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The Waiting Room
Martin Stride is a retired rock star, enjoying the quiet life with his young family on their beautiful estate. On the edge of his grounds lies a derelict Edwardian railway station waiting room once used to transport troops in The Great War. Silent for many years, it has become a playground for Martin's children but now they won't go near it.
Strange occurrences in the waiting room lead Martin to seek the help of TV's favourite ghost-hunter Julian Creed. But Creed's psychic ability is a fabrication to gain viewers. He doesn't believe in the paranormal. Until he spends a night in The Waiting Room.
Strange occurrences in the waiting room lead Martin to seek the help of TV's favourite ghost-hunter Julian Creed. But Creed's psychic ability is a fabrication to gain viewers. He doesn't believe in the paranormal. Until he spends a night in The Waiting Room.
294 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2010
32 people are currently reading
2071 people want to read
About the author
F.G. Cottam
19 books479 followersReading is a cheap and totally effective way of being transported to another world. The same is true of writing. Mundane concerns only afflict your characters if you decide you want them to.
University was where I first thought seriously about fiction; hearing about Hemingway's iceberg theory and Eliot's objective correlative and having the luxury of time to ponder on the mechanics of the novel.
My first writing was journalism and pieces for I-D, Arena and The Face brought me to the attention of mainstream magazine publishers. In the '90's I edited FHM when it still majored on sport and fashion rather than Hollyoaks starlets and weather girls. Then I launch-edited the UK edition of Men's Health magazine and then came to the conclusion that if I didn't try to write some fiction it was never going to happen.
I read all kinds of fiction, but write stories with a paranormal element I think really because history fascinates me and ghosts allow the past to resonate shockingly, scarily and I hope convincingly, into the present.
I got off to an encouraging start but have suffered a few disappointments since then. I wouldn't in honesty want to do anything else, though. If I write a terrible novel it's my fault entirely. If I write a good novel, it's entirely my achievement.
University was where I first thought seriously about fiction; hearing about Hemingway's iceberg theory and Eliot's objective correlative and having the luxury of time to ponder on the mechanics of the novel.
My first writing was journalism and pieces for I-D, Arena and The Face brought me to the attention of mainstream magazine publishers. In the '90's I edited FHM when it still majored on sport and fashion rather than Hollyoaks starlets and weather girls. Then I launch-edited the UK edition of Men's Health magazine and then came to the conclusion that if I didn't try to write some fiction it was never going to happen.
I read all kinds of fiction, but write stories with a paranormal element I think really because history fascinates me and ghosts allow the past to resonate shockingly, scarily and I hope convincingly, into the present.
I got off to an encouraging start but have suffered a few disappointments since then. I wouldn't in honesty want to do anything else, though. If I write a terrible novel it's my fault entirely. If I write a good novel, it's entirely my achievement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
April 8, 2017
3.5 stars. Well written, scary and with time travel.
October 4, 2016
Mr. Cottam writes the kind of ghost story I admire. Scares the reader without the gross out. This is the second of his books I've read and I look forward to reading more.
March 4, 2019
Another great one by writer F. G. Cottam.
Mr. Cottam either has a tremendous ‘I made it all up myself’ imagination, or has been to a few creepy locales in his lifetime. I know creepy locales, btw., grew up in southeastern MA at a time when children were left ‘free to roam.’ I’ve explored abandoned sand quarries, a boarded-up church complete with working bell in the bell tower, along with old barns, houses, etc. So yes, I know the sensation of being alone, in an old building, just like the one...
Called the waiting room! It’s an old train station last in use in the 1960’s. Located on a lavish estate in the English countryside, it sits alone, in fairly good condition; the rail line leading to it and away has been removed. Yeah, it’s a waiting room out in the country – but just what is it waiting for now, circa the present day?
Well, the current estate owner, once a rock-star god, only wants the simple life as he enters middle age. He’s got a gorgeous wife, two gorgeous children and is reveling in the private life of owning an estate set on about 500 pristine acres. (I exaggerate only a little.) Problem is both his children have had unsettling experiences associated with the train station/waiting room on the property. The boy has seen a figure skulking about it; the girl has heard music – but not 1960’s era rock ‘n roll. It’s more like marching tunes and other popular melodies from the WWI era.
This, of course, concerns both parents and they contact Julian Creed, a popular paranormal researcher who’s made a bundle convincing television viewers that his visits to abandoned properties and interactions with ghosts, etc., are downright real! And with the money the estate owner offers, who can say no to a night in a waiting room which, if filmed, might draw in thousands of new viewers, new commercial opportunities, and maybe a new best-selling ‘I was there in a haunted train station’ book?
Of course, Creed is a phoney-baloney and yet, after one night in the waiting room, everything changes...
What I like about this book, and the previous one I read by Mr. Cottam (House of Lost Souls) is the sense of place, and if he hasn’t visited a haunted house/mansion/castle/train station or two, I’ll print this review out and eat it. Now I never did experience a ‘visitation’ or sighting when I was a child – not in any of the weird places I explored – but I do know that feeling of being alone, having every hair on both arms go twitching, and the sensation of everything just getting very, very cold. I know it! And I think Mr. Cottam does, too.
This book has a lot more to it, also, than just some inexplicable goings-on in a creepy waiting room. There’s the past to contend with, including a figure who might have been messing around (experimenting?) where he should not have. There’s also references to popular poems – some of which were written during the ‘Great War’ war years, and an interesting dynamic between Creed and his research assistant. It’s a short novel, but it’s a dandy.
Yes, I said dandy.
Five stars
Mr. Cottam either has a tremendous ‘I made it all up myself’ imagination, or has been to a few creepy locales in his lifetime. I know creepy locales, btw., grew up in southeastern MA at a time when children were left ‘free to roam.’ I’ve explored abandoned sand quarries, a boarded-up church complete with working bell in the bell tower, along with old barns, houses, etc. So yes, I know the sensation of being alone, in an old building, just like the one...
Called the waiting room! It’s an old train station last in use in the 1960’s. Located on a lavish estate in the English countryside, it sits alone, in fairly good condition; the rail line leading to it and away has been removed. Yeah, it’s a waiting room out in the country – but just what is it waiting for now, circa the present day?
