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Dr. Cooper Allen #1
Sixteen Horses
Sixteen horses dead. Each buried with a single eye facing the sun . . .
In the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, the heads of sixteen horses are found buried in circles, with only their eyes exposed to the light of the low winter sun. The local police call upon forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen to assist with this uniquely disturbing case.
In the weeks that follow, investigators uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in this community: disappearances, arson, and mutilations, all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself. And as the town panics, not everything in Ilmarsh is as it seems. . . Dark days follow, then Cooper finds herself working with local police detective Alec Nichols to uncover a frightening mystery.
A literary thriller from a stunning new talent, Sixteen Horses is about enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind.
In the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, the heads of sixteen horses are found buried in circles, with only their eyes exposed to the light of the low winter sun. The local police call upon forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen to assist with this uniquely disturbing case.
In the weeks that follow, investigators uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in this community: disappearances, arson, and mutilations, all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself. And as the town panics, not everything in Ilmarsh is as it seems. . . Dark days follow, then Cooper finds herself working with local police detective Alec Nichols to uncover a frightening mystery.
A literary thriller from a stunning new talent, Sixteen Horses is about enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind.
464 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2021
216 people are currently reading
4907 people want to read
About the author
Greg Buchanan
2 books126 followersGreg Buchanan is a BAFTA-longlisted writer for interactive and screen. His acclaimed debut novel SIXTEEN HORSES was selected for BBC Two's Between The Covers and was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. A TV adaptation produced by Gaumont Television is on the way. His second novel CONSUMED is out summer 2023.
Greg also teaches a writing interactive narrative workshop, see his website for further details.
Greg studied English at the University of Cambridge and completed a PhD at King’s College London in identification and ethics. He is a graduate of UEA’s Creative Writing MA.
Twitter: @gregbuchanan
Instagram: @gregbuchananwriter
Greg also teaches a writing interactive narrative workshop, see his website for further details.
Greg studied English at the University of Cambridge and completed a PhD at King’s College London in identification and ethics. He is a graduate of UEA’s Creative Writing MA.
Twitter: @gregbuchanan
Instagram: @gregbuchananwriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 640 reviews
April 13, 2021
Greg Buchanan's debut is a chilling slow burn of a literary mystery that ventures into gothic and horror territory, set in the dying English seaside town of Illmarsh with many living precarious and impoverished lives. It is bleak, atmospheric, disturbing, without a scintilla of light or hope, a novel that opens with the discovery on Well Farm of partially buried 16 horses heads with an eye facing up to the sky, with their tails nearby. Who could possibly be responsible for this macabre act, mutilating, murdering and decapitating the horses, horses that belonged to several different owners? Investigating is police detective, DS Alec Nichols, whose wife, Elizabeth had died from cancer, living with his young son, Simon. He is helped by a forensic veterinarian, Dr Cooper Allen, an outsider initially brought in for 4 days.
It turns out this terrifying event is merely an opening crime that has numerous edgy layers, past and present, and repercussions, including that of contamination and poisoning that results in a major incident. A narrative that reveals a town and people where the serial abuse, torture and killing of animals are recurrent happenings, a place where people are threatened and blackmailed, harbour secrets and hate, have mental health issues, there are numerous deaths, live fragmented despairing lives, endure trauma, guilt, grief, are irretrievably broken beyond repair, a community in which there is the presence of pure evil. None of the characters are as they first appear as the reader is hit by revelation after revelation, including Nichols and Allen. In this character driven and haunted story, there is the historical 1942 Gunard Island incineration of sheep, a government that tested weapons against sheep without cleaning up after themselves.
This is a novel that I cannot in all honesty say I enjoyed, it was just too dark for me at times, with its abuse of animals and vets facing the eternal conundrum in their profession, how to save the animals from their owners, given animals have no rights. Buchanan is undoubtedly a talented author, his writing is evocative, if splintered in its storytelling. This is a compulsive, thought provoking and original novel, just do not expect it to be like normal crime and mystery reading fare, although it has its share of twists and turns. I would recommend this for those readers that seek the darkest themes and corners in humanity. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
It turns out this terrifying event is merely an opening crime that has numerous edgy layers, past and present, and repercussions, including that of contamination and poisoning that results in a major incident. A narrative that reveals a town and people where the serial abuse, torture and killing of animals are recurrent happenings, a place where people are threatened and blackmailed, harbour secrets and hate, have mental health issues, there are numerous deaths, live fragmented despairing lives, endure trauma, guilt, grief, are irretrievably broken beyond repair, a community in which there is the presence of pure evil. None of the characters are as they first appear as the reader is hit by revelation after revelation, including Nichols and Allen. In this character driven and haunted story, there is the historical 1942 Gunard Island incineration of sheep, a government that tested weapons against sheep without cleaning up after themselves.
This is a novel that I cannot in all honesty say I enjoyed, it was just too dark for me at times, with its abuse of animals and vets facing the eternal conundrum in their profession, how to save the animals from their owners, given animals have no rights. Buchanan is undoubtedly a talented author, his writing is evocative, if splintered in its storytelling. This is a compulsive, thought provoking and original novel, just do not expect it to be like normal crime and mystery reading fare, although it has its share of twists and turns. I would recommend this for those readers that seek the darkest themes and corners in humanity. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
April 2, 2021
Where do I start with this one? A first time author I believe? If so, what a debut! Maybe not without it’s faults, and I’m sure it will not be for many people but, I was absolutely mesmerised by this.
Set in the English seaside town of IImarsh, a town that is well past its sell by date and falling apart(as much the star of this book as the characters),when a farmer and his daughter discover the heads of sixteen horses buried in a circle on their land one early morning, Alec, the local detective goes out to investigate. The heads are buried on their sides, all with one eye above ground, the tails in a bundle near by.
Realising they need some specialist help, they call on the help of forensic veterinarian,Cooper to take a closer look. Herself and Alec reluctantly team up to try and find out what has happened and what is going on in the town.
That’s all you need to know. That’s all I knew going into this.
I felt I needed to read this book with a towel beside me such was the atmosphere dripping from the pages(ok I read it on kindle but the point still stands). I’ve never read a book before where the whodunnit part of the book or the mystery wasn’t that important to me. The writing. Bloody hell. I’m no literary snob, far from it, but the writing here was mesmeric. Unsettling, intriguing, oozing atmosphere, dark, gothic, pyhscotic, I could go on.
It feels like this book takes place in an alternative universe. A near post apocalyptic feel to it. The book is so incredibly dark, a little like the constant chiming of a bell at a funeral. The thing is, this was hugely enjoyable to read.
I’m sure if I dug down into it I could pick apart some parts, maybe even some plot holes, but it’s all irrelevant because what Greg Buchanan does is take you by the hand and lead you through a dark door and ever so slowly walks you through to the other side. Breathtakingly beautiful to read, I was trying to think of comparisons to the feeling of reading this. Maybe a David Lynch or Coen Brothers film.
Or the film Se7en. Remember that? The atmosphere of that film. Every outdoor shot it was raining, every indoor shot lowly lit, that is this book. That same feeling.
This is one I’d like to read again for the pure joy of it. Hard to put a tag on it. Noir? Gothic? Thriller? Police procedural? Social commentary?
Who cares. Maybe a bit of all but it’s certainly it’s own beast.(pun intended)
An absolute corker. Go read it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set in the English seaside town of IImarsh, a town that is well past its sell by date and falling apart(as much the star of this book as the characters),when a farmer and his daughter discover the heads of sixteen horses buried in a circle on their land one early morning, Alec, the local detective goes out to investigate. The heads are buried on their sides, all with one eye above ground, the tails in a bundle near by.
Realising they need some specialist help, they call on the help of forensic veterinarian,Cooper to take a closer look. Herself and Alec reluctantly team up to try and find out what has happened and what is going on in the town.
That’s all you need to know. That’s all I knew going into this.
I felt I needed to read this book with a towel beside me such was the atmosphere dripping from the pages(ok I read it on kindle but the point still stands). I’ve never read a book before where the whodunnit part of the book or the mystery wasn’t that important to me. The writing. Bloody hell. I’m no literary snob, far from it, but the writing here was mesmeric. Unsettling, intriguing, oozing atmosphere, dark, gothic, pyhscotic, I could go on.
It feels like this book takes place in an alternative universe. A near post apocalyptic feel to it. The book is so incredibly dark, a little like the constant chiming of a bell at a funeral. The thing is, this was hugely enjoyable to read.
I’m sure if I dug down into it I could pick apart some parts, maybe even some plot holes, but it’s all irrelevant because what Greg Buchanan does is take you by the hand and lead you through a dark door and ever so slowly walks you through to the other side. Breathtakingly beautiful to read, I was trying to think of comparisons to the feeling of reading this. Maybe a David Lynch or Coen Brothers film.
Or the film Se7en. Remember that? The atmosphere of that film. Every outdoor shot it was raining, every indoor shot lowly lit, that is this book. That same feeling.
This is one I’d like to read again for the pure joy of it. Hard to put a tag on it. Noir? Gothic? Thriller? Police procedural? Social commentary?
