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Tower Hill
A charismatic new priest has come to Tower Hill. A handsome new professor is teaching at the college. And a nightmare has settled over the town. A girl is found dead and mutilated—by her own hand. Another has slashed her face with scissors. Have the residents of Tower Hill all gone mad? Or has something worse…something unholy…taken over?
Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2008
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About the author
Sarah Pinborough
89 books7,933 followersSarah Pinborough is a New York Times bestselling and Sunday Times Number one and Internationally bestselling author who is published in over 30 territories worldwide. Having published more than 25 novels across various genres, her recent books include Behind Her Eyes, now a smash hit Netflix limited series, Dead To Her, now in development with Amazon Studios, and 13 Minutes and The Death House in development with Compelling Pictures. Sarah lives in the historic town of Stony Stratford, the home of the Cock and Bull story, with her dog Ted. Her next novel, Insomnia, is out in 2022. You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @sarahpinborough.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 5, 2021
3…4…3...4
That’s how my mind was going as I read SP Tower Hill.
At first I thought it was just mediocre. And there were some things that were bugging me for the first half of the book. The book takes place in Maine. With college students. It was published in 2008. Pinborough is British—or at least that is what the bio at the back of the book says. I love Britons of all types. And two mercenaries, who I think were also US, but I couldn’t swear to that. Anyway, there were diction issues that threw me off. However, the story is largely narrating the events of some American college kids and – at least to me – it should have narrated/spoken in their voice. There were times I could tell English vernacular, like when a kid said something was “grand.” I love that phrase, but I don’t think someone would have said that in this context. That came up a bit in the first half of the book. Maybe I’m making that into too big of thing. It really wasn’t. The first half just seemed to drag for me with a lotta lotta lotta build up without much happening. And that was the part that was getting me thinking I would end up with a three when it came to write this review and rate it.
But then we get a better idea what is at stake and some real peril developed and some action. It picks up at the mid-point. I’m getting excited. I’m liking it more. Still not gonna make any of my absolute favorites lists, but Pinborough is a new author to me and I was glad I’d tried this one. So then when I am seeing events converge and conflicts set up and some serious creepiness and gore, I’m starting think, okay, maybe this’ll be a four. Cool, right? Cuz it’s always better to start liking something more than the opposite, right?
But then that opposite starts to happen toward the end. I’m getting to the end, and I’m realizing, what a sec…the good guys are going off to face the bad guys and the bad guys have this impressive force and plan and place … and … And then to make it worse, backsliding my thoughts on this book down to a 3 again… Huh? What the what?
But then , we get closer to the veryend and Pinborough makes you realize Oh. Okay. Okay. OKAY! Yeah, now I get it. Nice one, Pinborough. Not bad. And so here I end, having enjoyed Tower Hill and settled on a four star rating.
Other stuff that I liked: I tend to like short chapters. I don’t know why, exactly. Maybe they just make the action seem like it’s going faster. But this book is mostly short chapters, especially when Pinborough is making it clip along. Some of the chapters are just a page, which is an interesting (and cool) creative choice. Just so you know, the book relies a lot on religious references and themes as the primary conflict.
Tower Hill wasn’t perfect. It could have, believe it or not, I think used a substantive edit. It was not that much horror or suspense early on for my tastes. But at the end of the day, Pinborough told me a good story that I enjoyed.
And that’s what really matters. At least it is to me.
That’s how my mind was going as I read SP Tower Hill.
At first I thought it was just mediocre. And there were some things that were bugging me for the first half of the book. The book takes place in Maine. With college students. It was published in 2008. Pinborough is British—or at least that is what the bio at the back of the book says. I love Britons of all types. And two mercenaries, who I think were also US, but I couldn’t swear to that. Anyway, there were diction issues that threw me off. However, the story is largely narrating the events of some American college kids and – at least to me – it should have narrated/spoken in their voice. There were times I could tell English vernacular, like when a kid said something was “grand.” I love that phrase, but I don’t think someone would have said that in this context. That came up a bit in the first half of the book. Maybe I’m making that into too big of thing. It really wasn’t. The first half just seemed to drag for me with a lotta lotta lotta build up without much happening. And that was the part that was getting me thinking I would end up with a three when it came to write this review and rate it.
