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Soon
On winter solstice, the birds disappeared, and the mist arrived.
The inhabitants of Nebulah quickly learn not to venture out after dark. But it is hard to stay indoors: cabin fever sets in, and the mist can be beguiling, too.
Eventually only six remain. Like the rest of the townspeople, Pete has nowhere else to go. After he rescues a stranded psychic from a terrible fate, he's given a warning: he will be dead by solstice unless he leaves town - soon.
The inhabitants of Nebulah quickly learn not to venture out after dark. But it is hard to stay indoors: cabin fever sets in, and the mist can be beguiling, too.
Eventually only six remain. Like the rest of the townspeople, Pete has nowhere else to go. After he rescues a stranded psychic from a terrible fate, he's given a warning: he will be dead by solstice unless he leaves town - soon.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2017
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2164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
October 6, 2024
The Sooner
The Better...
SOON
by Lous Murphy
No spoilers. 5 stars. Nebulah, Australia is typically dying, but nowhere near dead...
The handful of citizens still "living" there must be inside their home with doors and windows locked...
... before nightfall and the arrival of the mist with its shuffling figures and howling faces and reaching arms snatching at people gleefully behind locked windows...
Nebulah's cemetery is closed for business...
The dead buried there rise each night with the mist, so no more burials are allowed in city limits...
The Aboriginal population, reading the land through the soles of their feet, have long avoided the area...
There are several possible explanations for the phenomena of Nebulah, but no one is sure of its origin...
What is known for sure:
The last handful of people must get out...
And soon...
The sooner, the better...
What a stellar novel! There was some repetitiveness that could have shortened it a little, but not overly so.
This story reminded me of three old horror movies: THE LAST MAN ON EARTH starring Vincent Price, CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, and maybe just a little of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. It is also very like a series on the MGM÷ channel called FROM.
This is one of the few effectively delivered fog stories I've ever read. Most people agree that the fog carries menace, but few can put that dread into a story (or movie) conveying the horror.
The Better...
SOON
by Lous Murphy
No spoilers. 5 stars. Nebulah, Australia is typically dying, but nowhere near dead...
The handful of citizens still "living" there must be inside their home with doors and windows locked...
... before nightfall and the arrival of the mist with its shuffling figures and howling faces and reaching arms snatching at people gleefully behind locked windows...
Nebulah's cemetery is closed for business...
The dead buried there rise each night with the mist, so no more burials are allowed in city limits...
The Aboriginal population, reading the land through the soles of their feet, have long avoided the area...
There are several possible explanations for the phenomena of Nebulah, but no one is sure of its origin...
What is known for sure:
The last handful of people must get out...
And soon...
The sooner, the better...
What a stellar novel! There was some repetitiveness that could have shortened it a little, but not overly so.
This story reminded me of three old horror movies: THE LAST MAN ON EARTH starring Vincent Price, CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, and maybe just a little of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. It is also very like a series on the MGM÷ channel called FROM.
This is one of the few effectively delivered fog stories I've ever read. Most people agree that the fog carries menace, but few can put that dread into a story (or movie) conveying the horror.
October 28, 2024
Yet another book in the category I like to call "the real horror is the real estate market".
For most of the book the pacing is rather sedate with an exploration of the main character's alienation and his relationships with the few people that now constitute his world. There's also a subtle exploration of how we come to just accept horror as a part of life sometimes in the name of staying our grounds sometimes because there's just nothing else for us out there and how we can end up doing everything wrong while trying to do everything right. I liked that, I thought it worked really well to make the intense moments that much more anxiogenic.
For most of the book the pacing is rather sedate with an exploration of the main character's alienation and his relationships with the few people that now constitute his world. There's also a subtle exploration of how we come to just accept horror as a part of life sometimes in the name of staying our grounds sometimes because there's just nothing else for us out there and how we can end up doing everything wrong while trying to do everything right. I liked that, I thought it worked really well to make the intense moments that much more anxiogenic.
August 20, 2025
If you check my profile you will see that I am a married man and therefore straight. Of late just so many trollers befriending me and for all the wrong reasons. My profile also mentions that I believe the best English writers on the planet are female Brits. Well Murphy is Australian and I wonder if that is close enough. No offense intended as I am Canadian and just see the two countries (Canada/Australia) as part of the British commonwealth so therefore related.
This was my first book by Lois Murphy. On the rear cover it is compared to Malerman's Birdbox and I could not agree more. It is, of course, obviously different but that slow build as to what is actually occurring is definitely there. We find out that in the town of Nebulah Australia a series of odd events happen and that they are subsequently haunted by a mist that rolls into town each and every night. Citizens of Nebulah are safe if they stay inside behind locked doors and simply wait the night out till morning. What they hear and see during the night is quite crazy indeed. The mist takes forms of family members and speaks to relatives and the like all the while trying to lure them out as to kill them. The mist kills animals, livestock and of course people. Often in very violent and grosse ways.
The odd catch is that this phenomenon is only attributable and occurring in the small town of Nebulah. Nebulah is near Perth Australia and I actually made a great friend on GR who lives in Perth. Many of the towns she mentions are in fact mentioned here. I found it quite cool. Nebulah is virtually abandoned and left desolate by the country and the ruling authorities. No one can explain what is really happening and no one can really deal with it so lets just hang them out to dry. (So the mist is only in Nebulah and no where else in the world). At a certain level this kind of works because anyone sent out to deal with the mist will die so why bother. What can you do to really help the community members out? So most of the community end up leaving and who can blame them. Leaving is tough though as you are abandoning your home and of course will receive no monies for real estate no one wants to touch.
We open with only 7 people remaining in the small town and one commits suicide basically because the family he inherited has finally had enough and moved out and left the elderly gentleman alone. We meet the leader of the six remaining known as Pete who was a former cop and the story is basically told through his eyes.