Well, the current estate owner, once a rock-star god, only wants the simple life as he enters middle age. He’s got a gorgeous wife, two gorgeous children and is reveling in the private life of owning an estate set on about 500 pristine acres. (I exaggerate only a little.) Problem is both his children have had unsettling experiences associated with the train station/waiting room on the property. The boy has seen a figure skulking about it; the girl has heard music – but not 1960’s era rock ‘n roll. It’s more like marching tunes and other popular melodies from the WWI era.
This, of course, concerns both parents and they contact Julian Creed, a popular paranormal researcher who’s made a bundle convincing television viewers that his visits to abandoned properties and interactions with ghosts, etc., are downright real! And with the money the estate owner offers, who can say no to a night in a waiting room which, if filmed, might draw in thousands of new viewers, new commercial opportunities, and maybe a new best-selling ‘I was there in a haunted train station’ book?
Of course, Creed is a phoney-baloney and yet, after one night in the waiting room, everything changes...
What I like about this book, and the previous one I read by Mr. Cottam (House of Lost Souls) is the sense of place, and if he hasn’t visited a haunted house/mansion/castle/train station or two, I’ll print this review out and eat it. Now I never did experience a ‘visitation’ or sighting when I was a child – not in any of the weird places I explored – but I do know that feeling of being alone, having every hair on both arms go twitching, and the sensation of everything just getting very, very cold. I know it! And I think Mr. Cottam does, too.
This book has a lot more to it, also, than just some inexplicable goings-on in a creepy waiting room. There’s the past to contend with, including a figure who might have been messing around (experimenting?) where he should not have. There’s also references to popular poems – some of which were written during the ‘Great War’ war years, and an interesting dynamic between Creed and his research assistant. It’s a short novel, but it’s a dandy.
Yes, I said dandy.
Five stars
March 5, 2016
I waited for this book to get better, but it never did. The main reason: Cottam makes a basic writing mistake, he tells the majority of this story rather than showing it. The result: a dry, essay like narrative with lifeless characters (pun possibly intended), and no emotional connection to the story or characters, and devoid of resonance. This book has elements I would enjoy, and I was intrigued on his take on the haunting's explanation and the historical element, but the writing itself ruined this novel's enjoyability. It feels too much of a first or second draft in need of serious editing. The dialogue felt artificial and often used for the characters to serve as talking heads to move discovering the mystery and plot along. Overall, the only emotion I feel from this bland book, is disappointment for the readers, and the potential this book could've had if it was well-written.
November 20, 2014
Another brilliant story from a writer who is fast becoming one of my personal all-time favourite authors. For anyone who has read any of Cottam's previous novels, the plot and structure will be familiar, but The Waiting Room is an altogether more sophisticated and confident effort. There are three main characters, all of them strong and believable; I was particularly impressed with the convincing depiction of Julian and Martin's celebrity status, as I've found that 'famous' fictional characters often feel far from authentic. The modern-day characters, and their pursuit of the truth about the eponymous waiting room, were actually more interesting than the historical aspect; not that the latter is tedious - far from it - it's just that Martin, Julian and Elena were so charming and lifelike that I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible (but then, I've come to expect this from Cottam's protagonists; they're always really likeable). I did have a few reservations about Julian and Elena's relationship - I thought the incident that ended their previous liaison would turn out to be a misunderstanding, but instead she forgave him without them ever discussing it, which I find vaguely disturbing if what was implied actually happened. However, any doubts I had were dispelled by the excellent ending. I was both surprised and impressed by the conclusion to the main narrative - I have to admit, part of me was expecting a deus ex machina moment that would stop Julian having to make what appeared to be an inevitable sacrifice, but the author avoided the easy way out and still managed to wrap things up on a positive note.
So, as a fan of the author, how does The Waiting Room compare to his other books? I think it's safe to say this is Cottam's most accomplished novel yet, and it's certainly better than its predecessor, The Magdalena Curse, which - while good - felt rushed. Personally, I don't think it was quite as good as Dark Echo, but I've come to accept that almost nothing is ever going to better that book for me, as it marked one of those rare, magical instances of falling totally under the spell of a story. I do think the narrative voice in Dark Echo was stronger (I really hope Cottam writes a novel in first person again in future) and the historical extracts more authentic. However, for a reader new to this author, I would probably now recommend The Waiting Room as an introduction, simply because it is the most polished, and also the most accessible to anyone who doesn't normally read fiction with a paranormal aspect.
So, as a fan of the author, how does The Waiting Room compare to his other books? I think it's safe to say this is Cottam's most accomplished novel yet, and it's certainly better than its predecessor, The Magdalena Curse, which - while good - felt rushed. Personally, I don't think it was quite as good as Dark Echo, but I've come to accept that almost nothing is ever going to better that book for me, as it marked one of those rare, magical instances of falling totally under the spell of a story. I do think the narrative voice in Dark Echo was stronger (I really hope Cottam writes a novel in first person again in future) and the historical extracts more authentic. However, for a reader new to this author, I would probably now recommend The Waiting Room as an introduction, simply because it is the most polished, and also the most accessible to anyone who doesn't normally read fiction with a paranormal aspect.
November 20, 2011
The Waiting Room is essentially a good old fashioned ghost story with an original twist. Martin Stride, a retired Rock Star lives with his wife, Monica and their two children, Peter and Millie in a large house surrounded by acres of beautiful countryside in Southern England. Quite strangely situated on his land is an abandoned railway station platform and on it is an old Edwardian waiting room, once named "Shale point" the isolated station once served as an disembarking point for soldiers journeying to the Somme during the First World War. Afterwards it was used to ferry patients to a nearby psychiatric hospital and then during the Beeching cuts of the 1960's when a lot of loss making branch lines in Britain were closed forever stranding the waiting room in time.
All seems well in Strides life, a fortune built during his recording career, a beautiful wife, children and a wonderfully large house and estate to cushion the whole family from the evils of modern life until the family start hearing strange noises coming from the waiting room, lights are seen in the dark, trains are heard arriving and departing and when Peter Stride whilst playing with his mates on the platform spots an evil grinning man dressed in World War One uniform staring at him from the waiting room window.... Martin enlists the help of well known TV Ghost Hunter, Julian Creed to investigate, Julian is a complex character and basically a fraud, pretending to have seen ghosts in order to progress his television career. Creed agrees to investigate and spends a night in the waiting room and what he experiences terrifies him and completely changes his mind. What on the face of it seems to be a classic haunting rapidly escalates into something far more involving and shocking and will pull Martin, Julian and his assistant Elena into a battle with the past to save the family.