Who cares. Maybe a bit of all but it’s certainly it’s own beast.(pun intended)
An absolute corker. Go read it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2021
One of the worst books I have read and I have read thousands. No idea really what it was all about. Don’t know what happened to one of the main characters, think he was killed but unsure. My advice, don’t bother. Dreadful waste of time, kept thinking all would be revealed but nothing was. Irritating in the extreme.
April 15, 2021
Many thanks to Net Galley, Pan Macmillan, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
Simultaneously captivating but at the same time, deeply disturbing, Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan gives a new meaning to the word ‘UNNERVING’.
WARNING TO READERS WHO CANNOT ABIDE ANIMAL ABUSE, the scenes are not cruelly graphic but imagination can sometimes be our worst enemy.
“Seagulls swooped from roof to roof. Middle-aged couples sat on benches, mostly silent. The air smelt of dust, salt, skin, tobacco.”
ILMARSH is a long-forgotten pleasure town, a place left to its own decay, devoid of anything new or exciting, a ghost town where every single thing is just waiting to fade into oblivion. But evil lurks in even the remotest corners of the earth as the heads of sixteen horses are discovered in WELL FARM by a farmer and his daughter. Thus starts the deciphering of the myriad strange things that are happening in the town by the lead detective sergeant Alec Nichols and forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen.
The writing technique used by the author is unique. There’s no gradual unfolding of the events in the story, it is more or less like watching a film with one scene cutting to the next with no rhyme or reason. In here, it works in obscuring the story and literally muddles the already muddy water. However, it may seem problematic for those readers who take frequent breaks in between their reading, in which case this jumping from one scene to the next, sometimes, leaving no clues to the narrator of the POV we are reading, may break the flow in the story and make it feel disjointed. That also could be the primary reason why the story and its characters never leave a mark but the town definitely does. Neither Cooper nor Alec induces any warm feeling and made it difficult to connect to them as a reader.
“People thought fiction was the problem-that films, television, games, comics would all desensitize the world to violence and horror. Real things were far harder to care about.”
The claustrophobic foreboding that has been created by the author was simply brilliant. The sounds, the description of the town and its people, the atmospheric thrill give a gothic vibe that was mind-blowing. But there were parts of the story, like in the middle, that lost its grip on me. It doesn’t matter thou, honestly, even the unveiling of the mystery didn’t seem important whilst reading, coz the author mesmerizes you with his story-telling. The whole uneasy unsettling dark aura that Greg Buchanan creates in his debut is worth a read and for that alone, I am going with 3.5 stars.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
Simultaneously captivating but at the same time, deeply disturbing, Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan gives a new meaning to the word ‘UNNERVING’.
WARNING TO READERS WHO CANNOT ABIDE ANIMAL ABUSE, the scenes are not cruelly graphic but imagination can sometimes be our worst enemy.
“Seagulls swooped from roof to roof. Middle-aged couples sat on benches, mostly silent. The air smelt of dust, salt, skin, tobacco.”
ILMARSH is a long-forgotten pleasure town, a place left to its own decay, devoid of anything new or exciting, a ghost town where every single thing is just waiting to fade into oblivion. But evil lurks in even the remotest corners of the earth as the heads of sixteen horses are discovered in WELL FARM by a farmer and his daughter. Thus starts the deciphering of the myriad strange things that are happening in the town by the lead detective sergeant Alec Nichols and forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen.
The writing technique used by the author is unique. There’s no gradual unfolding of the events in the story, it is more or less like watching a film with one scene cutting to the next with no rhyme or reason. In here, it works in obscuring the story and literally muddles the already muddy water. However, it may seem problematic for those readers who take frequent breaks in between their reading, in which case this jumping from one scene to the next, sometimes, leaving no clues to the narrator of the POV we are reading, may break the flow in the story and make it feel disjointed. That also could be the primary reason why the story and its characters never leave a mark but the town definitely does. Neither Cooper nor Alec induces any warm feeling and made it difficult to connect to them as a reader.
“People thought fiction was the problem-that films, television, games, comics would all desensitize the world to violence and horror. Real things were far harder to care about.”
The claustrophobic foreboding that has been created by the author was simply brilliant. The sounds, the description of the town and its people, the atmospheric thrill give a gothic vibe that was mind-blowing. But there were parts of the story, like in the middle, that lost its grip on me. It doesn’t matter thou, honestly, even the unveiling of the mystery didn’t seem important whilst reading, coz the author mesmerizes you with his story-telling. The whole uneasy unsettling dark aura that Greg Buchanan creates in his debut is worth a read and for that alone, I am going with 3.5 stars.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
March 27, 2021
No book should explain the motives and reasonings for a crime in an epilogue, especially not through a dialogue between the investigator and a therapist. That’s just so lazy!! and means that although you can guess who the killer is, you are never given any actual clues and reasons before the “big” reveal.
The beginning was rather promising, and I enjoyed the contemplations on society’s view on animal abuse and how little are these acts punished by law. However, the rest of the book reads like a prelude - and I couldn’t help thinking this will be a first book in a series about a quirky crime investigator who is not a police officer but a vet.
The beginning was rather promising, and I enjoyed the contemplations on society’s view on animal abuse and how little are these acts punished by law. However, the rest of the book reads like a prelude - and I couldn’t help thinking this will be a first book in a series about a quirky crime investigator who is not a police officer but a vet.
November 1, 2023
Reasons for this rating
16 HORSES
Such an interesting title no? And the crime; so unique! But in reality the reason horses were used were bec they had the faintest connection to one of the victims: oooo so the girl I want to get back at liked horses, and I’m doing 16 bec that’s how old she was. FUK U. THATS SO LAME. The reviews being like “a UniQue CrImE yoU’LL eVer rEaD abOuT” no how bout fuk u, you liar.
Then why all the unnecessary details about “1 eye facing the winter sun” huh? You know how many times the author mentioned that detail. Why try to put in creepy edgy details when they’ll have 0 significance to anything in the end?
RED HERRINGS
There’s good red herrings, and then there’s realizing that this book could have been so much shorter and you had to read all these blocks of boring text for no damn reason.
Tell me why I need POVs from Ada, or Frank the vet. Tell me why Charles killed himself? What so Simon found out he likes kiddy porn and uses him to help him commit the crime or something? It’s never talked about at all.
MISERABLE CHARACTERS
it was such a chore to read these povs I swear. Obviously this crime turned personal but the actual people at the heart of this story are so. Damn. Boring. All of them are sad and edgy but not in an interesting way that makes you more curious. Alec is weird. Why do u think you’re in love with cooper? He’s so boring. He’s as interesting as toilet paper. Cooper? Oh god she’s like an android. Is she even human? Simon is the most lamest “villain” I’ve ever read good god.
WEIRD WRITING
he has this way of writing that leaves you so confused as to what’s going on. That climax scene was so convoluted. Who spotted who, who was fighting who, who’s Theres who’s not there? And I realize all of this is just smoke and mirrors to make you think you’re reading something so sinister and interesting when it’s really not.
So many characters act unusual. So out of character for the roles they’re supposed to be playing.
- cooper is just an forensics person who specializes in animal scenes so why does ada pressure her to solve the case
- why doesn’t Alec act like a police officer at all? Him demanding to get answers out of the little mute girl? That whole scene was just so weird. Him leaving his case files all over the place for anyone to come and see their info. WTF
- cooper’s therapist is the biggest joke of all. What kind of therapist keeps interrupting her patient who’s talking about her trauma to ask her how she feels about it? Instead of letting her speak uninterrupted? The whole therapy is just a way for us the reader to finally get to know the crime. So dumb.
UNNECESSARY SHIT
tell me again what the point of the contaminants were? Was it just some slow way for Simon to kill his dad. How would he know his dad was even gonna get the case?
Just more details that fatten the book but we never get explanations for.
- of Alec married Elizabeth the who the fuck is JULIA?
- why did rebecca’s dad hit her
- wnat was all that with coopers ex and the ewe mug?
- if Simon targets BECCA and alec why TF does he involve cooper too???
- why does Simon cut off his own finger?
- what the heck did his letters mean? Smile could have saved him/ burned to help ppl
Ok Imma stop there. This book is shitty and a major fucking waste of time. Thank you 🙏
16 HORSES
Such an interesting title no? And the crime; so unique! But in reality the reason horses were used were bec they had the faintest connection to one of the victims: oooo so the girl I want to get back at liked horses, and I’m doing 16 bec that’s how old she was. FUK U. THATS SO LAME. The reviews being like “a UniQue CrImE yoU’LL eVer rEaD abOuT” no how bout fuk u, you liar.
Then why all the unnecessary details about “1 eye facing the winter sun” huh? You know how many times the author mentioned that detail. Why try to put in creepy edgy details when they’ll have 0 significance to anything in the end?
RED HERRINGS
There’s good red herrings, and then there’s realizing that this book could have been so much shorter and you had to read all these blocks of boring text for no damn reason.
Tell me why I need POVs from Ada, or Frank the vet. Tell me why Charles killed himself? What so Simon found out he likes kiddy porn and uses him to help him commit the crime or something? It’s never talked about at all.
MISERABLE CHARACTERS
it was such a chore to read these povs I swear. Obviously this crime turned personal but the actual people at the heart of this story are so. Damn. Boring. All of them are sad and edgy but not in an interesting way that makes you more curious. Alec is weird. Why do u think you’re in love with cooper? He’s so boring. He’s as interesting as toilet paper. Cooper? Oh god she’s like an android. Is she even human? Simon is the most lamest “villain” I’ve ever read good god.