The story deals with more than the crazy hauntings occurring. It deals with family, with relationships and does so in a very meaningful way. We learn how Julie, Pete's daughter basically hates him for abandoning her mentally ill mother. Sadly it gets into the mental illness of the mother and Pete admits how he in fact did abandon her. Of course, that is a huge problem with dealing with the mentally ill in that they are so tough to deal with people tend to just abandon them. Look at the growing homeless population in which the majority are mentally ill and have to deal with things on their own and are simply abandoned by family. Not judging here, I totally get it having to have dealt with so much of it on a family level and through my job. I think Frieda McFadden does a great job in Ward D dealing with that aspect and I get into it a lot in my review of that book. Murphy also gets into friendship and the like as well and it is all pretty deep and very good.
So the book builds off of the mist and creeps along at kind of a very slow pace. Again if you are a fan of Birdbox you will appreciate this. Also for some reason the pacing of the book reminded me of the way Catriona Ward writes and I just love her style but am well aware that many get frustrated by it. I would not say that Murphy's style mimics Ward at all but I was reminded of Ward in reading this. That is a huge compliment in my eyes.
So one day Pete sees a stranger in town and knows he has to get her to safety before the night sets in. He is able to. Her name is Alex and she is a psychic. A very good one too as she is able to interact with the mist overnight and knows that months down the road Pete will die on the day of the winter solstice all because of his best friend Milly who is one of the six. During that stay over Pete has horrific and unusual dreams due to the mist. Dreams like he has never had. Alex warns Pete of her premonition and her warning that his death will be SOON is the reason for the title of the book.
Close to the solstice a bunch of kids decide they want to stay in Nebulah. One, Xandra claims to be a psychic and feels that the mist is just being misinterpreted and that there is nothing to fear. Pete, however, knows better. The kids(5) don't want to heed Pete's warnings but Pete is hell bent on having his way.
What I did find odd with the writing is the style. There are no chapters. Just small divides within the chapters and the book is divided in 7 parts. Well this really bothered me as the first several parts are like 60 pages each. I love short chapters as my preference as it just seems to move the book along at a way faster pace. Of course, I know a page read is a page read and it really should not matter but it does matter to me for some reason. I feel that the outlay of the book itself, is what may have bogged it down a bit. Yet the last three parts are short and sweet and really move along.
The ending is just something with this book. You kind of can see that something is off but it is a total different take on the mist and its a rare sad ending tbh. And frankly I kind of hate everything always ending rosy so I had no issue at all with it.
A very entertaining read. Enough horror and bad stuff to keep you interested as the story moves along. A solid four stars.
This was my first book by Lois Murphy. On the rear cover it is compared to Malerman's Birdbox and I could not agree more. It is, of course, obviously different but that slow build as to what is actually occurring is definitely there. We find out that in the town of Nebulah Australia a series of odd events happen and that they are subsequently haunted by a mist that rolls into town each and every night. Citizens of Nebulah are safe if they stay inside behind locked doors and simply wait the night out till morning. What they hear and see during the night is quite crazy indeed. The mist takes forms of family members and speaks to relatives and the like all the while trying to lure them out as to kill them. The mist kills animals, livestock and of course people. Often in very violent and grosse ways.
The odd catch is that this phenomenon is only attributable and occurring in the small town of Nebulah. Nebulah is near Perth Australia and I actually made a great friend on GR who lives in Perth. Many of the towns she mentions are in fact mentioned here. I found it quite cool. Nebulah is virtually abandoned and left desolate by the country and the ruling authorities. No one can explain what is really happening and no one can really deal with it so lets just hang them out to dry. (So the mist is only in Nebulah and no where else in the world). At a certain level this kind of works because anyone sent out to deal with the mist will die so why bother. What can you do to really help the community members out? So most of the community end up leaving and who can blame them. Leaving is tough though as you are abandoning your home and of course will receive no monies for real estate no one wants to touch.
We open with only 7 people remaining in the small town and one commits suicide basically because the family he inherited has finally had enough and moved out and left the elderly gentleman alone. We meet the leader of the six remaining known as Pete who was a former cop and the story is basically told through his eyes.
The story deals with more than the crazy hauntings occurring. It deals with family, with relationships and does so in a very meaningful way. We learn how Julie, Pete's daughter basically hates him for abandoning her mentally ill mother. Sadly it gets into the mental illness of the mother and Pete admits how he in fact did abandon her. Of course, that is a huge problem with dealing with the mentally ill in that they are so tough to deal with people tend to just abandon them. Look at the growing homeless population in which the majority are mentally ill and have to deal with things on their own and are simply abandoned by family. Not judging here, I totally get it having to have dealt with so much of it on a family level and through my job. I think Frieda McFadden does a great job in Ward D dealing with that aspect and I get into it a lot in my review of that book. Murphy also gets into friendship and the like as well and it is all pretty deep and very good.
So the book builds off of the mist and creeps along at kind of a very slow pace. Again if you are a fan of Birdbox you will appreciate this. Also for some reason the pacing of the book reminded me of the way Catriona Ward writes and I just love her style but am well aware that many get frustrated by it. I would not say that Murphy's style mimics Ward at all but I was reminded of Ward in reading this. That is a huge compliment in my eyes.
So one day Pete sees a stranger in town and knows he has to get her to safety before the night sets in. He is able to. Her name is Alex and she is a psychic. A very good one too as she is able to interact with the mist overnight and knows that months down the road Pete will die on the day of the winter solstice all because of his best friend Milly who is one of the six. During that stay over Pete has horrific and unusual dreams due to the mist. Dreams like he has never had. Alex warns Pete of her premonition and her warning that his death will be SOON is the reason for the title of the book.