I really enjoyed this book, I give it four stars instead of five, simply because it seemed to flounder a bit in the middle and parts of the book concerning the discovery of an old diary made it feel like it was going off the boil slightly, having said that, it was a great book, scary in places and wonderfully written. I definitely recommend it and I shall be reading more of F G Cottam in the future.
All seems well in Strides life, a fortune built during his recording career, a beautiful wife, children and a wonderfully large house and estate to cushion the whole family from the evils of modern life until the family start hearing strange noises coming from the waiting room, lights are seen in the dark, trains are heard arriving and departing and when Peter Stride whilst playing with his mates on the platform spots an evil grinning man dressed in World War One uniform staring at him from the waiting room window.... Martin enlists the help of well known TV Ghost Hunter, Julian Creed to investigate, Julian is a complex character and basically a fraud, pretending to have seen ghosts in order to progress his television career. Creed agrees to investigate and spends a night in the waiting room and what he experiences terrifies him and completely changes his mind. What on the face of it seems to be a classic haunting rapidly escalates into something far more involving and shocking and will pull Martin, Julian and his assistant Elena into a battle with the past to save the family.
I really enjoyed this book, I give it four stars instead of five, simply because it seemed to flounder a bit in the middle and parts of the book concerning the discovery of an old diary made it feel like it was going off the boil slightly, having said that, it was a great book, scary in places and wonderfully written. I definitely recommend it and I shall be reading more of F G Cottam in the future.
October 2, 2019
Overall I enjoyed the tone and atmosphere of this book- I admit that in the beginning of this story I got the heebie jeebies and had to put this book down before bed. I loved the setting of this horror and the historical element of the backstory. My favourite character was probably Elena- her chapters hooked me the most because her role within the story was pretty vital to unravelling the mystery of the waiting room. I felt that the romance between her and Creed was far fetched and didn't sit right with me considering what was revealed about Creed early on in the novel. Honestly, I liked this book when it was still pitching itself as a paranormal horror as that is why I had picked it up but once the story progressed to a more Frankenstein esque science fiction horror I was slightly disappointed but that's just my personal taste. The ending further disappointed me, I was really annoyed with the abruptness of the ending I felt that tonally the conclusion just didn't work. Overall, I enjoyed this just disappointed by the ending.
November 2, 2021
A literary ghost story about a long abandoned, haunted train station in the countryside of the UK, located on the vast property of a retired rock star and his young family. He hires a television personality, famous for his popular show about psychic phenomena to investigate the haunted Waiting Room of the title. Great characters, brilliant writing, perfect for reading by candlelight during a hurricane blackout with the wind howling and the thunder roaring and the rain pelting against the rattling windows. Also perfect for reading after the power had been restored, over the Halloween weekend. Five stars. I loved it. Sad to have finished.
December 4, 2018
Best F.G Cottam I’ve read in ages. Full review to follow later.
March 14, 2013
Ghosts and time travel mesh in F.G. Cottam's The Waiting Room, an elegant horror novel that gets somewhat hampered by its own ideas. The story begins as ghostly sounds and spectral apparitions are spied around the titular railway stop on a long since demolished track. A popular television ghost hunter Julian Creed is summoned to solve the mystery that only deepens as the investigation progresses, eventually threatening reality itself.
Creed is, of course, a charlatan who does it just for the fame. The haunting, however, is real, caused by a soldier who died in the Great War; his parents, not being able to cope with the grief, did the mistake of dabbling with necromancy. The soldier returned, with grave results that reverberate through the centuries. After some first hand experience with the apparitions, Creed and his assistant/ex-lover Elena learn the story through old diaries and other historical research, giving the novel that old antiquarian sheen so typical of English ghost stories since the heyday of M.R. James.
But happily Cottam pushes the envelope a bit further. The use of time as a story element gives the story a modern edge, away from the well-trodden paths. Cottam's writing is also solid, with plotting that offers good surprises. There are deliciously creepy moments in the first half, as the novel builds up to horrors that are almost cosmic in their implications.
Sadly, at the moment when creative lunacy should be turned to full steam, the novel crumples and retreats to a safe, middle class storytelling mode. Good for housewives and a BBC film adaptation, not so much for jaded horror aficionados. The third quarter is riddled with undeveloped scenes (Creed's reunion with his estranged father, for example) or unnecessary repetition. The villain of the story also gets a raw deal; after being painted as a powerful, time-defying adversary, with all sorts of possibilities, he's left hanging with nothing to do but scaring little children, his mysterious plans never really registering as a real threat.
Happily, the epilogue is a return to form, a fine, taut sequence that foregoes unnecessary explanations and instead brings things neatly to a full circle. But by then the novel is, sadly, out of time.
Read my reviews at mikareadshorrorfiction.wordpress.com
Creed is, of course, a charlatan who does it just for the fame. The haunting, however, is real, caused by a soldier who died in the Great War; his parents, not being able to cope with the grief, did the mistake of dabbling with necromancy. The soldier returned, with grave results that reverberate through the centuries. After some first hand experience with the apparitions, Creed and his assistant/ex-lover Elena learn the story through old diaries and other historical research, giving the novel that old antiquarian sheen so typical of English ghost stories since the heyday of M.R. James.
But happily Cottam pushes the envelope a bit further. The use of time as a story element gives the story a modern edge, away from the well-trodden paths. Cottam's writing is also solid, with plotting that offers good surprises. There are deliciously creepy moments in the first half, as the novel builds up to horrors that are almost cosmic in their implications.
Sadly, at the moment when creative lunacy should be turned to full steam, the novel crumples and retreats to a safe, middle class storytelling mode. Good for housewives and a BBC film adaptation, not so much for jaded horror aficionados. The third quarter is riddled with undeveloped scenes (Creed's reunion with his estranged father, for example) or unnecessary repetition. The villain of the story also gets a raw deal; after being painted as a powerful, time-defying adversary, with all sorts of possibilities, he's left hanging with nothing to do but scaring little children, his mysterious plans never really registering as a real threat.
