Prime Evil: A Novel

by Judith Kelman

Pregnant and unwed, Erica Phillips came to Bramble Farm to sort out her life and the papers of Theresa Bricklin. A stroke had left the legendary author a disfigured recluse totally dependent on her eccentric husband, who caters to her every need. He is determined to restore the crumbling estate to its former glory and his invalid wife to her former international brilliance.

But Bramble Farm hides a dark secret somewhere in its maze of odd rooms and shadowy passageways. Behind its facade of heartbreak and shattered dreams lurks a malevolent influence that has claimed more than one innocent life in the past. Now it is Erica Phillips and her unborn child who are the unwitting targets -- victims of an irresistible force drawing them ever closer to a shattering climax that has its roots buried in...

Genres: Horror

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1986

Reviews

[ItzSmashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this one, but a little slow paced for my taste. The mystery was compelling, but information was drip fed and lot of scenarios were duplicated and felt like padding. Which for a short book like this is a bad thing. I stretched to 3 stars though because of the satisfying payoff. The final 30 pages were compelling and had a nice twist that I didn't consider. I would just about reccommend this one.

Erica is an expecting mother working for a publishing company. When she is offered the opportunity to move in with an accomplished writer to help edit her newest work she jumps at the chance. But the writer has suffered a stroke, and her husband seems to have a sinister agenda when it comes to hiding the writer from Erica. What is really going on? And will Erica survive to tell the tale?

[Asa Abbot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely tame for a horror novel, this book is mostly fluff with a stagnant second act and a predictable climax. The reader is left with little return on investment.

[Joe Xtarr · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a real slow burn, and the predictable ending wasn't good enough to make it satisfying. It could have been a lot deeper to make the suspense more tangible. Instead, it felt flat and uneventful throughout 99% of the story.

[Velvetink · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giving to Giving to si cotic

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Erica Phillips never stands up for herself and is weak-willed and pathetic.

[Santi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fue mi primera vez leyendo una novela completamente en ingles y escrita en un estilo complejo. Definitivamente repetiria la experiencia.

Este libro es la mayor ejemplificación de un slow burn. La trama se va cocinando a fuego lento. Cada capitulo va dejando pequeñas migajas que te van enganchando para seguir leyendo, pero si darte ni un dato más del necesario para preservar ese aura de confusión y de no saber que sucede que te acompaña durante toda la lectura.

Antes de comenzarlo leí una reseña que decia que tan solo con el contenido de las ultimas 35 páginas el libro ya valía la pena. Concuerdo en que el cierre y el plottwist fueron muy agradables e inesperados, dejando una muy buena imagen del libro al terminarlo. Pero creo que el resto del contenido no se queda atras. Esta muy bien escrito. Cada detalle bien cuidado.

La lectura comienza siendo mas ligera, lo que es ideal porque compensa la falta de entendimiento sobre lo que va a suceder y facilita seguir con la historia. Y después, aunque se vuelve un poco mas pesada y en un momento no entendes bien que estas leyendo, la autora comienza a develar cada vez mas sobre el oscuro secreto que oculta Bramble Farm. Estas pequeñas revelaciones que son difíciles de conectar al principio son las que animan al lector a continuar.

Me encantó el libro y el cierre, en el cual es impecable como la autora le da sentido y conexión a todo lo que sucede durante el libro, le da el toque de intensidad y acción que faltaba.

Lo recomiendo ampliamente, aunque es necesario tener un nivel B2 en adelante de ingles porque hay un exceso de vocabulario difícil de entender que puede dificultar la lectura a quienes no dominen bien el ingles.

3,5⭐️

[Nik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Kelman is an author I'd not heard of and knew little about but after finding this book in a charity shop and liking the briefing I gave it a go... It's actually very good, I highly recommend it and I am now looking out for more of her novels.

[Katrine Engelhardt Thomsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent 90s trashy horror.
The slowest of slow burns though.

[Barbara Penaloza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book reading it again now