WEIRD WRITING
he has this way of writing that leaves you so confused as to what’s going on. That climax scene was so convoluted. Who spotted who, who was fighting who, who’s Theres who’s not there? And I realize all of this is just smoke and mirrors to make you think you’re reading something so sinister and interesting when it’s really not.
So many characters act unusual. So out of character for the roles they’re supposed to be playing.
- cooper is just an forensics person who specializes in animal scenes so why does ada pressure her to solve the case
- why doesn’t Alec act like a police officer at all? Him demanding to get answers out of the little mute girl? That whole scene was just so weird. Him leaving his case files all over the place for anyone to come and see their info. WTF
- cooper’s therapist is the biggest joke of all. What kind of therapist keeps interrupting her patient who’s talking about her trauma to ask her how she feels about it? Instead of letting her speak uninterrupted? The whole therapy is just a way for us the reader to finally get to know the crime. So dumb.
UNNECESSARY SHIT
tell me again what the point of the contaminants were? Was it just some slow way for Simon to kill his dad. How would he know his dad was even gonna get the case?
Just more details that fatten the book but we never get explanations for.
- of Alec married Elizabeth the who the fuck is JULIA?
- why did rebecca’s dad hit her
- wnat was all that with coopers ex and the ewe mug?
- if Simon targets BECCA and alec why TF does he involve cooper too???
- why does Simon cut off his own finger?
- what the heck did his letters mean? Smile could have saved him/ burned to help ppl
Ok Imma stop there. This book is shitty and a major fucking waste of time. Thank you 🙏
October 5, 2020
Sixteen Horses was a bit of a mixed bag for me, if I'm honest.
It's intriguing premise had me quickly invested and speedily reading the first half of the novel.
There was some really well-written extracts too, such as the extract below, which is as equally transfixing as it is disgusting:
'A dead man sits in a room...there is something moving inside his stomach. His right eye is no longer there.
His hunger outlives him. His teeming gut, his microbiome aflame with all the bacteria and symbiotic juices, they carry on. All that life within him continues consuming and breathing until it can breathe no more. He digests himself.'
After half way, however, I really lost interest in this book.
The narrative was very fragmented and at times became hard to follow. It was quite a disjointed reading experience which made it less enjoyable. Although many of the characters weren't 'what they seemed' they weren't fleshed out enough for me to become invested in.
Upon reaching the end I felt that the author had been trying to incorporate a message but it was either one that was ambiguous and unclear, or one that I just didn't care enough to decipher.
Overall, I'm a bit disappointed with this one. It had a very interesting premise, but lacked in execution.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
It's intriguing premise had me quickly invested and speedily reading the first half of the novel.
There was some really well-written extracts too, such as the extract below, which is as equally transfixing as it is disgusting:
'A dead man sits in a room...there is something moving inside his stomach. His right eye is no longer there.
His hunger outlives him. His teeming gut, his microbiome aflame with all the bacteria and symbiotic juices, they carry on. All that life within him continues consuming and breathing until it can breathe no more. He digests himself.'
After half way, however, I really lost interest in this book.
The narrative was very fragmented and at times became hard to follow. It was quite a disjointed reading experience which made it less enjoyable. Although many of the characters weren't 'what they seemed' they weren't fleshed out enough for me to become invested in.
Upon reaching the end I felt that the author had been trying to incorporate a message but it was either one that was ambiguous and unclear, or one that I just didn't care enough to decipher.
Overall, I'm a bit disappointed with this one. It had a very interesting premise, but lacked in execution.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
June 1, 2023
If you can get past the cruelty to animals, this is a cracker of a thriller.
In a small English town, sixteen horses heads are found buried on a nearby farm. Local detective Alec is on the case, but they call in forensic vet (who even knew that was a thing?) Cooper to help out.
Now, if you don't anticipate animal cruelty from that blurb, you're a little naïve. We're starting with decapitated horses right off the bat and we want to know what happened to them. So if you're a bit squeamish, maybe give this one a miss. I WILL say that I am not a huge fan of animal cruelty myself but I found it bearable here. It mostly made sense within the story and it wasn't ever dwelled on in a particularly gruesome manner, so to me it made a point of difference in a world of same/same crime.
Alec is not a particularly good detective, so I was more and more fascinated to see his side of the story play out. Cooper is the big-hearted vet with an eye for crime so she was much more switched on. That being said, there never seemed to be a huge amount of progress made in the case. A lot of the secrets just came out all at once at the end.
This being a 'literary' crime, I found the writing quite refreshing. I'm not usually one to enjoy flouncy writing but it really worked for me in this one. At times I was frustrated to not be getting any answers, but there was also enough between the lines for me to work with.
I feel like there were quite a few things not quite tied up properly, which was a bit disappointing, and I wish there were more explanations about why things were necessary to the story. But for the most part I really enjoyed this novel and found it to be a quick read. The style was quite different for a crime/thriller novel so I found that aspect of it quite refreshing.
If you're looking for a new take on the crime genre, this a great place to start. Be wary: dead animals lie in this direction. But if you can appreciate their place in the story, you should enjoy this as much as I did.
With thanks to Macmillan for a copy
In a small English town, sixteen horses heads are found buried on a nearby farm. Local detective Alec is on the case, but they call in forensic vet (who even knew that was a thing?) Cooper to help out.
Now, if you don't anticipate animal cruelty from that blurb, you're a little naïve. We're starting with decapitated horses right off the bat and we want to know what happened to them. So if you're a bit squeamish, maybe give this one a miss. I WILL say that I am not a huge fan of animal cruelty myself but I found it bearable here. It mostly made sense within the story and it wasn't ever dwelled on in a particularly gruesome manner, so to me it made a point of difference in a world of same/same crime.
Alec is not a particularly good detective, so I was more and more fascinated to see his side of the story play out. Cooper is the big-hearted vet with an eye for crime so she was much more switched on. That being said, there never seemed to be a huge amount of progress made in the case. A lot of the secrets just came out all at once at the end.
This being a 'literary' crime, I found the writing quite refreshing. I'm not usually one to enjoy flouncy writing but it really worked for me in this one. At times I was frustrated to not be getting any answers, but there was also enough between the lines for me to work with.
I feel like there were quite a few things not quite tied up properly, which was a bit disappointing, and I wish there were more explanations about why things were necessary to the story. But for the most part I really enjoyed this novel and found it to be a quick read. The style was quite different for a crime/thriller novel so I found that aspect of it quite refreshing.
If you're looking for a new take on the crime genre, this a great place to start. Be wary: dead animals lie in this direction. But if you can appreciate their place in the story, you should enjoy this as much as I did.
With thanks to Macmillan for a copy
July 16, 2021
I’m being generous with the second star. The entire first half is unbearably gruesome with details of how the eponymous horses are killed. Horrid stuff.
The second part was word salad. I cannot and will not recommend this book to anyone.
The second part was word salad. I cannot and will not recommend this book to anyone.
April 29, 2021
Sixteen Horses is new crime writer Greg Buchanan’s dark and dazzling literary crime debut and is a story of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind. In the long-forgotten small coastal town of Ilmarsh, England, left to decay with no more investment from politicians, a farmer and his daughter discover, much to their despair, that their horses have been killed. Local police detective Alec Nichols is called out to conduct an investigation into the sixteen horses' heads on Well Farm, each partially buried with a single left eye facing the low winter sun and their tails strangely saved nearby. Who would slay these majestic animals in all their glory just to bury them? And for what reason? Gossip is most likely to become rife given the peculiarity of the crime. It also looks like the brutal, merciless slayings followed by the animal’s decapitation can't have been carried out by a lone wolf type; there is more than one deviant at work here. Veterinary Forensics expert Cooper Allen travels to the scene to aide Alec and they quickly join forces to begin an investigation into the seemingly ritualistic incident. Soon a pathogen is discovered lurking within the soil, and many of those who have come into contact with the corpses grow critically ill. Ilmarsh soon finds itself in quarantine to contain the deadly outbreak. A series of crimes comes to light - disappearances, arson, and mutilations--and in the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect.
And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries--no matter the cost. The murders have a connection back to the town’s murky past secrets, and there are plenty of skeletons in the closet in Ilmarsh, so who will sacrifice themselves to get to the truth? This debut literary thriller is quite simply something special; what drew me to Greg's writing and kept me riveted is the extraordinary way he evokes atmosphere - of a lost place, a community left behind - I became immersed in the surroundings almost instantly. It charts the familiarity of disenfranchisement for the people who live in Ilmarsh and we all know that familiarity breeds contempt. The material is haunting, in a unique way, and I know we have found a new novelist with a very special voice indeed. Beautifully written and engrossing from the word go, I found the story to really reflect the dark behaviours and deviant desires of certain people throughout society. It's rich and evocative, intelligent and thought-provoking, and Buchanan brings lots of acute observations and nuance into the narrative. Compulsive, thoroughly original and with plenty of twists in the tale, this is one for those who aren't faint of heart due to the descriptions of animal cruelty and truly the darkest and most disturbing human behaviour, this is a heavy, claustrophobic and almost suffocating read for not only some of the characters but the reader, too. Highly recommended.