Happily, the epilogue is a return to form, a fine, taut sequence that foregoes unnecessary explanations and instead brings things neatly to a full circle. But by then the novel is, sadly, out of time.
Read my reviews at mikareadshorrorfiction.wordpress.com
January 3, 2015
Another atmospheric book from Cottam. There's the atmosphere, ghostly sightings and time travel. What more would anyone interested in this kind of book want? And there is a good plot with likeable characters and never a false note.
Martin Stride used to be a famous rock star, but he has given all that up to live on an estate with his family on the Kent-Sussex border. On his property is a derelict railway station where soldiers waited to be transported to the front in World War I. Later, the rail line was used to transport mentally broken soldiers and civilians of England to a comfortable and successful insane asylum.
Lately, unexpected incidents have occurred on his property. There is a sound of soldiers marching, a phantom train and a woman weeping. Stride wants his quiet life back.
Julian Creed runs a fraudulent psychic television show. He claims to chase ghosts and know all about the paranormal. Truth be told, Creed doesn't believe in any of it.
Then he spends a night in the railway waiting room and comes back a different man. The experience changes him and his values and Creed and Stride become close friends.
This isn't "just" a ghost story, either, if you take a moment to think about it. It is about what is meaningful and what is not, about honesty to oneself and others and what it means and takes to be a person of integrity and why that is so important.
This is for everyone who likes a few chills on a cold winter evening in the middle of winter.
Martin Stride used to be a famous rock star, but he has given all that up to live on an estate with his family on the Kent-Sussex border. On his property is a derelict railway station where soldiers waited to be transported to the front in World War I. Later, the rail line was used to transport mentally broken soldiers and civilians of England to a comfortable and successful insane asylum.
Lately, unexpected incidents have occurred on his property. There is a sound of soldiers marching, a phantom train and a woman weeping. Stride wants his quiet life back.
Julian Creed runs a fraudulent psychic television show. He claims to chase ghosts and know all about the paranormal. Truth be told, Creed doesn't believe in any of it.
Then he spends a night in the railway waiting room and comes back a different man. The experience changes him and his values and Creed and Stride become close friends.
This isn't "just" a ghost story, either, if you take a moment to think about it. It is about what is meaningful and what is not, about honesty to oneself and others and what it means and takes to be a person of integrity and why that is so important.
This is for everyone who likes a few chills on a cold winter evening in the middle of winter.
April 5, 2014
Finally got to check out F.G. Cottam with this book. Not the most overwhelming first impression to be honest, the story took a while to get into and the both the story and the characters failed to emotionally engage throughout (this is an entirely personal perspective), but to author's credit it was a very solid read. Good writing, actual character development and (the best part) a well crafted backstory. This was pretty much what a paranormal mystery ought to be, balancing the paranormal and the mysterious aspects evenly. More of an eerie insidious factor than outright gore and horror. Subtle and reasonably entertaining read.
January 2, 2018
In a fog of nostalgia, history seems to be going backwards. Past atrocities are back in fashion. Even though the Nazis are still pop-culture’s favorite villains, we are beginning to remember that World War 2 was preceded by World War 1. It was, in many ways, more terrible than its follow-up. There are already several excellent horror novels written about the ghosts of that global butchery, notably by Simon Bestwick. “The Waiting Room” is a great addition to this exclusive list. It combines a classic haunting with time travel, resurrection from the dead and the poetry of Wilfred Owen. What else can you possible want? Well, a clearer ending would be nice.
November 30, 2017
I LOVED this book. Pretty scary, try not to read at night. But then, it's hard to put down.
October 30, 2017
Do not miss this author. Seriously, what is reading all about if not great plot, good writing, engaging characters and tension? If the author also throws in something new, something that makes you go straight to Google and look it up and want to read more into it then you've honestly got a gem of a book. I'm a huge fan of this author now, having read most of his stuff. One characteristic that stands out for me is his ability to write likeable characters. And this isn't trivial for an author and not as common as it should be. I've read many better known novels where the action doesn't hold my attention because I couldn't care less about the fate of the characters. I felt like I'd known the characters of the The Waiting Room for years within a few pages. (Okay, I admit, I think the MC was based on Bear Grylls--or Bear in another life where he's taken a few too many turns on the celebrity roundabout and isn't the authentic guy he is in real life. But picture Bear physically, think of his achievements and you've got the MC of this novel. And as all my readers know I'm a bit of a Bear fan, and love novels with ex-Army guys.)
I won't give away too much about the plot, other than saying it plays with time, deep, abiding grief, and a lost generation. The recreation of the WWI world is masterly and haunting. All ex-soldiers (as the author points out) know Wilfred Owen (or should) so I was particularly moved by his inclusion in this story. There was a wistfulness about a bygone England that really struck a note in this homesick author's heart.
Read this author. Highly recommended.
I won't give away too much about the plot, other than saying it plays with time, deep, abiding grief, and a lost generation. The recreation of the WWI world is masterly and haunting. All ex-soldiers (as the author points out) know Wilfred Owen (or should) so I was particularly moved by his inclusion in this story. There was a wistfulness about a bygone England that really struck a note in this homesick author's heart.
Read this author. Highly recommended.
September 22, 2025
This was a fairly good read in that the premise of the story was good.
There were a few issues however: -
-the story was overly long; by 200 pages it was starting to get tiresome with too much extraneous detail, dialogue and repetition. If I had to read about a leering sneer/gaping maw/slash of an opening once I must have read it like 30 times!
-the dialogue felt unrealistic, the way that Creed talked to Elena just felt bullshitty! Like he was trying to be the model gentleman but came across as a creep, but she loves him anyway! Nyawww! Er no!
-the journal entries from Bruno Absolom are truly miniscule, the writing is ridiculously small! I mean I had to take an eye test last week and have been told I have to wear reading glasses (😫😫🥸🥸) but the type setting for these sections were at the bottom of what an optician will show you for close reading! No need!
- the ending felt rushed and was a little bizarre. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story.
Overall a 3 star as it was mostly enjoyable to read but it's not one I'm going to return to if I'm honest, it's off to the community book exchange.