Close to the solstice a bunch of kids decide they want to stay in Nebulah. One, Xandra claims to be a psychic and feels that the mist is just being misinterpreted and that there is nothing to fear. Pete, however, knows better. The kids(5) don't want to heed Pete's warnings but Pete is hell bent on having his way.
What I did find odd with the writing is the style. There are no chapters. Just small divides within the chapters and the book is divided in 7 parts. Well this really bothered me as the first several parts are like 60 pages each. I love short chapters as my preference as it just seems to move the book along at a way faster pace. Of course, I know a page read is a page read and it really should not matter but it does matter to me for some reason. I feel that the outlay of the book itself, is what may have bogged it down a bit. Yet the last three parts are short and sweet and really move along.
The ending is just something with this book. You kind of can see that something is off but it is a total different take on the mist and its a rare sad ending tbh. And frankly I kind of hate everything always ending rosy so I had no issue at all with it.
A very entertaining read. Enough horror and bad stuff to keep you interested as the story moves along. A solid four stars.
May 13, 2024
I never heard of this book or author until someone on Facebook said the audiobook was free on Audible. Rarely able to pass up a bargain, I snatched it up and began listening to David Linski's narration of the remote Australian town of Nebulah. And I'm so glad I did!
Without any spoilers, this is one of those supernatural books where the characters feel real, their actions and deeds never falling into contrived territory. I understood and believed them even though their situation was incredible.
The first half was a bit of a slow burn but the second half picked and ended with one hell of a bang. 5 stars!
Without any spoilers, this is one of those supernatural books where the characters feel real, their actions and deeds never falling into contrived territory. I understood and believed them even though their situation was incredible.
The first half was a bit of a slow burn but the second half picked and ended with one hell of a bang. 5 stars!
February 26, 2024
This was a bit of a slow burn, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s lots of great care to build, and you read about people who seem real and everything they go through your experience with them.
I found there was no real highlight points to this book, though. It was a smoothie, but just not a very exciting read even when things were supposed to be exciting they were OK just not great.
I found there was no real highlight points to this book, though. It was a smoothie, but just not a very exciting read even when things were supposed to be exciting they were OK just not great.
August 4, 2018
Well, that was the scariest book I've read in a long, long time. It's also beautifully written, with well-developed characters - a brilliant, terrifying debut novel.
I sat down on the couch and started reading at 7.00 pm; it's now 2.30 am and I've just finished. I think I'll be sleeping with all the lights on tonight.
I sat down on the couch and started reading at 7.00 pm; it's now 2.30 am and I've just finished. I think I'll be sleeping with all the lights on tonight.
October 3, 2024
Soon by Australian author Lois Murphy is TERRIFYING. The horror is so well written and the ending so surprising that I’m left with my nerves all in a jangle. If, like me, you’ve never heard of this one until now, do yourself a favor and check it out at your library or purchase it from your favorite book seller. WOW!! 5 ⭐️!!!
June 28, 2020
Terrific horror tale from Murphy about a group of last-remaining residents of a dying town that has been overcome by a deadly mist that comes out at night and traps them indoors. The mist has claimed many former residents and animals and is relentless in its efforts to claim the final survivors. Murphy takes a unique approach to the mist, leaving a lot of the killing to the minds of the readers and infusing tremendous depth to her characters as they come to grips with their harrowing existences. The peripheral characters are fleshed out as well. I was engaged from beginning to powerful end. Very well-written with a creepy sense of foreboding throughout. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended.
January 18, 2020
This was an okay read. Nothing particularly new or frightening here. There are a few well written sections but they didn’t salvage the overall story for me.
March 4, 2022
2 stars
A moody, character-driven horror novella trapped in a bloated novel, Soon has great beginning and ending, but the middle drags with irrelevant backstories and pointless secondary characters introduced merely to boost kill count.
Lois Murphy's writing reminds me of Jane Harper, excels at depicting authentic candidness in delicate, mellow composition with a foreboding undertone. Soon is intentionally vague with the cause of its supernatural manifestation, which would've worked well in short form, but feels stagnant and unresolved, when after 300+ pages, we learned nothing more than what was already established in chapter 1. The lack of a deeper lore also makes for some obvious plot holes (If the 'haunting' was so consistent and plainly observable by everyone, how was it written off so easily by the world at large? The characters were all very mobile, yet the novel never made a convincing case regarding why they chose to remain in the affected area).
For the first 1/3 of Soon, I thought I have stumbled upon a hidden gem, a more poetic take on the 'monster-in-the-mist' story; but as the book progresses, it becomes clear there was no focus, and the character study material feels grossly detached from its core narrative. By the time it reaches the bleak ending (which is a great one judging on its own), the whole experience feels like a deflated fever dream.
Too bad, because the atmosphere is there, and the vintage-inspired cover art is spot-on (I would like a poster of that)!
A moody, character-driven horror novella trapped in a bloated novel, Soon has great beginning and ending, but the middle drags with irrelevant backstories and pointless secondary characters introduced merely to boost kill count.
Lois Murphy's writing reminds me of Jane Harper, excels at depicting authentic candidness in delicate, mellow composition with a foreboding undertone. Soon is intentionally vague with the cause of its supernatural manifestation, which would've worked well in short form, but feels stagnant and unresolved, when after 300+ pages, we learned nothing more than what was already established in chapter 1. The lack of a deeper lore also makes for some obvious plot holes (If the 'haunting' was so consistent and plainly observable by everyone, how was it written off so easily by the world at large? The characters were all very mobile, yet the novel never made a convincing case regarding why they chose to remain in the affected area).
For the first 1/3 of Soon, I thought I have stumbled upon a hidden gem, a more poetic take on the 'monster-in-the-mist' story; but as the book progresses, it becomes clear there was no focus, and the character study material feels grossly detached from its core narrative. By the time it reaches the bleak ending (which is a great one judging on its own), the whole experience feels like a deflated fever dream.