And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries--no matter the cost. The murders have a connection back to the town’s murky past secrets, and there are plenty of skeletons in the closet in Ilmarsh, so who will sacrifice themselves to get to the truth? This debut literary thriller is quite simply something special; what drew me to Greg's writing and kept me riveted is the extraordinary way he evokes atmosphere - of a lost place, a community left behind - I became immersed in the surroundings almost instantly. It charts the familiarity of disenfranchisement for the people who live in Ilmarsh and we all know that familiarity breeds contempt. The material is haunting, in a unique way, and I know we have found a new novelist with a very special voice indeed. Beautifully written and engrossing from the word go, I found the story to really reflect the dark behaviours and deviant desires of certain people throughout society. It's rich and evocative, intelligent and thought-provoking, and Buchanan brings lots of acute observations and nuance into the narrative. Compulsive, thoroughly original and with plenty of twists in the tale, this is one for those who aren't faint of heart due to the descriptions of animal cruelty and truly the darkest and most disturbing human behaviour, this is a heavy, claustrophobic and almost suffocating read for not only some of the characters but the reader, too. Highly recommended.
May 22, 2021
There was a point where I almost quit reading this as I was so disturbed by some of the narrative, especially the parts detailing animal abuse. At the point where I gave the book one last chance, the anthrax twist began which helped to keep me reading until the end. I found the prose slightly disjointed and hard to follow at times and there’s not nearly enough satisfying detail included. I didn’t quite understand the connection between Rebecca and Simon, Simon as a character was never fully formed enough to be a suspect or have a motive for this and I still don’t understand the horse connection in all of this. Did the vet help Simon kill the horses? Why would she do that? What happened to the van they would have been transported in? There’s too many outstanding questions about the execution of the plan. Where did he get the anthrax from? Was it Simon killing the animals? Still not really sure about any of it. And the bit with the blackmailing of the pedo? If he killed himself in the end why didn’t he expose the person who made him do things since his life was over anyway.
It’s all felt very professional highly educated authory with the way it has been written without it being a story that needed to be told. I felt a connection to the crumbling seaside town as it reminded me of parts of where I grew up where houses crumble into the sea and farms are shut down to become housing developments.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out when adapted for tv, it’s almost written in a way to suit a modern thriller drama piece. I’m sure it’ll be an enthralling 3 night itv drama soon enough. Not the usual type of book I would pick up, it’s left me feeling hollow and unsatisfied. It’s rare for me to not enjoy a new book but this was a struggle. Back to historical fiction for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
**TRIGER WARNING** ANIMAL ABUSE IS A STRONG THEME IN THIS STORY
In the dying seaside town of Ilmarsh, the heads of sixteen horses are found buried in circles, with only their eye exposed to the light of the low winter sun. The local police call upon forensic veterinarian Cooper Allan to assist with this uniquely disturbing case.
As the police start their investigations into the sixteen horses heads that were buried in a field, darl secrets start to emerge around the local community. The story is not easy to follow. The timeline and narratives jump around. The characters are well developed and believable. The pace is steady but the storyline is hard to read due to the frequent references to animal abuse. But there's something intriguing that keeps you reading. There's plenty of twists to keep you guessing. The story covers: animal abuse, revenge, guilt, punishment and trauma.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PanMacmillan and the author #GregBuchanan for my ARC of #SixteenHorses in exchange for an honest review.
**TRIGER WARNING** ANIMAL ABUSE IS A STRONG THEME IN THIS STORY
In the dying seaside town of Ilmarsh, the heads of sixteen horses are found buried in circles, with only their eye exposed to the light of the low winter sun. The local police call upon forensic veterinarian Cooper Allan to assist with this uniquely disturbing case.
As the police start their investigations into the sixteen horses heads that were buried in a field, darl secrets start to emerge around the local community. The story is not easy to follow. The timeline and narratives jump around. The characters are well developed and believable. The pace is steady but the storyline is hard to read due to the frequent references to animal abuse. But there's something intriguing that keeps you reading. There's plenty of twists to keep you guessing. The story covers: animal abuse, revenge, guilt, punishment and trauma.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PanMacmillan and the author #GregBuchanan for my ARC of #SixteenHorses in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2021
The killing of animals is just too much for me. Reader beware!
June 22, 2022
I enjoyed it until I didn't.
It starts out with the discovery of sixteen killed horses, just their heads - oh, and their tails - in a muddy field. The local police detective and an animal forensic scientist set out to learn what killed them and who and how and why. All very standard for a thriller/horror/mystery read. (I am so not sure which genre this book really is.) But the more you read, the deeper into the mud of the story and the characters' lives you get. (And it is super muddy.) The locale: A fading seaside town, which we are reminded of at least a dozen times. Closed-up shops. Abandoned buildings. The ruined facades of amusement arcades, and so on.
But the dead horses are on the outskirts, on an old farm, and there are also sheep and a deer which wanders into a barn with the sheep and then the family eats the deer. There's also another side story about anthrax and several characters contract it; some don't. (I never did know what that was all about.) There were so many segues and asides and occasional back stories and first we are in one character's head, then the other, and then some random folks, that it was all kind of shifty, as if...
The story is a transparent toy block filled with gel and sparkly stuff. Twist the block one way and it's all sparkles; twist it another and a horse's eye is looking at you. (And yes, that's another constant, references back to the way the dead horses' eyes were all staring at the sun, or something.)
I will say I like being confused by a book - at first. I like watching a detective or forensic specialist sort things out - because I get to do it alongside them as I read. Red herrings. Unreliable witnesses. Confusing evidence. Creepy circumstances. I eat THAT up! But here? Everyone in this book is terribly damaged, emotionally, psychologically, or otherwise and it just bleeds so much into the book you can't see what's going on. (So the transparent gel is really kind of murky.) And in the end...
I wasn't even sure by the last page who killed the horses - oh, and some dogs in some crates - or how and why. And the anthrax? And the girl who was drawing horses and buildings in crayon? (Who WAS she?)
So call me confused as I give this book three stars.
That's all.
It starts out with the discovery of sixteen killed horses, just their heads - oh, and their tails - in a muddy field. The local police detective and an animal forensic scientist set out to learn what killed them and who and how and why. All very standard for a thriller/horror/mystery read. (I am so not sure which genre this book really is.) But the more you read, the deeper into the mud of the story and the characters' lives you get. (And it is super muddy.) The locale: A fading seaside town, which we are reminded of at least a dozen times. Closed-up shops. Abandoned buildings. The ruined facades of amusement arcades, and so on.
But the dead horses are on the outskirts, on an old farm, and there are also sheep and a deer which wanders into a barn with the sheep and then the family eats the deer. There's also another side story about anthrax and several characters contract it; some don't. (I never did know what that was all about.) There were so many segues and asides and occasional back stories and first we are in one character's head, then the other, and then some random folks, that it was all kind of shifty, as if...
The story is a transparent toy block filled with gel and sparkly stuff. Twist the block one way and it's all sparkles; twist it another and a horse's eye is looking at you. (And yes, that's another constant, references back to the way the dead horses' eyes were all staring at the sun, or something.)
I will say I like being confused by a book - at first. I like watching a detective or forensic specialist sort things out - because I get to do it alongside them as I read. Red herrings. Unreliable witnesses. Confusing evidence. Creepy circumstances. I eat THAT up! But here? Everyone in this book is terribly damaged, emotionally, psychologically, or otherwise and it just bleeds so much into the book you can't see what's going on. (So the transparent gel is really kind of murky.) And in the end...
I wasn't even sure by the last page who killed the horses - oh, and some dogs in some crates - or how and why. And the anthrax? And the girl who was drawing horses and buildings in crayon? (Who WAS she?)
So call me confused as I give this book three stars.
That's all.
June 19, 2021
Not as good as I expected. The story is great but I struggled with the style of writing. It was a bit staccato. I get that short sentences help to develop tension but this was overdone. Nevertheless, it was a great premise and the story will, I think, stick with me. The description of the failing sea-side resort and the burned-out pier all resonate with places that many people will have been to. I also found the ending to be a bit confusing. It would be a spoiler to go into it too deeply but I was struggling to unpick the final conflict in the story (I'm sure it's me not paying proper attention and that I should read it again but that's not going to happen). This book was reviewed on BBCs Between the Covers and they all raved about it. Called it a fabulous gothic horror that frightened them half to death. Must have been a different book...
February 13, 2021
Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan is one of the most original crime novels I’ve read. If you’re a fan of literary crime fiction, then you need to read this book. Greg Buchanan is an exciting new voice.
Set in a dying seaside town, Illmarsh, the town and the police are shocked when the corpses of sixteen horses are found buried. Days after the police first come into contact with the horses, people who were there fall desperately ill. What is going on here? What do the murders of the horses mean? And what connection do they have to the dark events that have also taken place in the town?
Sixteen Horses is such a unique crime thriller. It is a stunning debut that will keep you gripped. The atmosphere is very dark and foreboding. It gave me a very uneasy feeling as I was reading it. It seems as though there is no light at all in the village where the events are taking place. The crime is such an unusual one, and it made the book feel very fresh. It’s what made me want to keep reading after I read the opening pages. If you think the opening pages are dark, be prepared, it is about to get a lot darker.