There were a few issues however: -
-the story was overly long; by 200 pages it was starting to get tiresome with too much extraneous detail, dialogue and repetition. If I had to read about a leering sneer/gaping maw/slash of an opening once I must have read it like 30 times!
-the dialogue felt unrealistic, the way that Creed talked to Elena just felt bullshitty! Like he was trying to be the model gentleman but came across as a creep, but she loves him anyway! Nyawww! Er no!
-the journal entries from Bruno Absolom are truly miniscule, the writing is ridiculously small! I mean I had to take an eye test last week and have been told I have to wear reading glasses (😫😫🥸🥸) but the type setting for these sections were at the bottom of what an optician will show you for close reading! No need!
- the ending felt rushed and was a little bizarre. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story.
Overall a 3 star as it was mostly enjoyable to read but it's not one I'm going to return to if I'm honest, it's off to the community book exchange.
December 31, 2017
Try finding serious mysteries but not horror, about spirits, not demons, with an adult protagonist of thirty to forty. Secondly, find an excellent writer who remembers to put the enchantment and mysteriousness at the forefront and builds it well. “The Waiting Room”, 2010, did not but is impressively unique. If you let it set up and forgive squandered focus, F.G. Cottam surpasses depth and complexity. It is well done from the second half. I loved Elena, who takes a long time to become the protagonist and hate it, if male personages are addressed via last names. I kept ignoring “Creed” and “Stride”, in place of “Julian” and “Martin”!
I don't exaggerate that this is a thorough saga, with a long-reaching background and repercussions. It proposes that people see spirits, not for being in special places but for being psychic. Alchemy and spirituality are broached, as well as misdiagnosing mental balance. Shallow-seeming things, like Martin's and Julian's fame and fitness, proved essential and a priest who seemed conceited, really cares. The musician adores his family and the television ghost-hunter realizes he too, prefers integrity and love.
A soldier's Mother, psychiatrist, and their alchemist friend vividly join us through research and diaries. The mundane opening baffled me. It does not start with the children observing peculiarities. Martin tells everything second-hand when hiring Julian. Information dumps, versus bringing us onto the spot, were not compelling. F.G. missed the ball on eerily presenting the spectacular material he conjured. We are given in long detail, Julian's career path from military leader to television star. F.G. didn't build the paranormal up right and it isn't the “saw a ghost” mystery I sought. However, no information was unwarranted. I recommend taking care with a riveting narrative angle and fewer plotlines: so we bask in the enthralling ones!
I don't exaggerate that this is a thorough saga, with a long-reaching background and repercussions. It proposes that people see spirits, not for being in special places but for being psychic. Alchemy and spirituality are broached, as well as misdiagnosing mental balance. Shallow-seeming things, like Martin's and Julian's fame and fitness, proved essential and a priest who seemed conceited, really cares. The musician adores his family and the television ghost-hunter realizes he too, prefers integrity and love.
A soldier's Mother, psychiatrist, and their alchemist friend vividly join us through research and diaries. The mundane opening baffled me. It does not start with the children observing peculiarities. Martin tells everything second-hand when hiring Julian. Information dumps, versus bringing us onto the spot, were not compelling. F.G. missed the ball on eerily presenting the spectacular material he conjured. We are given in long detail, Julian's career path from military leader to television star. F.G. didn't build the paranormal up right and it isn't the “saw a ghost” mystery I sought. However, no information was unwarranted. I recommend taking care with a riveting narrative angle and fewer plotlines: so we bask in the enthralling ones!
August 15, 2010
I picked this book up from the library as I was drawn to the cover picture of a ghostly spectre of an old soldier.
The story started really well and I was drawn in as Martin Stride's family experienced strange happenings centred on the waiting room which was about half a mile away from their house -- his son saw the soldier's apparition there, singing was heard of an old war-time song and the faint rumble of a train was heard, even though there were no tracks. All very scary.
Enter the enigmatic, laid-back, confident Julian Creed, TV ghost hunter, who's a complete fake, but who's job is "to discover what had summoned the waiting room back into baleful life and return it to rest." Not believing in ghosts he gets quite a shock when an apparition appears in front of him when he stays there for one night............
As he and his researcher try to discover more about the nearby now demolished asylum that was open in the 1920's they uncover terrible secrets from the past that could have an impact on the present and the future.
The story itself was atmospheric and chilling in parts but I felt that about three quarters of the way in it lost its way and I started feeling a little confused as to what was happening and why, and I thought there were too many questions that weren't answered satisfactorily for me. Also the dialogue was sometimes unreal and stilted.
Overall, a decent horror story but one that probably won't stay in my mind.
The story started really well and I was drawn in as Martin Stride's family experienced strange happenings centred on the waiting room which was about half a mile away from their house -- his son saw the soldier's apparition there, singing was heard of an old war-time song and the faint rumble of a train was heard, even though there were no tracks. All very scary.
Enter the enigmatic, laid-back, confident Julian Creed, TV ghost hunter, who's a complete fake, but who's job is "to discover what had summoned the waiting room back into baleful life and return it to rest." Not believing in ghosts he gets quite a shock when an apparition appears in front of him when he stays there for one night............
As he and his researcher try to discover more about the nearby now demolished asylum that was open in the 1920's they uncover terrible secrets from the past that could have an impact on the present and the future.
The story itself was atmospheric and chilling in parts but I felt that about three quarters of the way in it lost its way and I started feeling a little confused as to what was happening and why, and I thought there were too many questions that weren't answered satisfactorily for me. Also the dialogue was sometimes unreal and stilted.
Overall, a decent horror story but one that probably won't stay in my mind.
November 4, 2012
Review of The Waiting Room by F. G. Cottam
5 Stars
There should be a special star-rating system for authors like F. G. Cottam, who always and without fail delivers extraordinary, polished, deeply-characterized, complexly-layered stories which never fail the reader. “The Waiting Room” intricately weaves multiple eras of history with the present, and multiple timelines. One of the protagonists, Martin Stride, is probably now one of my favourite characters composed by Mr. Cottam, an individual of such integrity that he almost literally shines with it. Julian Creed and Elena Coyne musn’t be omitted either. In fact, many of the characters of multiple eras are people of integrity. Then, of course, there are the requisite failures: the outright evil, the foolish, and those who think so highly of themselves that a fall is surely the result.