But then we get a better idea what is at stake and some real peril developed and some action. It picks up at the mid-point. I’m getting excited. I’m liking it more. Still not gonna make any of my absolute favorites lists, but Pinborough is a new author to me and I was glad I’d tried this one. So then when I am seeing events converge and conflicts set up and some serious creepiness and gore, I’m starting think, okay, maybe this’ll be a four. Cool, right? Cuz it’s always better to start liking something more than the opposite, right?
But then that opposite starts to happen toward the end. I’m getting to the end, and I’m realizing, what a sec…the good guys are going off to face the bad guys and the bad guys have this impressive force and plan and place … and … And then to make it worse, backsliding my thoughts on this book down to a 3 again… Huh? What the what?
But then , we get closer to the veryend and Pinborough makes you realize Oh. Okay. Okay. OKAY! Yeah, now I get it. Nice one, Pinborough. Not bad. And so here I end, having enjoyed Tower Hill and settled on a four star rating.
Other stuff that I liked: I tend to like short chapters. I don’t know why, exactly. Maybe they just make the action seem like it’s going faster. But this book is mostly short chapters, especially when Pinborough is making it clip along. Some of the chapters are just a page, which is an interesting (and cool) creative choice. Just so you know, the book relies a lot on religious references and themes as the primary conflict.
Tower Hill wasn’t perfect. It could have, believe it or not, I think used a substantive edit. It was not that much horror or suspense early on for my tastes. But at the end of the day, Pinborough told me a good story that I enjoyed.
And that’s what really matters. At least it is to me.
July 28, 2008
It is rare that I give a horror novel 5 stars, but then again it is rare that a horror novel evokes a sense of disturbed creepiness in me. I won’t say that it “scared me” but it did keep me engaged from beginning to end, and for some reason this book came across as more plausible than many of the other supernatural horrors that I have read. It could be that it is a Christian based horror; I don’t know that an atheist would find this as creepy as I did.
Short Summary – Tower Hill is a tiny town that hasn’t change for decades, housing a large church, a small university and a very small town population. Two not so nice individuals (one is a depraved serial killer) have followed a series of riddles and clues to find their way to Tower Hill where they discover two religious artifacts hidden… and the rituals required giving them the power of God, but it requires the help of the townspeople. Two college students and a police deputy find themselves in a bizarre situation as suddenly the sleepy little town becomes host to a series of murders and mutilations, and the townspeople suddenly aren’t acting the way they should.
Pinborough’s characters are very real and conflicted. Almost equal time is spent between our four “good guys” and our two “bad guys” and as the reader you get a bit of a sense as to how this can play out, however nothing is spoon-fed to you. I appreciate the intelligence of her horror, the concept of biblical power in the wrong hands is believable to me (I mean Hitler was hunting for religious artifacts from all religions) and although at first it seems a bit strange that religious items of this magnitude would be hidden in “the new world” Pinborough does an excellent job of connecting all of the dots for us without breaking down into pages of exposition. Though there is one element of the story that didn’t make a whole lot of sense and was never truly explained I’ll forgive her for that because I enjoyed the rest of the book so much (for those of you who have read the book – the item in the town drunk’s pocket really has no explanation at all, it is to that which I am referring).
This book takes on a very creepy vibe right from the beginning and you can feel your mind thinking “no, don’t do that!” as you read what the characters are doing, because they are so real, you genuinely want them to make it out of this okay. As with any good horror, not all of them do (I hate the ride off into the sunset endings of many horror novels). The resolution is what is expected, and the story maintains its level of creepiness throughout. This is only the second of Pinborough’s novels that I have read, and I have to admit that I like her sense of mood, and her ability to maintain it from beginning to end. There is some gore in this book, and a bit of sex, but what keeps this book moving is the characters and the overall sense of panic that the reader develops. If this were a movie, you wouldn’t be able to keep yourself from yelling at the screen “NO, don’t eat that!” “Don’t go in there!” or “Dear god, don’t trust HIM!!!” the fact that this book made me feel that way is what bumped this up to a 5 star book, even though it had some flaws.
This will probably not be for everyone, and may be scarier to Christians than non-Christians who may find this to be a load of garbage. This doesn’t require a lot of Biblical knowledge to enjoy; most of us are at least familiar enough with the beginning of Genesis to comprehend what is going on. I really enjoyed this book and hope that you do too!
Short Summary – Tower Hill is a tiny town that hasn’t change for decades, housing a large church, a small university and a very small town population. Two not so nice individuals (one is a depraved serial killer) have followed a series of riddles and clues to find their way to Tower Hill where they discover two religious artifacts hidden… and the rituals required giving them the power of God, but it requires the help of the townspeople. Two college students and a police deputy find themselves in a bizarre situation as suddenly the sleepy little town becomes host to a series of murders and mutilations, and the townspeople suddenly aren’t acting the way they should.