This is not a fast-paced, action-packed crime novel; it is a slow-burner, character-driven novel. I loved Greg Buchanan’s writing style, which pulled me into the story and the setting. Illmarsh itself becomes a character. The opening chapters are so chilling, and I had to know what was going on in the town. Who was behind the crimes that were taking place? It puts all the locals on edge, and I could feel the tension as the novel progressed.
Illmarsh is a town that feels forgotten. It added to the atmosphere. I could picture the town on the coast very well, and Greg Buchanan evokes a real sense of place in his writing. Sixteen Horses is a very immersive book. It will definitely appeal to you if you’re a fan of Chris Whitaker.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what Greg Buchanan writes next. This is a stand-out crime thriller. I am sure that there will be many people talking about it in the months to come. Sixteen Horses is a superb debut which I won’t be forgetting about any time soon.
Set in a dying seaside town, Illmarsh, the town and the police are shocked when the corpses of sixteen horses are found buried. Days after the police first come into contact with the horses, people who were there fall desperately ill. What is going on here? What do the murders of the horses mean? And what connection do they have to the dark events that have also taken place in the town?
Sixteen Horses is such a unique crime thriller. It is a stunning debut that will keep you gripped. The atmosphere is very dark and foreboding. It gave me a very uneasy feeling as I was reading it. It seems as though there is no light at all in the village where the events are taking place. The crime is such an unusual one, and it made the book feel very fresh. It’s what made me want to keep reading after I read the opening pages. If you think the opening pages are dark, be prepared, it is about to get a lot darker.
This is not a fast-paced, action-packed crime novel; it is a slow-burner, character-driven novel. I loved Greg Buchanan’s writing style, which pulled me into the story and the setting. Illmarsh itself becomes a character. The opening chapters are so chilling, and I had to know what was going on in the town. Who was behind the crimes that were taking place? It puts all the locals on edge, and I could feel the tension as the novel progressed.
Illmarsh is a town that feels forgotten. It added to the atmosphere. I could picture the town on the coast very well, and Greg Buchanan evokes a real sense of place in his writing. Sixteen Horses is a very immersive book. It will definitely appeal to you if you’re a fan of Chris Whitaker.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what Greg Buchanan writes next. This is a stand-out crime thriller. I am sure that there will be many people talking about it in the months to come. Sixteen Horses is a superb debut which I won’t be forgetting about any time soon.
May 10, 2021
One of my recent purchases, it was the striking cover that first caught my attention then the description pulled me in completely- Sixteen Horses pulls off a literary magic trick, it really is like nothing you’ve read before.
The descriptive sense of a small town declining fast is truly melancholic, against this backdrop a girl wakes up and stumbles across a truly horrific scene. The ensuing investigation and slow burn mystery is stunning in its complexity and beautifully achieved.
Greg Buchanan writes with an edgy, unnerving style, a seen from the corner of your eye feel to the story unfolding which is both haunting and incredibly powerful. There is no path of least resistance to this book, it creeps up in you in ways I can’t describe and in the end, when all is said and done, the almost dreamlike feel to the read will linger with you.
With gothic undertones, Sixteen Horses is part horror, part mystery and all encompassing, a truly excellent and unique debut and I can’t do anything other than highly recommend it.
The descriptive sense of a small town declining fast is truly melancholic, against this backdrop a girl wakes up and stumbles across a truly horrific scene. The ensuing investigation and slow burn mystery is stunning in its complexity and beautifully achieved.
Greg Buchanan writes with an edgy, unnerving style, a seen from the corner of your eye feel to the story unfolding which is both haunting and incredibly powerful. There is no path of least resistance to this book, it creeps up in you in ways I can’t describe and in the end, when all is said and done, the almost dreamlike feel to the read will linger with you.
With gothic undertones, Sixteen Horses is part horror, part mystery and all encompassing, a truly excellent and unique debut and I can’t do anything other than highly recommend it.
August 23, 2020
Phenomenal.
Full review to follow.
Full review to follow.
May 23, 2021
When I read the synopsis for Sixteen Horses I was not sure that I could read it - animal violence is something that I find hard to stomach. When I received this gifted copy from MacMillan Australia my husband grabbed it and said he would read and review it for me.... so here are his thoughts:
Val McDermid describes it as deeply disconcerting. She is not wrong. From the start this is a traumatic tale. Disturbing in many ways. I normally read crime and horror fiction but I have never read anything like this before. Wow, it is traumatic from start to finish. halfway through I had to stop reading for 24 hours - it is rare for an author to do that to me. But I finished it, the twists and turns kept coming.
This book won't be for everyone, it is hard, gritty and traumatic. The characters are almost predictable, the tired, gruff cop, the assistance from a wary outsider, the locals in their insular lives, but Greg Buchanan twists and spins their lives, their fears, their actions in an unpredictable fashion. All set in a cold seaside town.
Did I say it is traumatic? I don't own a thesaurus. It is not a light read. Disturbing, yes. Unpredictable, yes. Challenging, very
Val McDermid describes it as deeply disconcerting. She is not wrong. From the start this is a traumatic tale. Disturbing in many ways. I normally read crime and horror fiction but I have never read anything like this before. Wow, it is traumatic from start to finish. halfway through I had to stop reading for 24 hours - it is rare for an author to do that to me. But I finished it, the twists and turns kept coming.
This book won't be for everyone, it is hard, gritty and traumatic. The characters are almost predictable, the tired, gruff cop, the assistance from a wary outsider, the locals in their insular lives, but Greg Buchanan twists and spins their lives, their fears, their actions in an unpredictable fashion. All set in a cold seaside town.
Did I say it is traumatic? I don't own a thesaurus. It is not a light read. Disturbing, yes. Unpredictable, yes. Challenging, very
June 20, 2023
I started off with a 2 star rating, but I'm dropping that even lower. The more I think about it, the less I like this book.
The mystery element is what kept me reading and I managed to finish this one, despite the actual reveal and the motivations behind it being utterly unsatisfying and it left me shaking my head at it.
And did I mention the endless amount of animal torture and murder that accompanies all this? Let that be a trigger warning.
The mystery element is what kept me reading and I managed to finish this one, despite the actual reveal and the motivations behind it being utterly unsatisfying and it left me shaking my head at it.
And did I mention the endless amount of animal torture and murder that accompanies all this? Let that be a trigger warning.
November 28, 2021
An extreme disappointment, complete waste of time, didn't realize how much animal cruelty got to me till reading this book. Narrative was fragmented and after finishing it I question the point of any of the twists and turns. Failed to see the motives of he killer. I liked what I THOUGHT this book was about way more than its actual premise. I will have a lot to discuss at book club this week.
January 16, 2022
I had read this book incredibly fast as it was just so good. It's a thriller about a dying town and then something even more horrible happens that just makes things worse. Someone had stole and killed sixteen horses, leaving the heads & tails in a farmer's muddy field. But that is actually just the beginning of the problems, because an unknown killer is out there: someone really twisted and demented. But who? Why? The horses had been stolen from numerous owners. The story also includes many cryptic notes that the Detective has to try and figure out. And why sixteen? Why sixteen horses and not only one or two? Why horses? The story is not really fast paced but a slow burn at a steady pace. And it does rise to a climax at the end too. There were also a few unexpected developments in the plot as well.
The book has lots of twists, with the biggest ones coming at the end. I sure didn't see that coming! In retrospect I guess I should have put a few clues together (as they were right there in the story) but I just wasn't thinking that way. I mean the identity of the killer is shocking! And that is why I hadn't seen it earlier.
I also liked the characters in here too and I think that is one reason why I read this so fast. They are interesting. And many of them in here are depressed people (as the events going on are so disturbing) but they try to hang on and get through it. They don't just sit around and say "woe is me" but try to do things, work on the case or just survive (depending on the individual character). The characters also go through big character arcs, especially Detective Alec Nichols and Forensics Veterinary Cooper Allen. There is also a very isolated teenage girl named Rebecca who is friendless and controlled by her father. She is the one to find the dead horses. I did feel I could relate to her and how she would escape into fantasy worlds in games (reading books is basically the same thing you know)...
The town of Iimarsh England is well described and you feel the hopelessness in the book; how everything is dying and people moving away and places just empty. The setting is perfect for the dark story.
I think the ending is realistic. And everything is tied up neatly. Nothing left hanging or unanswered. But it is not a happy story. Its dark and gloomy but it did not leave me feeling gloomy.
And I did learn one new thing about horses in here oddly enough, about the groove in their teeth. It can be used to age a horse. And talking about the horses now it is sad that the only time that poor Rebecca was happy (and actually looked happy to others) was the day of her one & only riding lesson. That just shows people need horses. They need horse therapy as it can truly help heal people. And people also need to learn to stand up for themselves. A lot of the stuff in the story is about the need to getting others to like you, about fitting in. Well working with horses can give you self confidence (partly because they are such large animals) so it is a real shame that the horses were killed instead of helping these damaged people who were lonely. I don't mean the killer but the others who felt like outcasts (and oddly enough that includes the Detective).
Great story with lots of deep insight into people's lives and what some keep hidden inside.