Too bad, because the atmosphere is there, and the vintage-inspired cover art is spot-on (I would like a poster of that)!
July 21, 2020
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
‘Soon‘ was a book that I completely failed on reviewing.
What I mean by that, was at one point it had been selected by a fellow reviewer in our group chat for Kendall Reviews, but for whatever reason wasn’t reviewed. (That person has subsequently left Team KR). Gavin reached out and asked if I’d review it, which I said ‘absolutely, it looks great,’ but after he sent it, I somehow forgot to add it to my list or missed it being loaded and, so, my sincerest apologies to Lois Murphy and Titan Books. I believe this has been on my Kindle since October of 2019.
Now, you may wonder – ‘Steve, how did you rediscover it?’
The answer is sadly BORING! I was clearing my Kindle from DNF files and saw it sitting in my document folder. My eyes went wide when I saw it and realized I had missed it long ago.
What I liked: So, now that we’re done with my apology and we’ve moved onto something resembling a review – ‘Soon‘ initially struck me in a similar way to the book ‘Hex.’ In ‘Hex‘ a town is self-isolated from the world because a witch lives amongst them and they’ve created a symbiotic living arrangement. In ‘Soon,’ the small town of Nebulah has self-isolated itself from the outside world, because every night, a ravenous, killing mist descends on the town, dispatching any living being that is out once the sun goes down.
The story follows retired police officer Pete. Pete moved to Nebulah years before the mist descended, trying to remove himself from the hectic cop life of a big city as well as the failings of his personal life.
Murphy does a great job of making Pete a real character, someone with faults that almost outweigh his positives. We meet the small contingent of survivors, or stragglers. The last people who’ve stayed behind, abandoned by the government and unable to relocate. This group had some fantastic dynamics and Murphy made sure to play each of them perfectly, pitting their own strengths and weaknesses against each other as well as inwards when necessary.
One thing I found was that throughout, the idea of the night arriving and the mist coming for those outside was enthralling. You knew it would happen over and over again, but you absolutely dreaded when it arrived.
What I didn’t like: While the mist arriving was always dreaded, we didn’t get much page time with it actually doing anything. Part of it was from the style that Murphy told the story, while the other part seemed to be a theatrical way of building up the suspense of the ‘what’ of the mist.
I found the character of Xandrea to be completely annoying – which was the point – but to the degree of almost derailing the story at the stage she was introduced, and the others that came with her and I felt Alice was borderline unnecessary.
Why you should buy it: ‘Soon‘ is a book that you’ll know if it’s for you from the synopsis. While I did compare it momentarily to ‘Hex,’ fear not – ‘Soon‘ is night and day superior to what ‘Hex‘ delivered. I found I was constantly pulled back into the story and Murphy created some truly ‘real’ characters, characters that were far from perfect. This allowed me to connect and root for or against them.
At the end of the day, I really messed up by missing this one, and now that I’ve read it, I really hope others out there push this up their TBR
‘Soon‘ was a book that I completely failed on reviewing.
What I mean by that, was at one point it had been selected by a fellow reviewer in our group chat for Kendall Reviews, but for whatever reason wasn’t reviewed. (That person has subsequently left Team KR). Gavin reached out and asked if I’d review it, which I said ‘absolutely, it looks great,’ but after he sent it, I somehow forgot to add it to my list or missed it being loaded and, so, my sincerest apologies to Lois Murphy and Titan Books. I believe this has been on my Kindle since October of 2019.
Now, you may wonder – ‘Steve, how did you rediscover it?’
The answer is sadly BORING! I was clearing my Kindle from DNF files and saw it sitting in my document folder. My eyes went wide when I saw it and realized I had missed it long ago.
What I liked: So, now that we’re done with my apology and we’ve moved onto something resembling a review – ‘Soon‘ initially struck me in a similar way to the book ‘Hex.’ In ‘Hex‘ a town is self-isolated from the world because a witch lives amongst them and they’ve created a symbiotic living arrangement. In ‘Soon,’ the small town of Nebulah has self-isolated itself from the outside world, because every night, a ravenous, killing mist descends on the town, dispatching any living being that is out once the sun goes down.
The story follows retired police officer Pete. Pete moved to Nebulah years before the mist descended, trying to remove himself from the hectic cop life of a big city as well as the failings of his personal life.
Murphy does a great job of making Pete a real character, someone with faults that almost outweigh his positives. We meet the small contingent of survivors, or stragglers. The last people who’ve stayed behind, abandoned by the government and unable to relocate. This group had some fantastic dynamics and Murphy made sure to play each of them perfectly, pitting their own strengths and weaknesses against each other as well as inwards when necessary.
One thing I found was that throughout, the idea of the night arriving and the mist coming for those outside was enthralling. You knew it would happen over and over again, but you absolutely dreaded when it arrived.
What I didn’t like: While the mist arriving was always dreaded, we didn’t get much page time with it actually doing anything. Part of it was from the style that Murphy told the story, while the other part seemed to be a theatrical way of building up the suspense of the ‘what’ of the mist.
I found the character of Xandrea to be completely annoying – which was the point – but to the degree of almost derailing the story at the stage she was introduced, and the others that came with her and I felt Alice was borderline unnecessary.
Why you should buy it: ‘Soon‘ is a book that you’ll know if it’s for you from the synopsis. While I did compare it momentarily to ‘Hex,’ fear not – ‘Soon‘ is night and day superior to what ‘Hex‘ delivered. I found I was constantly pulled back into the story and Murphy created some truly ‘real’ characters, characters that were far from perfect. This allowed me to connect and root for or against them.
At the end of the day, I really messed up by missing this one, and now that I’ve read it, I really hope others out there push this up their TBR
October 14, 2021
Audio - 5 Stars
Story 2.5 Stars
Story 2.5 Stars
March 30, 2024
A slow burn horror that shows itself at the edges, but is never fully revealed.
