizens pretty much all have something about them that made me like them, with one exception. That one exception, causes their lives in a small town to change massively and the journey Matthew Cash takes is on with them is at times hard to take, infuriating at others, and heart warming in places. I felt the love many characters had for each other, even in some unexpected cases.
I couldn’t guess how it was going to end, and even as it was coming to its conclusion I still couldn’t peg how Matthew Cash was going to wrap it all up. I like how he did, even with part of it coming out of the blue somewhat.
Please check Fur by Matthew Cash out. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Thomas Bestwick. Bestwick did a fantastic job with a narration that had multiple accents in as well as getting some real heart and emotion into the sorry as a whole
Pensioners and werewolves a great premise that Matthew Cash pulls off with ease. With hints to the Nazis and a intriguing backstory leaving me wanting more this was a really enjoyable read. A background setting of poverty and how devastating societal deprivation on a council estate can so easily create gang culture and the missing family that people in that situation are longing for. School kids already a lost cause and the hopelessness of a future of already planning on going on the dole when they leave school and the ill gotten wealth of crime and violence. No wonder that people are creating their chosen family and will do anything to protect their chosen pack. A good look at the loss and deaths surrounding an older person. Forgotten about, overlooked and constantly threatened with the fear of being mugged just for leaving their house to go to the local café to hang out with their remaining friends, what would you do in that situation given the opportunity to have your power back and a healthier longer life.
This book is set in Boxford with a group of old fogeys that meet up on a regular basis, always at the same cafe, pub, etc. They support each other when family have moved away or gone up to the clouds above in heaven there own support group you would say.
There's an incident in town that happens, and Victor ends up in hospital, but they can't understand how and why he has recovered so quickly. Has Victor been hiding a secret that could help them with their elderly cricks, cracks, and generally getting around on a daily basis.
But one of the gang can't leave it alone and is too nosey for her own good. Through her actions, a bloody, gory mess and devastating turn of events happens. This author's writing had me gripped from the first page to the last and 😲😲 what an ending. The descriptions of the gory scenes were brilliantly detailed and totally loved it. So my next book is FERAL the sequel to FUR, so see you later.This
FUR, by the incomparable Matthew Cash, is a wrenching and brutal modern-day Shakespearean Tragedy that will leave you horrified and heart broken. The story evoked a series of emotions, making me feel conflicted, sad, and angry at intervals. With expert characterization, Cash creates “bad guys” who are too real to be wholly bad and “good guys” who are too bad to be wholly good. This masterfully crafted story is enthralling and gruesome, the ending emotionally wrenching.
While not technically “Extreme Horror,” FUR does contain some very disturbing content and brutality that can be considered “Extreme.” It is not for the squeamish or easily offended. Cash pulls no punches in this one. That being said, it is superbly written with excellent pace, shocking twists, realistic characters, and a very compelling story line. FUR is, quite simply, a genre Masterpiece.
Cash has excelled himself! His storytelling is fantastic throughout, creating stunning visuals on every page. There is immense depth in the variety of characters and you do get thoroughly absorbed in their individual lives and world.
The pace of the story was very well measured, particularly for a novel of this length and it kept my interest from start to finish. In fact, I couldn't put it down, eager as I was to continue the tale. The horror and gore flowed freely and whilst it was very strong at times, none of it felt over the top or out of place.
Having really enjoyed Cash's shorter stories and novellas, I was delighted to be able to take a long journey into his incredible imagination!
Fur is a highly entertaining and original story. Cash has taken werewolf mythology and skilfully applied his own twist in a story brought to life by its colourful and diverse cast of characters. The old age pensioners of Boxford somehow manage to be endearing like your favourite grandparent while also appearing terrifying and savage all at the same time. Fast paced and littered with stomach churning descriptions of gore and violence, this is not only a story of supernatural terrors but also of touching friendships among the elderly. Another cracking read from Mathew Cash.
This is a real romper of a werenovel. In its human form it tells of a small towns social problems with troublesome teenage gangs and even more troublesome geriatrics all competing for their territory. But it has a darker side of gore, torture and violence that would seem to be a suitable solution to the problems of both teenagers and geriatrics alike. An ancient Nazi with a secret confides in his friends and unleashes a bloodbath that baffles the police but seems perfectly obvious to Danny, a wannabe gang member. A great read that leads you on a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish.
Aside from 'An American Werewolf In London' (being an '80s child), I've never really had an interest in werewolf stories. This one has definitely been the exception. Cash has a talent for bringing together identifiable day to day characters with the supernatural; making it engaging, engrossing, entertaining and tragic. I could barely put it down and as with many of Cash's works, I could see this as a film. Cash may have said in his afterword that he never intended to write a werewolf story but lucky for us he did.
Following a group of OAPs and focusing on their friendship we find out what happened to Victor after the events in Werewolf. An ultimately selfish act by one of the group has drastic consequences for the geriatric friends. All hell breaks loose as a beast terrorises the town and the friends struggle to come to terms with what is happening around them. Friendship, power, control, torture, gore and tears are all thrown together in this monstrous tale. A must read for werewolf fans with a different take to the usual slash and gore (although there is plenty of that too!)
A rollicking good read by an author with a very clear love of his genre. I've had to knock a star off because the writing did get a little confused in places, mostly during the really exuberant bits, but that's a rather pedantic quibble. Overall, this was one of the more fun horror novels I've read in a while and one of the best werewolf tales I've ever read. Highly recommended.
This book was amazing it was the perfect sequel. I bloody loved this rag tag bunch of oap's they had such wonderful personalities and chemistry especially Norman and Herbert oh and frankie of course. I loved reading the charatcters story collectively and individually. Honestly Matthew cash absolutely knocked it out if the park with this one 100% recommend
Before I reached chapter two I was in love with the characters. This book sucked me in and wouldn't let go. The blurb on the cover was right, I was horrified and have been left heart broken.
Really enjoyed the prequel werwolf and this follow up doesn't fail to deliver. Great characters and story, again a really clever and unique twist on the old legends!
Cash has found a way to breath new life into a well-worn genre of horror, the classic werewolf story. Think Cocoon meets The Howling. He has created a vivid world with fully-fleshed out (and furred) characters that keeps you engaged from the get go. Characters you truly come to care about what happens to them. This one was a fantastic read, and I would highly recommend.