The book has lots of twists, with the biggest ones coming at the end. I sure didn't see that coming! In retrospect I guess I should have put a few clues together (as they were right there in the story) but I just wasn't thinking that way. I mean the identity of the killer is shocking! And that is why I hadn't seen it earlier.
I also liked the characters in here too and I think that is one reason why I read this so fast. They are interesting. And many of them in here are depressed people (as the events going on are so disturbing) but they try to hang on and get through it. They don't just sit around and say "woe is me" but try to do things, work on the case or just survive (depending on the individual character). The characters also go through big character arcs, especially Detective Alec Nichols and Forensics Veterinary Cooper Allen. There is also a very isolated teenage girl named Rebecca who is friendless and controlled by her father. She is the one to find the dead horses. I did feel I could relate to her and how she would escape into fantasy worlds in games (reading books is basically the same thing you know)...
The town of Iimarsh England is well described and you feel the hopelessness in the book; how everything is dying and people moving away and places just empty. The setting is perfect for the dark story.
I think the ending is realistic. And everything is tied up neatly. Nothing left hanging or unanswered. But it is not a happy story. Its dark and gloomy but it did not leave me feeling gloomy.
And I did learn one new thing about horses in here oddly enough, about the groove in their teeth. It can be used to age a horse. And talking about the horses now it is sad that the only time that poor Rebecca was happy (and actually looked happy to others) was the day of her one & only riding lesson. That just shows people need horses. They need horse therapy as it can truly help heal people. And people also need to learn to stand up for themselves. A lot of the stuff in the story is about the need to getting others to like you, about fitting in. Well working with horses can give you self confidence (partly because they are such large animals) so it is a real shame that the horses were killed instead of helping these damaged people who were lonely. I don't mean the killer but the others who felt like outcasts (and oddly enough that includes the Detective).
Great story with lots of deep insight into people's lives and what some keep hidden inside.
May 17, 2021
It is rare that I plummet to the depths of a 2 star review but I struggled to engage with Sixteen Horses on multiple fronts.
The hook was clever and there were some smart twists along the way. However, the plot is incredibly disjointed. It jumps around, often rambling, but without real purpose or coming together at the end. Much of the prose is overwrought - this isn’t crime literature - this is poorly edited crime fiction. I also have little positive to say about the characters. There wasn’t one that made a real impression on me.
With a strong edit, I would perhaps have enjoyed this more but otherwise, I would not recommend.
The hook was clever and there were some smart twists along the way. However, the plot is incredibly disjointed. It jumps around, often rambling, but without real purpose or coming together at the end. Much of the prose is overwrought - this isn’t crime literature - this is poorly edited crime fiction. I also have little positive to say about the characters. There wasn’t one that made a real impression on me.
With a strong edit, I would perhaps have enjoyed this more but otherwise, I would not recommend.
January 20, 2022
Warrig en verwarrend
Met 14 andere enthousiaste mensen start ik aan de Hebban Leesclub van Zestien Paarden van Greg Buchanan uitgegeven door HarperCollins. Op de omslag zie je een stuk grasland met in de verte een gebouw. De oranjerode kleuren geven de insinuatie van een zonsopgang of zonsondergang. In de lucht cirkelt een groot aantal vogels; aaseters? De ondertitel is "Het verleden is niet begraven. Het haalt je binnenkort in.... ("This was a crime like no other..."). Onderaan staat een aanprijzende quote van schrijver Alex Michaelides. Daar heb ik zelf niet zo veel mee. Ik bepaal zelf of ik een boek wel of niet lees. Meestal omdat ik al meer van de schrijver gelezen heb of omdat de flaptekst/preview me aanspreekt (hetgeen in dit geval zo is). Het ontwerp van de omslag is gemaakt door Pan MacMillan, een van de grootste uitgeverijen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. De vertaling is van Erica Disco. Zij vertaalde ook boeken van Lucinda Riley, Karin Slaughter, Robyn Carr en Christina Lauren. De BBC heeft na twee jaar onderhandelen de rechten van het verhaal gekocht om er een serie van te maken.
De schrijver Greg Buchanan is voor mij een onbekende. Hij studeerde Engels aan de universiteit van Cambridge. Hij ging aan de slag in de wereld van video games. In 2020 bracht hij zijn interactieve spel 'American Election' uit, hetgeen werd genomineerd voor een BAFTA Games award. Zestien Paarden is zijn debuut.
Rechercheur Alec Nichols wordt naar een plaats delict in een weiland van Well Farm geroepen in Ilmarsh. Maar er is geen lijk. In plaats daarvan liggen er 16 paardenhoofden alle met 1 oog onbedekt. Ze roepen de hulp in van forensisch dierenarts Cooper Allen, omdat ze merken dat de zaak groter is dan ze denken.
Het eerste hoofdstuk schetst de toon van het hele boek: wie vermoordt 16 paarden en begraaft de hoofden op een andere plek dan de lichamen? Mensen die niet van dierenmishandeling houden raad ik aan het boek voorbij te lopen.
Het verhaal las voor mij heel verwarrend. De tijdsprongen en de wisselende perspectieven maken het er niet duidelijker op. De schrijver maakt geen woorden vuil aan mooie volzinnen en ingewikkeld taalgebruik. Ik ga ervan uit dat hij zijn lezers wil schokken.
Alle personages in het dorp hebben zo hun geheimen. In het echt weet je ook niet altijd wat er achter iemands voordeur gebeurt, maar hier wordt alles uitvergroot en benadrukt.
Alec Nichols is een zwaar depressieve rechercheur. Hij gaat gebukt onder zo veel verdriet dat hij vaak totaal niet functioneert. Hij woont al een aantal jaar in het dorp, maar kent nog steeds maar weinig mensen. Cooper Allen is al een aantal jaar forensisch dierenarts. Ze probeert door haar integere onderzoek en resultaten de zaak tot een goed einde te brengen. Waar zij de verbinding met haar omgeving probeert te maken, jaagt Alec mensen tegen zich in het harnas. Deze twee tegenpolen ontwikkelen een vreemd soort relatie waarbij ze de zaak op verschillende manieren benaderen.
Het feit dat ik het boek een paar dagen geleden heb uitgelezen en nu al niet echt meer kan vertellen over wat de hoofdpersonen voor mensen zijn, bewijst voor mij dat de personages ondergeschikt zijn aan het effect wat de schrijver wil bereiken met zijn gruwelijkheden en duistere sfeer. Dat is jammer. Aan het eind lezen we wie het heeft gedaan en waarom. Dit zorgt helaas niet voor een mooie afsluiting van alle verhaallijnen en losse flodders waarmee de schrijver ons heeft willen verrassen of verwarren.
Dat de hele wereld lyrisch is over het boek en er gevochten is over de rechten om het te verfilmen, begrijp ik niet. Het was mij te duister, onduidelijk en onbevredigend. Ik sloeg het boek dicht en wist niet zo goed wat ik ervan moest vinden. En eigenlijk weet ik dat nu nog niet.
En toch zitten er echt wel dingen in het verhaal die mij aanspraken zoals de beeldende taal waardoor ik de (vaak gruwelijke) details zo voor me zag. Maar veel moest je tussen de regels doorlezen of was helemaal niet van belang. De schrijver heeft waarschijnlijk een duidelijk beeld voor ogen gehad van wat hij wilde vertellen, maar helaas raakte hij mij kwijt. Het voelde als een storyboard waarbij de verbindende draadjes en gele memoblaadjes door de war zijn geraakt. Blijkbaar zoek ik in een verhaal toch meer samenhang en een duidelijk verloop naar het einde. En vooral miste ik een band met de hoofdpersonen. Dat maakt het niet een boek wat ik anderen zal aanraden.
Met 14 andere enthousiaste mensen start ik aan de Hebban Leesclub van Zestien Paarden van Greg Buchanan uitgegeven door HarperCollins. Op de omslag zie je een stuk grasland met in de verte een gebouw. De oranjerode kleuren geven de insinuatie van een zonsopgang of zonsondergang. In de lucht cirkelt een groot aantal vogels; aaseters? De ondertitel is "Het verleden is niet begraven. Het haalt je binnenkort in.... ("This was a crime like no other..."). Onderaan staat een aanprijzende quote van schrijver Alex Michaelides. Daar heb ik zelf niet zo veel mee. Ik bepaal zelf of ik een boek wel of niet lees. Meestal omdat ik al meer van de schrijver gelezen heb of omdat de flaptekst/preview me aanspreekt (hetgeen in dit geval zo is). Het ontwerp van de omslag is gemaakt door Pan MacMillan, een van de grootste uitgeverijen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. De vertaling is van Erica Disco. Zij vertaalde ook boeken van Lucinda Riley, Karin Slaughter, Robyn Carr en Christina Lauren. De BBC heeft na twee jaar onderhandelen de rechten van het verhaal gekocht om er een serie van te maken.
De schrijver Greg Buchanan is voor mij een onbekende. Hij studeerde Engels aan de universiteit van Cambridge. Hij ging aan de slag in de wereld van video games. In 2020 bracht hij zijn interactieve spel 'American Election' uit, hetgeen werd genomineerd voor een BAFTA Games award. Zestien Paarden is zijn debuut.