The characters are physically trapped by the deadly mist that surrounds their town each night, but the true fetters are psychological. Murphy deftly explores the connections that exist between people, the ebb and flow of friendship and love, and asks the reader to consider what are the ties that bind us to places, to each other, and to the image we have of ourselves.
In our lives, it's words that really have the power to wound us. Everything physical, all those highly emotional or unutterably painful experiences retreat from memory, their visceral substance unable to be retained in any other way than by their translation into language. We condense their intensity into tiny capsules, the essence of existence contained within the shell of words. Hardened slugs with the potency of bullets.
Read if you like character driven horror written with literary flair.
The characters are physically trapped by the deadly mist that surrounds their town each night, but the true fetters are psychological. Murphy deftly explores the connections that exist between people, the ebb and flow of friendship and love, and asks the reader to consider what are the ties that bind us to places, to each other, and to the image we have of ourselves.
In our lives, it's words that really have the power to wound us. Everything physical, all those highly emotional or unutterably painful experiences retreat from memory, their visceral substance unable to be retained in any other way than by their translation into language. We condense their intensity into tiny capsules, the essence of existence contained within the shell of words. Hardened slugs with the potency of bullets.
Read if you like character driven horror written with literary flair.
November 11, 2024
Excellent character work and writing really elevates this heartbreaking, slow-burn horror tale set in Australia. I frequently found myself wishing I was reading it instead of listening to the audiobook, the writing was that good. The characters are sympathetic yet frustrating and fallible, and the consequences of a series of poor decisions are ultimately dire.
My one big complaint: why, oh why, the f*ck did Pete bring Gina with him?
My one big complaint: why, oh why, the f*ck did Pete bring Gina with him?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2019
I was asked to blurb this book at a particularly busy time, but I found I couldn't stay away from it! A dystopian set in Australia that transcends the genre, with great characters. The characters are endearing, the situation feels very real. The horror part is unresolved, like Josh Malerman's Bird Box, but that doesn't detract from the story one bit.
December 9, 2025
this was def a slow burn horror read, just like super slow. i was just a tiny bit bored. it wasn’t even that bad, but i just didn’t enjoy it all that much unfortunately. it did have some good mood building at times!
March 13, 2021
This is a solid 2*, I quite liked it but it’s not good. It’s neither scary or creepy, it’s fairly psychological, but the origin of the mystery/horror element is never explained or even hinted at and I found it deeply unsatisfying. I found when I started reading it was easy to take in and I didn’t want to stop, but equally when I put it down nothing motivated me to pick it back up. I’m a real wuss but this almost makes me want to read more horror to see how scared I can get.
It’s well characterised EXCEPT for the narrator. People are neither good or bad, have interesting motivations or are plain stupid, and then there’s the total void that is the narrator. We find out almost nothing about him except he’s a massive ratbag. He abandons and scorns his mentally ill wife and NEVER expresses any regret for how he neglected her, and it’s hard to tell if he’s supposed to be written as racist or if the author hasn’t read up on Orientalism. The description of the Cambodian characters made me squirm, probably the most horrible element of the whole book.
SPOILER AHEAD!!!!
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All the dogs die.
It’s well characterised EXCEPT for the narrator. People are neither good or bad, have interesting motivations or are plain stupid, and then there’s the total void that is the narrator. We find out almost nothing about him except he’s a massive ratbag. He abandons and scorns his mentally ill wife and NEVER expresses any regret for how he neglected her, and it’s hard to tell if he’s supposed to be written as racist or if the author hasn’t read up on Orientalism. The description of the Cambodian characters made me squirm, probably the most horrible element of the whole book.
SPOILER AHEAD!!!!
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!
!
!
!
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!
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All the dogs die.
January 1, 2018
Finished this whole book in one sitting. It was riveting - a unique story with thoroughly-drawn characters. The prose was elegant and descriptive, and yet flowed very easily. It was also terrifying! It's wonderful to see such great work from another Australian author. Highly recommended.
August 31, 2017
‘Nebulah’ – with its echoes of ‘nebulous’ – is a clever name for the fictional inland town in Western Australia where the action takes place. It is very remote, three hours drive away from the nearest town of Woodford, which is also small and remote, and itself a good long drive from Mandurah. The story begins with the suicide of an old man called Rolf who couldn’t go on with the loneliness of eking out a living in a dying town.
Twelve months before, Nebulah had a population of just over 500. Like many small rural towns its days were numbered, but it was clinging to survival. But this stoic population fled after the arrival of a mysterious mist which arrives each night at dusk to terrorise the inhabitants. And now the diehards who refused to leave have had a shocking blow though they knew it was inevitable: Liz, a single mother who stayed because she had nowhere else to go, has finally had enough and fled with her children, and her departure was the last straw for Rolf. From eleven people sticking it out, they are now down to six.
Pete, an ex-policeman who narrates the story, is a fine example of how Murphy has subverted familiar genres. Yes, he’s world-weary, and yes, he specialises in failed relationships, and yes, he smokes and drinks to excess. But he’s not a detective trying to solve a crime. As it says in the blurb, inspired in part by the diehards who refuse to leave the tragic town of Wittenoom even though they risk a fatal disease and an horrific death from mesothelioma, the interest in this novel is the characters who remain in the face of an insistent danger. Pete stays because he has bonded with two women, and they won’t leave. The widow Milly won’t leave the home she had with Gavin who died in a road smash twelve years ago, and Li is a Cambodian refugee from the Khmer Rouge who has painstakingly rebuilt her life by growing organic produce for the co-op in Woodford. Although Milly and Li are both staunchly independent women and don’t need his protection, Pete, Milly and Li have formed a kind of protective network – along with a neurotic couple called Gail and Tom and a dubious character nicknamed Stick, who has a different kind of crop well-suited to being grown in an isolated place.