I came away from this novel thoroughly convinced of the accuracy of the Classic Greeks who wrote over and over again about Hubris: it is not just pride that precedes a fall, it is Hubris. Mr. Cottam’s character Bruno Absalom has it in full, and when he decides, almost on his own recognizance, to knock on the doors of Heaven and demand entrance-to say, “Lazarus, come forth”-he overreaches, of course, and many there are who suffer his failures.
5 Stars
There should be a special star-rating system for authors like F. G. Cottam, who always and without fail delivers extraordinary, polished, deeply-characterized, complexly-layered stories which never fail the reader. “The Waiting Room” intricately weaves multiple eras of history with the present, and multiple timelines. One of the protagonists, Martin Stride, is probably now one of my favourite characters composed by Mr. Cottam, an individual of such integrity that he almost literally shines with it. Julian Creed and Elena Coyne musn’t be omitted either. In fact, many of the characters of multiple eras are people of integrity. Then, of course, there are the requisite failures: the outright evil, the foolish, and those who think so highly of themselves that a fall is surely the result.
I came away from this novel thoroughly convinced of the accuracy of the Classic Greeks who wrote over and over again about Hubris: it is not just pride that precedes a fall, it is Hubris. Mr. Cottam’s character Bruno Absalom has it in full, and when he decides, almost on his own recognizance, to knock on the doors of Heaven and demand entrance-to say, “Lazarus, come forth”-he overreaches, of course, and many there are who suffer his failures.
October 27, 2016
I really loved the ghost story in this, but hated the present day characters. And the amount of cheesiness! Oh the cheesiness!
The characters I speak of are all extraordinarily attractive people who are extraordinarily astute and intelligent etc The protagonist is somewhat flawed (while still being extraordinarily attractive) however he effortlessly corrects those flaws before the end of the story. Further to this, they all respect and admire each other for being attractive and courageous and perfect. It's completely unreal and shallow. There's fluid musculature and adorable perfectly behaved children who are being perfectly parented. The characters of the past are flawed but also still in a shallow way. Basically, the characters are just not as developed as they could be.
Having said all that, the ghost story is great. It's creepy and original and sad. The ending is also very interesting and satisfying. Although, also cheesy in some respects. I kind of hoped that all the perfect people would die... but they don't. Still worth reading if you love your ghost stories.
The characters I speak of are all extraordinarily attractive people who are extraordinarily astute and intelligent etc The protagonist is somewhat flawed (while still being extraordinarily attractive) however he effortlessly corrects those flaws before the end of the story. Further to this, they all respect and admire each other for being attractive and courageous and perfect. It's completely unreal and shallow. There's fluid musculature and adorable perfectly behaved children who are being perfectly parented. The characters of the past are flawed but also still in a shallow way. Basically, the characters are just not as developed as they could be.
Having said all that, the ghost story is great. It's creepy and original and sad. The ending is also very interesting and satisfying. Although, also cheesy in some respects. I kind of hoped that all the perfect people would die... but they don't. Still worth reading if you love your ghost stories.
August 20, 2020
3rd September 2011
This book was a lovely surprise! It is a great read and is a proper old fashioned ghost story.
I am a great fan of M.R. James and Edgar Alan Poe and the author puts himself up there with the best. It is proper storytelling at its finest, atmospherically chilling and makes you look over your shoulder every now and then. I would not wish to spend any time in a gloomy waiting room in the near future.
The setting is partly in the present time, partly in the era of World War One and the author writes with the great poignancy of the time, bringing the sadness and loss that was suffered to life.
The story does have a slight twist to it which adds to the uneasiness of the reader and this is reminiscent of the style of Stephen King. With a combination like that it has to be a winning formula for a scary book. I shall be looking for more books by F. G. Cottam to read in the near future.
This book was a lovely surprise! It is a great read and is a proper old fashioned ghost story.
I am a great fan of M.R. James and Edgar Alan Poe and the author puts himself up there with the best. It is proper storytelling at its finest, atmospherically chilling and makes you look over your shoulder every now and then. I would not wish to spend any time in a gloomy waiting room in the near future.
The setting is partly in the present time, partly in the era of World War One and the author writes with the great poignancy of the time, bringing the sadness and loss that was suffered to life.
The story does have a slight twist to it which adds to the uneasiness of the reader and this is reminiscent of the style of Stephen King. With a combination like that it has to be a winning formula for a scary book. I shall be looking for more books by F. G. Cottam to read in the near future.
April 13, 2021
At the start of the book I thought I was in for a traditional style ghost story, with the atmosphere of the waiting room & its environs being suitably creepy. However once the history of the place began to be uncovered things took a much darker & sinister turn - think "The Monkey's Paw" with time travel!
Two quotes in particular stuck with me;
"Things perish", he said. "Everything perishes. It's in the nature of things"
"I believe that when you see them (ghosts),you are seeing the past. They are not the past come to the present. They are there instead because you have journeyed back." I like that thought...
Two quotes in particular stuck with me;
"Things perish", he said. "Everything perishes. It's in the nature of things"
"I believe that when you see them (ghosts),you are seeing the past. They are not the past come to the present. They are there instead because you have journeyed back." I like that thought...
April 23, 2018
My first ever ghost story!!! If this is the authors style I will be reading a lot more of them! AMAZING
October 27, 2023
A good ghost story and made me a bit scared of the dark after I read it. I will F.G's other books.
October 24, 2025
love this book and audio book is brilliantly read
November 30, 2019
What a book! Having found this book as a surprise, I have been hooked. Very atmospheric and it draws you into it.
All characters are easy to picture and accessible as people. Please enjoy.
All characters are easy to picture and accessible as people. Please enjoy.
February 1, 2016
I have to admit that I was looking for an easy read when I picked this up in my local library. F C Cottam is a new writer to me.
It’s ostensibly a ghost story with elements of a thriller which also encompasses time travel and Pet Sematary which is not entirely successful.