Rechercheur Alec Nichols wordt naar een plaats delict in een weiland van Well Farm geroepen in Ilmarsh. Maar er is geen lijk. In plaats daarvan liggen er 16 paardenhoofden alle met 1 oog onbedekt. Ze roepen de hulp in van forensisch dierenarts Cooper Allen, omdat ze merken dat de zaak groter is dan ze denken.
Het eerste hoofdstuk schetst de toon van het hele boek: wie vermoordt 16 paarden en begraaft de hoofden op een andere plek dan de lichamen? Mensen die niet van dierenmishandeling houden raad ik aan het boek voorbij te lopen.
Het verhaal las voor mij heel verwarrend. De tijdsprongen en de wisselende perspectieven maken het er niet duidelijker op. De schrijver maakt geen woorden vuil aan mooie volzinnen en ingewikkeld taalgebruik. Ik ga ervan uit dat hij zijn lezers wil schokken.
Alle personages in het dorp hebben zo hun geheimen. In het echt weet je ook niet altijd wat er achter iemands voordeur gebeurt, maar hier wordt alles uitvergroot en benadrukt.
Alec Nichols is een zwaar depressieve rechercheur. Hij gaat gebukt onder zo veel verdriet dat hij vaak totaal niet functioneert. Hij woont al een aantal jaar in het dorp, maar kent nog steeds maar weinig mensen. Cooper Allen is al een aantal jaar forensisch dierenarts. Ze probeert door haar integere onderzoek en resultaten de zaak tot een goed einde te brengen. Waar zij de verbinding met haar omgeving probeert te maken, jaagt Alec mensen tegen zich in het harnas. Deze twee tegenpolen ontwikkelen een vreemd soort relatie waarbij ze de zaak op verschillende manieren benaderen.
Het feit dat ik het boek een paar dagen geleden heb uitgelezen en nu al niet echt meer kan vertellen over wat de hoofdpersonen voor mensen zijn, bewijst voor mij dat de personages ondergeschikt zijn aan het effect wat de schrijver wil bereiken met zijn gruwelijkheden en duistere sfeer. Dat is jammer. Aan het eind lezen we wie het heeft gedaan en waarom. Dit zorgt helaas niet voor een mooie afsluiting van alle verhaallijnen en losse flodders waarmee de schrijver ons heeft willen verrassen of verwarren.
Dat de hele wereld lyrisch is over het boek en er gevochten is over de rechten om het te verfilmen, begrijp ik niet. Het was mij te duister, onduidelijk en onbevredigend. Ik sloeg het boek dicht en wist niet zo goed wat ik ervan moest vinden. En eigenlijk weet ik dat nu nog niet.
En toch zitten er echt wel dingen in het verhaal die mij aanspraken zoals de beeldende taal waardoor ik de (vaak gruwelijke) details zo voor me zag. Maar veel moest je tussen de regels doorlezen of was helemaal niet van belang. De schrijver heeft waarschijnlijk een duidelijk beeld voor ogen gehad van wat hij wilde vertellen, maar helaas raakte hij mij kwijt. Het voelde als een storyboard waarbij de verbindende draadjes en gele memoblaadjes door de war zijn geraakt. Blijkbaar zoek ik in een verhaal toch meer samenhang en een duidelijk verloop naar het einde. En vooral miste ik een band met de hoofdpersonen. Dat maakt het niet een boek wat ik anderen zal aanraden.
August 5, 2023
Wow, to było... dziwne.
Naprawdę lubię klimat małych miasteczek. Zbrodnie w społecznościach, w których każdy zna każdego wybrzmiewają zupełnie inaczej, ale zaczynając tą książkę kompletnie nie spodziewałam się, że będziemy szukać mordercy... koni. Niestety, ale polski tytuł jest kompletnie od czapu jak dla mnie i nie oddaje klimatu książki, oryginalny ma tu więcej sensu (Sixteen Horses + bardzo ważna jest tytułowa szesnastka!).
Nie do końca wiem, czy są to moje klimaty, bo z jednej strony małe miasteczko i jego tajemnice i sam fakt, co się stało z tymi końmi jest jak najbardziej na plus. Mega zaskoczył mnie ten konsultant, bo tutaj jest nim patolog weterynaryjny, a z czymś takim się jeszcze nie spotkałam. Ogólnie ciężko było się od tego oderwać i czasami ma taki lekki vibe horroru, ale kurde, jest jest ogromne ale. Ja kompletnie miałam gdzieś KTO to zrobił i nawet jakby nie rozwiązali tej zagadki, w ogóle bym się tym nie przejęła, także nie do końca wiem, co mam myśleć. Wiem jednak, że ta pozycja bardzo pozytywnie mnie zaskoczyła, wciągnęła i chętnie przeczytam coś jeszcze od autora!
Naprawdę lubię klimat małych miasteczek. Zbrodnie w społecznościach, w których każdy zna każdego wybrzmiewają zupełnie inaczej, ale zaczynając tą książkę kompletnie nie spodziewałam się, że będziemy szukać mordercy... koni. Niestety, ale polski tytuł jest kompletnie od czapu jak dla mnie i nie oddaje klimatu książki, oryginalny ma tu więcej sensu (Sixteen Horses + bardzo ważna jest tytułowa szesnastka!).
Nie do końca wiem, czy są to moje klimaty, bo z jednej strony małe miasteczko i jego tajemnice i sam fakt, co się stało z tymi końmi jest jak najbardziej na plus. Mega zaskoczył mnie ten konsultant, bo tutaj jest nim patolog weterynaryjny, a z czymś takim się jeszcze nie spotkałam. Ogólnie ciężko było się od tego oderwać i czasami ma taki lekki vibe horroru, ale kurde, jest jest ogromne ale. Ja kompletnie miałam gdzieś KTO to zrobił i nawet jakby nie rozwiązali tej zagadki, w ogóle bym się tym nie przejęła, także nie do końca wiem, co mam myśleć. Wiem jednak, że ta pozycja bardzo pozytywnie mnie zaskoczyła, wciągnęła i chętnie przeczytam coś jeszcze od autora!
March 6, 2022
"Er spürte Staub auf der Haut, den Staub all jener Wesen, die hier gelebt hatten und gestorben waren. Die dunkle Wasseroberfläche schien die Sterne festzuhalten, als stünde der Nachthimmel im Bann des von Schilf gesäumten Sees. Die Form des Gewässers glich einer auf die Erde gestürzten Mondsichel."
Auf einer Farm eines entlegenen englisches Dorfes werden 16 Pferdeköpfe in zwei Kreisen eingegraben gefunden. Wer hat diese grausame Tat begangen? Veterinärforensikerin Dr. Cooper Allen und der Polizist Alec Nichols sollen diesen Fall von Tierquälerei schnell lösen. Doch es steckt viel mehr dahinter und bald schon ist der ganze Küstenort in Gefahr.
Autor Greg Buchanan hat hier einen ganz besonderen Roman erschaffen, der für mich jenseits der Grenzen eines normalen Krimis liegt. Die Handlung ist weder gradlinig noch leicht nachvollziehbar und bietet viel mehr als einen einfach Kriminalfall.
Der Küstenort ist wirtschaftlich und ökologisch am Ende und auch die Personen im Buch sind allesamt gebrochene Charaktere die jeder ihr eigenes Päckchen zu tragen haben. Die Atmosphäre im Buch ist durchweg bedrückend und düster. Und übt eine morbide Faszination und Sogwirkung auf mich aus, der ich mich beim Lesen nicht entziehen konnte.
"Sechszehn Pferde" ist kein einfaches Buch, der Schreibstil des Autors sehr fordernd, unterschiedliche Zeit-und Handlungsebenen fordern Aufmerksamkeit. Ich habe bis zuletzt die Handlung nicht durchschaut und habe auch nach der wirklich gelungenen Auflösung noch einige Fragezeichen im Kopf.
Mit der Weltuntergangsstimmung im Buch muss man als Leser umgehen können aber wenn man sich darauf einlassen kann erwartet einen eine Geschichte jenseits von klaren Genre Abgrenzungen. Auch muss man wissen, dass teilweise sehr expliziet auf Tierquälerei eingegangen wird, das kann bestimmt auch nicht jeder lesen. Und teilweise wird die Geschichte recht ruhig erzählt, es ist kein Buch, durch das man mit einem atemberaubendem Tempo rast, dennoch hat es mir manchmal den Atem geraubt ob seiner Düsternis und seiner Beschreibung des Bösen im Menschen.
Auf einer Farm eines entlegenen englisches Dorfes werden 16 Pferdeköpfe in zwei Kreisen eingegraben gefunden. Wer hat diese grausame Tat begangen? Veterinärforensikerin Dr. Cooper Allen und der Polizist Alec Nichols sollen diesen Fall von Tierquälerei schnell lösen. Doch es steckt viel mehr dahinter und bald schon ist der ganze Küstenort in Gefahr.
Autor Greg Buchanan hat hier einen ganz besonderen Roman erschaffen, der für mich jenseits der Grenzen eines normalen Krimis liegt. Die Handlung ist weder gradlinig noch leicht nachvollziehbar und bietet viel mehr als einen einfach Kriminalfall.