The only horror I’ve ever read is by Edgar Allan Poe and that just made me laugh, so I Googled ‘tropes of horror fiction’ to see if I could identify how Lois Murphy has managed to subvert the horror genre.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2017/08/31/s...
Twelve months before, Nebulah had a population of just over 500. Like many small rural towns its days were numbered, but it was clinging to survival. But this stoic population fled after the arrival of a mysterious mist which arrives each night at dusk to terrorise the inhabitants. And now the diehards who refused to leave have had a shocking blow though they knew it was inevitable: Liz, a single mother who stayed because she had nowhere else to go, has finally had enough and fled with her children, and her departure was the last straw for Rolf. From eleven people sticking it out, they are now down to six.
Pete, an ex-policeman who narrates the story, is a fine example of how Murphy has subverted familiar genres. Yes, he’s world-weary, and yes, he specialises in failed relationships, and yes, he smokes and drinks to excess. But he’s not a detective trying to solve a crime. As it says in the blurb, inspired in part by the diehards who refuse to leave the tragic town of Wittenoom even though they risk a fatal disease and an horrific death from mesothelioma, the interest in this novel is the characters who remain in the face of an insistent danger. Pete stays because he has bonded with two women, and they won’t leave. The widow Milly won’t leave the home she had with Gavin who died in a road smash twelve years ago, and Li is a Cambodian refugee from the Khmer Rouge who has painstakingly rebuilt her life by growing organic produce for the co-op in Woodford. Although Milly and Li are both staunchly independent women and don’t need his protection, Pete, Milly and Li have formed a kind of protective network – along with a neurotic couple called Gail and Tom and a dubious character nicknamed Stick, who has a different kind of crop well-suited to being grown in an isolated place.
The only horror I’ve ever read is by Edgar Allan Poe and that just made me laugh, so I Googled ‘tropes of horror fiction’ to see if I could identify how Lois Murphy has managed to subvert the horror genre.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2017/08/31/s...
February 1, 2020
Well I guess the 13th is as fitting a day as any (except maybe the winter solstice) to read this cover to cover.
On the one hand it’s so predictable it hurts: there’s nothing here I hadn’t seen before in terms of plot beats (even tho I rarely engage with horror in any medium). On the other, it works because of its needle-sharp focus on tragic characters and their baggage, and its evocation of a remote, fading township abandoned by almost everyone with a duty to care about it.
I was engaged in spite of myself (hence reading it in one absorbed day), altho it’s probably one for the literary thrillseeker / occasional horror tourist rather than a true genre aficionado.
Full review
3.5 stars
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content note: pet deaths
On the one hand it’s so predictable it hurts: there’s nothing here I hadn’t seen before in terms of plot beats (even tho I rarely engage with horror in any medium). On the other, it works because of its needle-sharp focus on tragic characters and their baggage, and its evocation of a remote, fading township abandoned by almost everyone with a duty to care about it.
I was engaged in spite of myself (hence reading it in one absorbed day), altho it’s probably one for the literary thrillseeker / occasional horror tourist rather than a true genre aficionado.
Full review
3.5 stars
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content note: pet deaths
October 18, 2019
READ THIS BOOK PLEASE! If you’re attention span only reached this far, at least I got the main message across. Read. This. I would’ve give it 6 stars if I could.
So why should you?
How is this her first book? It’s such an expertly written novel. Incredible prose. Exhilarating suspense. And a main character so fully realized I forget he is fiction. It’s a unique premise, a little reminiscent of Bird Box, but I prefer this novel over that. She writes with such grace and confidence, conjuring up the power that Stephen King has done over the decades. I was on the edge of my seat reading this and I want more people to discover her. I want her to write more books. Especially suspenseful horror stuff like this.
A new master of horror? A new Stephen King?
So why should you?
How is this her first book? It’s such an expertly written novel. Incredible prose. Exhilarating suspense. And a main character so fully realized I forget he is fiction. It’s a unique premise, a little reminiscent of Bird Box, but I prefer this novel over that. She writes with such grace and confidence, conjuring up the power that Stephen King has done over the decades. I was on the edge of my seat reading this and I want more people to discover her. I want her to write more books. Especially suspenseful horror stuff like this.
A new master of horror? A new Stephen King?
January 10, 2025
A slow-building but chilling story. I strongly identified with many of the situations Pete went on through, which increased my tension and unease. A good ending, with the coldness typical of a good horror story. And damn, it gave me an extra dose of fear and suffering since I'm an animal lover.
★★★★★
★★★★★
October 27, 2019
**Review originally posted HERE on Sci-Fi & Scary**
I had to take a bit to process between finishing this book and writing my review. Soon hit me in a way I was not at all anticipating and has left me with a rare (for me) and profound book hangover. I’ve actually had a hard time getting my thoughts on this one down, because really all I want to do is cry about it for a bit, and then scream at all of you to read this gorgeous, horrifying book!
The town of Nebulah, reduced to six residents, is plagued by a violent mist which appears each night to torment those who remain. From dusk until dawn, they are besieged in their own homes, the locks on their doors and windows the only protection they have from the beings in the mist, eager to destroy them. The last few residents are desperate to hold onto their homes, having nowhere else to go. But as their numbers continue to dwindle and a stranger arrives with an ominous warning of death, Pete must consider whether life in Nebulah is worth dying for.
I found myself absolutely riveted to the story, and once I hit a certain point, I could not put it down! It’s been a while since I’ve had a book completely sink its claws into me, and it’s reassuring to know that it can still happen. The setup for this novel is extremely atmospheric. Much like the mist itself, the plot lulled me into a sense of calm, only to sneak up and absolutely demolish me with terror and devastation. This book is not only scary as hell, but it packs one emotional blow after another. The ambiguity surrounding the mist added an extra layer of terror to the story, keeping its origins and motivations unknown and therefore unpredictable. The relationships between the characters were wonderfully fleshed out, especially with the friendship between Pete, Milly and Li. This book is definitely filled with horror, enough so that I found myself jumping at noises in the night a couple of times, but there is so, so much heart and warmth at its core, and that made the events of the novel all the more terrifying.
