Mindworm

by David Pollard

The placid life of a college librarian is plunged into a desperate fight for survival when he witnesses the death of his only friend. Suddenly he is forced to confront disturbing changes in his nature and appetites and their consequences. Suspected of murder and pursued by an implacable police detective he runs - but is he running from the law or from himself?

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

Released from paid employment over ten years ago by 'retirement' David got involved with his life time passion for all aspects of the theatre.

'I just love an audience!'

Acting, directing and an immersion in theatre technology led naturally to writing for the stage - several plays and a couple of awards later a play just turned into a novel as he was writing it - that's how 'The Alienation of Ludovic Weiss' came to be written.

David is also a fan of short stories - especially the work of M R James, E F Benson and Algernon Blackwood. All of which led him to produce the stories which are collected in his second publication 'His Cat and Other Strange Tales'.

David remarks 'It seems I have a natural bent for writing the macabre.'

David now describes himself as a Teller of Tales in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson - hence his website address Thetusitala.co.uk - from the Samoan word for Teller of Tales.

His plays are published by LazyBee Scripts.

David lives in Hereford.

Reviews

[Eclectic Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every paradise harbours a serpent.

If you have ever had a voracious appetite for reading, this book will take you to the next level.

When a college librarian discovers a new and deadly ability he cannot contain, he starts hunting.  But the hunter becomes the hunted, and he has to take matters into his own hands. Be careful what you wish for.

I can't go into a lot of detail in this eery tale because I don't want to give away the plot. Let's just say that this novella is sinister and intense with a succubus kind of feel.  In a note of genius, the author does not reveal the protagonist's name which I didn't notice until halfway through. If you enjoy creepy, supernatural plotlines with a loose ending, give this book a try.

Thank you to Mr. Pollard for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectations of a positive review.

[Rajiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

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This book is short, yet intense, and I was glued to the pages.

Firstly, the author created a very unique plot with an interesting protagonist that made the story come alive. The protagonist was fascinating! I don’t think the story reveals his name (or if it is then I must have missed it). Initially, the story is a bit bumpy for the first few pages because I didn’t know what is happening. But, as soon as I understood the main character’s powers, the story was on fire. Moreover, I loved how Lieutenant Stride chases the character repeatedly. I really liked Stride and his determination to nail down the fugitive. Similarly, I also enjoyed Claudine as the supporting character and her relation and Greta.

However, while I really enjoyed the story, the pacing felt too fast. The author moves the plot forward with every sentence. As a fast reader, I really had to push myself to slow down to keep up with the pace. Also, there were some details left open-ended like how he got his powers, and if Claudine is related to him or not (since they have a lot in common). Moreover, all the characters are very interesting; yet after reading the book, you feel like you didn’t really know them very well to connect with.

Apart from that, I really liked this! I hope this is the start of a series because there is so much potential in the story-line. I can see the protagonist facing many challenges and surviving a variety of situations with his power/curse. Overall, Mindworm is very entertaining if you are looking for a creepy, supernatural thriller.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis of this book caught my attention immediately. I naturally have some compulsion to draw towards other book-minded folks, as would be expected really. Not only that though, but there’s enough there to form an idea in your mind of what it’s about but also keep you guessing. In the end, Mindworm was unlike anything I expected... in a good way! It is a lot more sinister and had more of a fantasy/supernatural element than I anticipated. I love that kind of thing, so that worked well for me! If you like supernatural as well then Mindworm is the perfect novella to pick up.

At around 100 pages Mindworm is quite a short read. Even so, there is plenty of action driving the plot forward and compelling you find out what happens next. Each chapter is concise as well, so Mindworm is really easy to read as a result – I personally read it in a couple of sittings.

Given the length and plotline of the story, I think there are a good number of main and supporting characters. The story is told from the perspective of our main character the librarian, but there is a whole host of characters that flesh out the story. Equally, each character is distinctive and so there aren’t too many to make it difficult to remember who is who. How much each character is developed is really dependent on their significance in the story. Some were only quite superficial but they only had a small impact on the plot, so overall it’s proportional.

Mindworm is an enjoyable novella to pick up if you are looking for a quick, intense and sinister read. The book could definitely remain standalone, but I think there is potential to expand this into a series. It’ll be interesting to see whether this does in fact happen. I would definitely pick up any future books based on what I have read already!