Der Küstenort ist wirtschaftlich und ökologisch am Ende und auch die Personen im Buch sind allesamt gebrochene Charaktere die jeder ihr eigenes Päckchen zu tragen haben. Die Atmosphäre im Buch ist durchweg bedrückend und düster. Und übt eine morbide Faszination und Sogwirkung auf mich aus, der ich mich beim Lesen nicht entziehen konnte.
"Sechszehn Pferde" ist kein einfaches Buch, der Schreibstil des Autors sehr fordernd, unterschiedliche Zeit-und Handlungsebenen fordern Aufmerksamkeit. Ich habe bis zuletzt die Handlung nicht durchschaut und habe auch nach der wirklich gelungenen Auflösung noch einige Fragezeichen im Kopf.
Mit der Weltuntergangsstimmung im Buch muss man als Leser umgehen können aber wenn man sich darauf einlassen kann erwartet einen eine Geschichte jenseits von klaren Genre Abgrenzungen. Auch muss man wissen, dass teilweise sehr expliziet auf Tierquälerei eingegangen wird, das kann bestimmt auch nicht jeder lesen. Und teilweise wird die Geschichte recht ruhig erzählt, es ist kein Buch, durch das man mit einem atemberaubendem Tempo rast, dennoch hat es mir manchmal den Atem geraubt ob seiner Düsternis und seiner Beschreibung des Bösen im Menschen.
June 6, 2021
Gone to the horses instead of the dogs a sea side town on a mountain of madness from 16 horse heads to poetry, lost people, this no All creatures great and small style vet story.
Greg takes through all the cracks in the woods and mysterious of dark dreams. A police officer who will lose his son Simon to why anyone would be interested in killing horses. He talks about the case of the 400 cats in Manchester who were killed by unknown people their heads chopped off. Real case. This gives us the atmosphere of hell.
This horrible situation that could happen all 450p book of darkness.
Greg takes through all the cracks in the woods and mysterious of dark dreams. A police officer who will lose his son Simon to why anyone would be interested in killing horses. He talks about the case of the 400 cats in Manchester who were killed by unknown people their heads chopped off. Real case. This gives us the atmosphere of hell.
This horrible situation that could happen all 450p book of darkness.
May 11, 2021
What an unmitigated barrel of old cock. Thinks it’s way cleverer and deeper than it is.
Utter, utter balls.
Utter, utter balls.
February 22, 2022
Die Tierforensikerin Cooper Allen sitzt „wegen der Pferde“ bei ihrer Londoner Therapeutin, die sie für ebenso ahnungslos wie gnadenlos hält – und blockt am entscheidenden Punkt ab. Ein Jahr zuvor war Cooper als externe Expertin zum sonderbaren Fund von 16 vergrabenen Pferdeköpfen nach Ilmarsh an die englische Küste gerufen worden. Wenn Gewalt gegen Tiere angewendet wird, geht es dem Täter nicht um die Tiere, sondern um den Moment der Entdeckung der Opfer und die Macht, die er in dem Moment ausübt, davon ist Cooper überzeugt. In einem gewundenen Lebenslauf hatte sie einmal Tiermedizin studiert und sich anschließend gegen die Ausübung des Berufs entschieden. Cooper arbeitet mit DI Alec Nichols zusammen, auch er hat keinen geraden Lebenslauf, war bereits wegen Depressionen in Therapie. 16 Pferde, Spuren eines in der Zerlegung von Tierkadavern erfahrenen Täters, die unbemerkte Benutzung eines Pferdetransporters in der Guy Fawkes Nacht – die verstörende Suche nach Mustern scheint hier aussichtslos. Davon, dass der Fall in 4 Tagen geklärt sein wird, wie die Chefetage der Polizei erwartet, kann keine Rede sein. In einer Region im Niedergang, wo gerade Landwirtschaft, Tourismus und sogar die Ölförderung kriseln, bietet sich ein Bündel von Motiven an. Jeder scheint hier verdächtig zu sein, niemand sich zu Zeugenaussagen durchringen zu können und am sonderbarsten wirken die psychisch angeschlagenen Ermittler selbst mit ihren dunklen Seiten. Als ein Zwischenfall mit Biowaffen auf einer nahegelegenen winzigen Insel ins Gespräch kommt, könnte man als Leser in Buchanans Zappen zwischen Gegenwart, Vergangenheit und einer schwer vorstellbaren Zukunft den eigentlichen Fall beinahe aus den Augen verlieren.
Ein beklemmender, dabei nicht unnötig grausamer Roman, der sich einer Einordnung in Genres entzieht. Greg Buchanan formuliert direkt, gnadenlos und erleichtert es seinen Lesern damit, dubiose Typen und Tierquäler inbrünstig zu hassen. Ich habe ihn als Dystopie gelesen, angesiedelt in einer sterbenden Region, in der Menschen sich nicht mehr zu helfen wissen, wo Kinder allein zurückgelassen werden und aufhören zu sprechen. Fasziniert hat mich hier meine eigene Mustersuche in alle Richtungen, aber auch die Wagenburg-Mentalität in der Provinz, wenn niemand wagt, Offensichtliches wahrzunehmen und dagegen einzuschreiten.
Ein beklemmender, dabei nicht unnötig grausamer Roman, der sich einer Einordnung in Genres entzieht. Greg Buchanan formuliert direkt, gnadenlos und erleichtert es seinen Lesern damit, dubiose Typen und Tierquäler inbrünstig zu hassen. Ich habe ihn als Dystopie gelesen, angesiedelt in einer sterbenden Region, in der Menschen sich nicht mehr zu helfen wissen, wo Kinder allein zurückgelassen werden und aufhören zu sprechen. Fasziniert hat mich hier meine eigene Mustersuche in alle Richtungen, aber auch die Wagenburg-Mentalität in der Provinz, wenn niemand wagt, Offensichtliches wahrzunehmen und dagegen einzuschreiten.
January 21, 2022
Het eerste hoofdstuk trekt je het boek in. Het is bondig geschreven, geeft meteen een mooie spanningsboog en weet een grote nieuwsgierigheid te ontluiken. Helaas zakt dit alles meteen in als het boek haar tweede hoofdstuk opent. Verwarring na verwarring komt aan het licht en als er eindelijk een draad lijkt te zijn vastgeknoopt, kom je al snel tot de ontdekking dat die weer begint te rafelen, waardoor er weer tal van vragen ontspruiten. Het lijkt alsof Greg Buchanon zijn favoriete films en boeken bij elkaar op een hoop heeft gegooid, hieruit de leukste en indrukwekkendste elementen heeft getrokken en dit in een trommel heeft gegooid zonder naar de uitkomst te kijken. Het resultaat is een grote warboel die tot aan bijna het eind van de vertelling overeind blijft staan. De vraag of een uitgeverij er wel naar heeft gekeken, ontkiemt dan ook onmiddellijk na het dichtslaan van het boek. Waar komen de lovende recensies en de daaruit voortgebrachte hype toch vandaan? Of zouden de uitgevers het ook niet meer getrokken hebben en van ellende maar een prachtige cover erop geplakt hebben?
Thrillers bevatten vaak lugubere elementen en Zestien paarden is hier geen uitzondering op. Het enige verschil is dat dit boek lijkt te zijn geschreven om de lezers te choqueren. Lugubere details en misselijkmakend dierenleed zijn orde van de dag. Het inblazen van een relatief nieuw beroep, de forensisch dierenarts, is een leuke zet, maar aan het eind van het boek blijkt Coopers rol onduidelijk. Helaas staat ze op dit front niet alleen en wordt ze gedurende het boek bijgestaan door meerdere karakters zonder duidelijk nut. En net als je denkt door te hebben hoe het in elkaar steekt, wordt er zo'n bizarre en ongeloofwaardige plottwist in gegooid, dat het spoor weer bijster is. De onduidelijkheid die het gehele boek treft zorgt voor een groot aandeel in de wirwar van het geheel.
Het plot van Zestien paarden kinkt veelbelovend, maar de inhoud is slechts teleurstellend. De schrijfstijl is prima, maar het plot is dusdanig karig waardoor de warboel ook nog een onrealistisch is. Wellicht dat fantasyliefhebbers hier meer lol aan beleven dan een thrillerlezer.
Thrillers bevatten vaak lugubere elementen en Zestien paarden is hier geen uitzondering op. Het enige verschil is dat dit boek lijkt te zijn geschreven om de lezers te choqueren. Lugubere details en misselijkmakend dierenleed zijn orde van de dag. Het inblazen van een relatief nieuw beroep, de forensisch dierenarts, is een leuke zet, maar aan het eind van het boek blijkt Coopers rol onduidelijk. Helaas staat ze op dit front niet alleen en wordt ze gedurende het boek bijgestaan door meerdere karakters zonder duidelijk nut. En net als je denkt door te hebben hoe het in elkaar steekt, wordt er zo'n bizarre en ongeloofwaardige plottwist in gegooid, dat het spoor weer bijster is. De onduidelijkheid die het gehele boek treft zorgt voor een groot aandeel in de wirwar van het geheel.
Het plot van Zestien paarden kinkt veelbelovend, maar de inhoud is slechts teleurstellend. De schrijfstijl is prima, maar het plot is dusdanig karig waardoor de warboel ook nog een onrealistisch is. Wellicht dat fantasyliefhebbers hier meer lol aan beleven dan een thrillerlezer.
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