Soon is an extremely effective bit of psychological horror, with just enough of a supernatural element to keep things fresh. I know that this is a novel that will stay with me for a long, long time. This will for sure be in my top 5 at the end of the year, and I cannot recommend it enough!
I had to take a bit to process between finishing this book and writing my review. Soon hit me in a way I was not at all anticipating and has left me with a rare (for me) and profound book hangover. I’ve actually had a hard time getting my thoughts on this one down, because really all I want to do is cry about it for a bit, and then scream at all of you to read this gorgeous, horrifying book!
The town of Nebulah, reduced to six residents, is plagued by a violent mist which appears each night to torment those who remain. From dusk until dawn, they are besieged in their own homes, the locks on their doors and windows the only protection they have from the beings in the mist, eager to destroy them. The last few residents are desperate to hold onto their homes, having nowhere else to go. But as their numbers continue to dwindle and a stranger arrives with an ominous warning of death, Pete must consider whether life in Nebulah is worth dying for.
I found myself absolutely riveted to the story, and once I hit a certain point, I could not put it down! It’s been a while since I’ve had a book completely sink its claws into me, and it’s reassuring to know that it can still happen. The setup for this novel is extremely atmospheric. Much like the mist itself, the plot lulled me into a sense of calm, only to sneak up and absolutely demolish me with terror and devastation. This book is not only scary as hell, but it packs one emotional blow after another. The ambiguity surrounding the mist added an extra layer of terror to the story, keeping its origins and motivations unknown and therefore unpredictable. The relationships between the characters were wonderfully fleshed out, especially with the friendship between Pete, Milly and Li. This book is definitely filled with horror, enough so that I found myself jumping at noises in the night a couple of times, but there is so, so much heart and warmth at its core, and that made the events of the novel all the more terrifying.
Soon is an extremely effective bit of psychological horror, with just enough of a supernatural element to keep things fresh. I know that this is a novel that will stay with me for a long, long time. This will for sure be in my top 5 at the end of the year, and I cannot recommend it enough!
August 14, 2023
Despite being misled by the cover and synopsis into thinking this one was going to be a snowy horror, I still ended up loving this Australian based literary horror novel.
This novel is set in a small Aus town in the middle of nowhere, with only 5 remaining residents, that is plagued by murderous mist... sounds stupid when you say it out loud but it's actually a very well written and disturbing story.
The isolation element of the story is something I love in books, its the perfect scenario for bad things to happen and gives the whole book that 'on edge' feeling that you want from a horror novel, and it was done really well in this instance!
This definitely felt more like a literary-horror fiction novel than it did just pure horror. It was very character focused throughout. It takes you through the life and emotions of our main character, Pete, in a really real and raw way. So many of the thoughts and feelings Pete went through were totally relatable, from fear, loneliness, and family estrangement to true happiness, friendship, and love. All were detailed so well and, as a reader, I could easily put myself in the characters shoes.
I am deducting one star based purely on the fact that there we several incidences in which Pete's narrative held some outdated opinions and views that I think could have been left of out the novel without affecting the story. For example, likening having depression to being an 'invalid', noting a woman didn't have 'usual female interests', and pointedly staring at a man reading a magazine with the word 'metrosexual' on the cover. It was all unnecessary and uncomfortable to read.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was a slow starter for me, but once I got into it I was hooked! It certainly wasn't full of scares, but the few scenes of horror that there were, were beautifully creepy!
This novel is set in a small Aus town in the middle of nowhere, with only 5 remaining residents, that is plagued by murderous mist... sounds stupid when you say it out loud but it's actually a very well written and disturbing story.
The isolation element of the story is something I love in books, its the perfect scenario for bad things to happen and gives the whole book that 'on edge' feeling that you want from a horror novel, and it was done really well in this instance!
This definitely felt more like a literary-horror fiction novel than it did just pure horror. It was very character focused throughout. It takes you through the life and emotions of our main character, Pete, in a really real and raw way. So many of the thoughts and feelings Pete went through were totally relatable, from fear, loneliness, and family estrangement to true happiness, friendship, and love. All were detailed so well and, as a reader, I could easily put myself in the characters shoes.
I am deducting one star based purely on the fact that there we several incidences in which Pete's narrative held some outdated opinions and views that I think could have been left of out the novel without affecting the story. For example, likening having depression to being an 'invalid', noting a woman didn't have 'usual female interests', and pointedly staring at a man reading a magazine with the word 'metrosexual' on the cover. It was all unnecessary and uncomfortable to read.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was a slow starter for me, but once I got into it I was hooked! It certainly wasn't full of scares, but the few scenes of horror that there were, were beautifully creepy!
November 23, 2019
3.5 Soon is partly inspired by the true story of the Australian town of Wittenoom, an abestos-contaminated site where three residents still remain. This book is a fictional account of what might be, only here the town of Nebulah dies after a mystery mist arrives. The concept is similar to Stephen King’s The Mist but the book focuses on the loss and loneliness of a group of six people relying on each other for survival.
The protagonist, Pete, is a retired former police officer, estranged from his family. The story deals with his guilt and depression, his desire to protect others as their safety circle gets tighter. There are flashbacks to his past as we learn why he still stays in Nebulah. His relationship with the other town inhabitants is also described in detail. I found the writing poetic and the location atmospheric. I thought the threat of the mists is convincing, and there are some unnerving scenes when they are unleashed.