It begins with Martin Stride, a successful ex rock star calling in successful TV psychic, Julian Creed, to investigate an eerie, decommissioned branch line station that’s part of his country estate. Martin’s family’s experiences began with Martin out collecting windfall apples one evening near the old station, Shale Point. He hears the unmistakeable sound of a long train being pulled by a steam locomotive. He’s spooked to say the least/. The his 8 year old daughter Millie, begins playing, out of the blue, sentimental Word War 1 song, ‘Roses of Picardy’, claiming that she heard it wafting over the breeze at a family picnic. Finally, Millie’s brother, Peter, is tending a mountain bike puncture near the station platform sees a soldier at the waiting room leering at him. Martin feels that something has to be done and so Julian is called in.
Shale Point was the station through which wounded and shell shocked serviceman passed on they way to the local asylum, Falcon House, now demolished. Martin thinks that the leering soldier may have been one of Falcon House’s Director, Prof Edward Brody’s patients.
Julian sets himself up at Shale Point and senses the soldier’s unpleasant personality and has a meeting with a glamorous female ghost who alights from a phantom train. Elena, his researcher, finds out that she is Lady Mary Ross who is searching for her son, Patrick, who was killed in battle but whom she believes to still be alive. But as Elene delves deeper in Mary’s tragic life and the suave Italian, Bruno Absolom, she wonders if Patrick is dead or undead?
However Martin is unaware that Julian is a successful fake TV psychic whose cases and alleged ghost experiences are all cunningly faked by his team. Julian doesn’t believe in the supernatural at all. But Shale Point may be his first real psychic adventure as he’s soon out of his depth….
According to the blurb, F C Cottam turned to writing paranormal thrillers after a career In mens magazines. There is a lot of emphasis on material things and how attractive people are. It is emphasised several times that Martin has a lovely family and a lovely wife, Monica, Julian also has an attractive assistant, Elena, with whom he has had an affair. I felt that the women were stereotypes and didn’t come alive as real people. Both Stride and Creed are depicted and described as successful handsome men but I found it hard to visualise either of them.
There is also a lot of description where I would have preferred more action or conversation.
I didn’t think that the time travel element worked that well especially when the waiting room divests itself of its spruce Edwardian appearance and reveal itself in its derelict ‘60’s state. I could accept that it had been abandoned and left to rot but not that it had actually changed but no one could see it. Also a ghost acknowledging the existence of a human – not likely.
However I did like the derelict waiting room sitting o the blackberry choked platform eternally waiting for the ghostly steam train and passengers, the train tracks long gone.
I felt that the author had one to many plot strands which it made it a little unwieldy and unsatisfying
especially at the end. But despite that I did enjoy the atmosphere and the way that the plot built up.
May 12, 2023
I've stopped reading it. At about 7% through, I jotted down the following:
Not sure about this one. Some of the scenes are evocative, but the actual writing reminds me of the work of high school students or eager creative writing extended learning attendees, i.e., in need of some assistance. Writing is all about choices, of course, and in my darker moments it can be a bit paralyzing: should I say it this way? or this way? or that way? (We've all done it, even writing reviews or emails). Sadly, I don't like his or her choices, or the feeling that perhaps it's all just first draft.
Here's an example: Elena has just arrived at the pub, and looked around disdainfully, and the protagonist mentions their history briefly. Then "He got her a white wine and a soda, which was what she drank when she drank. She shed her coat and hung it on a hook by the door and spotted the table on which he had left his Blackberry and notebook and sat down there."
For me, that's all kinds of bewildering. I feel like if he got her a drink, then she should be in possession of them, but she isn't, so I think the author should instead show him get up, go to the bar, and order her a drink. And he's apparently still at the bar, because otherwise wouldn't she just spot him rather than his Blackberry and notebook? So I guess he's not sitting down. And what sort of monster of perception scans a pub, fails to see the ex-lover at the bar, but manages to identify "hey, that's my former lover's blackberry and notebook" in order to decide where to sit? Not to mention questions like, unless the pub were the size of Versaille's grand ballroom, why wouldn't you just get up and greet your guest, rather than leave her to puzzle out where to sit?
I'm only 7% through (on my Kindle), but my reading experience has largely been this: some interesting moments (when describing the hauntings) punctuated by my noticing the actual very awkward mechanics of writing and wishing almost every paragraph were different. It's like trying to enjoy a delicious meal while sitting on an uncomfortable chair in a room that smells bad whilst terrible music plays on, loudly. Is it worth it for the delicious meal? We'll see how long I last with this one.
Fun Fact! I lasted exactly one more page, and then every sentence became like nails on the blackboard.
"After he had gone, she reflected on that last question and the answer she had known before asking he would give to it."
Ugh! It was followed by a series of sentences that should have fit together as one sentence, and a horrible shark analogy that was tortured to death over two paragraphs, and also this sentence "She by timid contrast would be working very late." What on earth is a "timid contrast?"
I can't, so I won't, and I'm not.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
Not sure about this one. Some of the scenes are evocative, but the actual writing reminds me of the work of high school students or eager creative writing extended learning attendees, i.e., in need of some assistance. Writing is all about choices, of course, and in my darker moments it can be a bit paralyzing: should I say it this way? or this way? or that way? (We've all done it, even writing reviews or emails). Sadly, I don't like his or her choices, or the feeling that perhaps it's all just first draft.
Here's an example: Elena has just arrived at the pub, and looked around disdainfully, and the protagonist mentions their history briefly. Then "He got her a white wine and a soda, which was what she drank when she drank. She shed her coat and hung it on a hook by the door and spotted the table on which he had left his Blackberry and notebook and sat down there."
For me, that's all kinds of bewildering. I feel like if he got her a drink, then she should be in possession of them, but she isn't, so I think the author should instead show him get up, go to the bar, and order her a drink. And he's apparently still at the bar, because otherwise wouldn't she just spot him rather than his Blackberry and notebook? So I guess he's not sitting down. And what sort of monster of perception scans a pub, fails to see the ex-lover at the bar, but manages to identify "hey, that's my former lover's blackberry and notebook" in order to decide where to sit? Not to mention questions like, unless the pub were the size of Versaille's grand ballroom, why wouldn't you just get up and greet your guest, rather than leave her to puzzle out where to sit?
I'm only 7% through (on my Kindle), but my reading experience has largely been this: some interesting moments (when describing the hauntings) punctuated by my noticing the actual very awkward mechanics of writing and wishing almost every paragraph were different. It's like trying to enjoy a delicious meal while sitting on an uncomfortable chair in a room that smells bad whilst terrible music plays on, loudly. Is it worth it for the delicious meal? We'll see how long I last with this one.
Fun Fact! I lasted exactly one more page, and then every sentence became like nails on the blackboard.
"After he had gone, she reflected on that last question and the answer she had known before asking he would give to it."
Ugh! It was followed by a series of sentences that should have fit together as one sentence, and a horrible shark analogy that was tortured to death over two paragraphs, and also this sentence "She by timid contrast would be working very late." What on earth is a "timid contrast?"
I can't, so I won't, and I'm not.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
February 7, 2012
I bought this on a bit of a whim as I finished one audiobook and wasn't willing to wait until the end of the month for a new one! I know I have a To Be Read pile that's taller than I am, but I'm officially an audiobook addict and the act of tackling the TBR pile seemed too daunting at the time (even with the 2012 TBR Reading Challenge there to spur me on).
These days there's an abundance of horror for a reading audience to sink their teeth into, but little of it really creeps me out. In choosing The Waiting Room, I was hoping for a back to basics ghost story that would remind me of Henry James or Susan Hill. I can't say I was thrilled with what I got, but I wasn't exactly disappointed, either.
The premise of Cottam's work isn't hugely original: a ghost-hunter who doesn't believe in ghosts is sent to spend a night in a haunted waiting room. However, it's the sort of idea that I like. I wanted to be frightened and the idea provided the opportunity for just that.
There were moments in the book when the description of the hauntings really did raise goosebumps on my arms. Admittedly I made the mistake of listening to parts of this at night... if you're going to invest in this to be frightened by it, then listen to it on a cold, windy night while your other half, parents, pets etc. are out. Then it's freaky! If this had been a short story or novella, I think it might have worked better for me. What let it down was the characterisation. I had absolutely no idea when this was set! Everyone spoke in the same old-fashioned, very English dialect (very Henry James, in fact...) and there was barely any variation between the different characters.
Furthermore, the plot concealed an area of conflict between Creed (the paranormal investigator) and his love-interest assistant. I was on tenterhooks to find out what the "big deal" was between them... what had happened in their past to be such a hindrance to their continuing relationship?! I hate spoiling things, but I wish someone had been there to tell me not to get my hopes up about the drama! When the crucial incident of their past was revealed I was listening to the audiobook in a shop. I caught myself glaring furiously at a cashier as I was so annoyed and frustrated with what I was listening to. I apologised, of course, and skedaddled!
This is one of those books which I used to tide me over until my Audible credit arrives tomorrow. It was enjoyable enough, but I've already forgotten half of the characters' names. I likes the Wilfred Owen references as I'm a fan of his poetry...but later on in the book his ghostly echoes become heavy-handed and end up taking you out of the creepy suspense of the tale. It wasn't a total loss. I think I paid £5.99 for this on sale and it was worth that. If I had spent my monthly credit on it though, I think I would have been disappointed.
Not bad, not great. Fairly enjoyable on the whole!
Lx
These days there's an abundance of horror for a reading audience to sink their teeth into, but little of it really creeps me out. In choosing The Waiting Room, I was hoping for a back to basics ghost story that would remind me of Henry James or Susan Hill. I can't say I was thrilled with what I got, but I wasn't exactly disappointed, either.
The premise of Cottam's work isn't hugely original: a ghost-hunter who doesn't believe in ghosts is sent to spend a night in a haunted waiting room. However, it's the sort of idea that I like. I wanted to be frightened and the idea provided the opportunity for just that.
There were moments in the book when the description of the hauntings really did raise goosebumps on my arms. Admittedly I made the mistake of listening to parts of this at night... if you're going to invest in this to be frightened by it, then listen to it on a cold, windy night while your other half, parents, pets etc. are out. Then it's freaky! If this had been a short story or novella, I think it might have worked better for me. What let it down was the characterisation. I had absolutely no idea when this was set! Everyone spoke in the same old-fashioned, very English dialect (very Henry James, in fact...) and there was barely any variation between the different characters.
Furthermore, the plot concealed an area of conflict between Creed (the paranormal investigator) and his love-interest assistant. I was on tenterhooks to find out what the "big deal" was between them... what had happened in their past to be such a hindrance to their continuing relationship?! I hate spoiling things, but I wish someone had been there to tell me not to get my hopes up about the drama! When the crucial incident of their past was revealed I was listening to the audiobook in a shop. I caught myself glaring furiously at a cashier as I was so annoyed and frustrated with what I was listening to. I apologised, of course, and skedaddled!
This is one of those books which I used to tide me over until my Audible credit arrives tomorrow. It was enjoyable enough, but I've already forgotten half of the characters' names. I likes the Wilfred Owen references as I'm a fan of his poetry...but later on in the book his ghostly echoes become heavy-handed and end up taking you out of the creepy suspense of the tale. It wasn't a total loss. I think I paid £5.99 for this on sale and it was worth that. If I had spent my monthly credit on it though, I think I would have been disappointed.
Not bad, not great. Fairly enjoyable on the whole!
Lx
February 19, 2015
The premise is really interesting, but the book doesn't fulfill completely. I was immediately put off by the clunky turns of phrase. Maybe it is a British thing? But I doubt it, because I like many British writers. The conversations between characters also seemed very stilted and stagey; not natural at all. Especially the conversation between one of the main characters (Creede) and his father. Besides that, the plot is extremely murky. The relationship between Creede and his assistant Elena is not fleshed out, and yet it becomes one of the main thrusts of the book. The change from cold to hot happens extremely fast and seems unbelivable. Supernatural occurrences without much explanation. Of course, who can really explain the supernatural, so this may sound harsh. Still...a reader wants to know how these things happen. For example, if there is an incantation with some type of power, you want to know just a smidgen more about it than what we get here. How is it done? Where is it done? All we know is that there is an incantation with some consequences. Very vague. The ending just digresses into even more confusion, with more questions than answers.
It was atmospheric and mildly entertaining, but frustrating overall.
It was atmospheric and mildly entertaining, but frustrating overall.
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