What didn’t work for me was I felt the ending flouts the previously established rules of the mists in order to ramp up the scares. I was like “Wait, it can do that now?” which took me out of the story. Then again, the mists isn’t fully explained. Overall, this book is a character study in a story of survival and friendship rather than a straight up horror story. I found the isolation and loneliness experienced by the characters more terrifying than the mists. (Note: this book contains multiple scenes of suicides and animal deaths)
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
The protagonist, Pete, is a retired former police officer, estranged from his family. The story deals with his guilt and depression, his desire to protect others as their safety circle gets tighter. There are flashbacks to his past as we learn why he still stays in Nebulah. His relationship with the other town inhabitants is also described in detail. I found the writing poetic and the location atmospheric. I thought the threat of the mists is convincing, and there are some unnerving scenes when they are unleashed.
What didn’t work for me was I felt the ending flouts the previously established rules of the mists in order to ramp up the scares. I was like “Wait, it can do that now?” which took me out of the story. Then again, the mists isn’t fully explained. Overall, this book is a character study in a story of survival and friendship rather than a straight up horror story. I found the isolation and loneliness experienced by the characters more terrifying than the mists. (Note: this book contains multiple scenes of suicides and animal deaths)
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
November 28, 2017
Yikes, horror/speculative fiction, what was I thinking?! This book is really a five star read, I just couldn't bring myself to say I admired horror that much. Set in rural Western Australia, it tells the story of a (shrinking) group of people facing terrible danger every night. Mists, ghosts, over-imagination, who knows? It's brilliantly written, a 99% normal world is set up, full of interesting characters. The plot is clever, I couldn't see what was coming next, but it led me on from page to page until I finished it in one night. It was very late, very dark and quiet, I had to get up and make a cuppa, do something else to avoid going to bed with such cataclysmic things on my mind. I can see why this writing won the Tasmanian prize for unpublished script this year.
November 13, 2020
Soon is a melancholic slice of supernatural outback angst. There are a couple spooky moments but not really a lot of story. A depressed divorced guy lives in a dwindling small town cursed by night creatures who grab you after dark. You’d think more people would leave; but some people just exist to live on the fringes of things. There’s an interesting social metaphor going on about self destruction, class, personal responsibility and such and it goes down pretty smooth but it’s pretty light on action and suspense.
July 16, 2021
This was the perfect binge read for me. It has everything I look for in horror. I loved it and am forcing my dad to do a mini-book club with me because I think he will love it too.
March 15, 2025
I really wanted to like this book. The setup, while being reminiscent of The Mist by Stephen King, is inventive enough to be intriguing. A small group of retirees who suddenly find themselves in a haunted town in the middle of nowhere Australia with no means of escape. It lends an air of realism to things – haven’t you ever watched/read a haunted house story and wondered how people could just leave their house and mortgage with no repercussions?
The issue is that the book is frankly kind of boring. In between the somewhat sparse scary bits, there is a lot of human interest and character development for our protagonist. Which would be fine, if our protagonist wasn’t such a twat. He’s a retired ex-cop who happens to be intensely homophobic, who literally ignored his wife while she was mentally unwell until she crumbled and rightfully earned a lifetime of loathing from his daughter.
The supporting cast are briefly introduced and end up being almost entirely one dimensional, including the random character who is somehow a stand-in for his daughter, despite knowing her for a whopping 12 hours. The final act of the book is unsatisfying and there simply isn’t enough sympathy for our “hero” to appreciate his heroics. The redemption arc isn’t fully realized, and the conclusion is abrupt.
Despite having a lot of promise, this one falls flat.
The issue is that the book is frankly kind of boring. In between the somewhat sparse scary bits, there is a lot of human interest and character development for our protagonist. Which would be fine, if our protagonist wasn’t such a twat. He’s a retired ex-cop who happens to be intensely homophobic, who literally ignored his wife while she was mentally unwell until she crumbled and rightfully earned a lifetime of loathing from his daughter.
The supporting cast are briefly introduced and end up being almost entirely one dimensional, including the random character who is somehow a stand-in for his daughter, despite knowing her for a whopping 12 hours. The final act of the book is unsatisfying and there simply isn’t enough sympathy for our “hero” to appreciate his heroics. The redemption arc isn’t fully realized, and the conclusion is abrupt.
Despite having a lot of promise, this one falls flat.
October 28, 2019
This is marketed as a horror and I think that's a bit of a stretch. Really I think this book is more of a literary fiction book.
I really didn't like this book. I found it incredibly dull and tedious. I really couldn't connect to the writing at all.
On the back of the book it is described as being a cross between Jane Harper's the dry and bird box. It really isn't like bird box and the only reason its compared to the dry is because it's set in Australia.
I think a better comparison would be the mist by Stephen king. I think this book may have even been inspired by the short story because there was a lot of similarities.
I also didn't like the fact there was no chapters. It just dragged and it was hard to follow the story.
I didn't know whose perspective I was reading from half the time. Granted I didn't really like or connect to any of the characters.
This book has a good idea but tbe execution was poor. It's nothing like bird box and I would have never compared the two together.
Overall, this was a disappointing read as the concept was cool but the execution missed the mark
I really didn't like this book. I found it incredibly dull and tedious. I really couldn't connect to the writing at all.
On the back of the book it is described as being a cross between Jane Harper's the dry and bird box. It really isn't like bird box and the only reason its compared to the dry is because it's set in Australia.
I think a better comparison would be the mist by Stephen king. I think this book may have even been inspired by the short story because there was a lot of similarities.
I also didn't like the fact there was no chapters. It just dragged and it was hard to follow the story.
I didn't know whose perspective I was reading from half the time. Granted I didn't really like or connect to any of the characters.
This book has a good idea but tbe execution was poor. It's nothing like bird box and I would have never compared the two together.
Overall, this was a disappointing read as the concept was cool but the execution missed the mark
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