Pinborough’s characters are very real and conflicted. Almost equal time is spent between our four “good guys” and our two “bad guys” and as the reader you get a bit of a sense as to how this can play out, however nothing is spoon-fed to you. I appreciate the intelligence of her horror, the concept of biblical power in the wrong hands is believable to me (I mean Hitler was hunting for religious artifacts from all religions) and although at first it seems a bit strange that religious items of this magnitude would be hidden in “the new world” Pinborough does an excellent job of connecting all of the dots for us without breaking down into pages of exposition. Though there is one element of the story that didn’t make a whole lot of sense and was never truly explained I’ll forgive her for that because I enjoyed the rest of the book so much (for those of you who have read the book – the item in the town drunk’s pocket really has no explanation at all, it is to that which I am referring).
This book takes on a very creepy vibe right from the beginning and you can feel your mind thinking “no, don’t do that!” as you read what the characters are doing, because they are so real, you genuinely want them to make it out of this okay. As with any good horror, not all of them do (I hate the ride off into the sunset endings of many horror novels). The resolution is what is expected, and the story maintains its level of creepiness throughout. This is only the second of Pinborough’s novels that I have read, and I have to admit that I like her sense of mood, and her ability to maintain it from beginning to end. There is some gore in this book, and a bit of sex, but what keeps this book moving is the characters and the overall sense of panic that the reader develops. If this were a movie, you wouldn’t be able to keep yourself from yelling at the screen “NO, don’t eat that!” “Don’t go in there!” or “Dear god, don’t trust HIM!!!” the fact that this book made me feel that way is what bumped this up to a 5 star book, even though it had some flaws.
This will probably not be for everyone, and may be scarier to Christians than non-Christians who may find this to be a load of garbage. This doesn’t require a lot of Biblical knowledge to enjoy; most of us are at least familiar enough with the beginning of Genesis to comprehend what is going on. I really enjoyed this book and hope that you do too!
May 30, 2011
What better place to open a chasm of destruction and chaos while gaining supernatural powers than a small, quiet New England town of Tower Hill. Where nothing changes dramatically, where the residents are sweet and students who come to the University are charming and peaceful and best of all, totally unsuspecting of something evil creeping their way. Well, say goodbye to sanity and student life, sinister forces in disguise of good have taken claim of the sleepy town and after they are done wringing every little last drop of blood they will feed in more ways than one.
This creepy horror is delicious and impossibly hard to put down, yet easy to read and digest. Sarah Pinborough has done am impressive job with connecting the reader to the inner most feelings of the main character - Liz, while giving some great insight to the bad guys, switching between the two polar opposites until the final clash in the end. Right of the bat, we know that something fishy is going on, it's pretty obvious to us- the silent watchers behind the page as two men pretend to be something else. One comes as a priest and the other as a teacher, both with dark plans in mind and sick ideas motivating their seemingly innocent behavior in the small town. The reader is aware than the wolf in sheep's clothing is sowing the seeds in the hearts and minds of the residents and the students, but we sit helpless unable to leap through the pages and help, watching something dark unfold. I think this direction made the book even more exciting, knowing that evil is brewing, watching Liz and her friends plow through the challenges and seeing who falls and who survives was half the fun. When the weirdness of the new church makes Liz question her own faith, she realizes that it's not her that is wrong but the church and the new priest. She also notices that her friend Angela starts changing after attending a weekend club set up by the new teacher. The town and its inhabitants are changing form both sides and pretty soon there is barely anyone left who is even aware of the danger or of the changes taking place in their minds, souls and bodies.
This was total candy for my brain; eerie, creepy, full of ominous atmosphere that cloyed each page, making it thick with anticipation and eagerness for the truth to come out. The ending was a bit startling, I would never have expected for the events that perspired to occur but it was good, albeit a bit fast. The uphill trip (reading the story) was probably the best part since the suspense was very entertaining, just as a good book should be.
This creepy horror is delicious and impossibly hard to put down, yet easy to read and digest. Sarah Pinborough has done am impressive job with connecting the reader to the inner most feelings of the main character - Liz, while giving some great insight to the bad guys, switching between the two polar opposites until the final clash in the end. Right of the bat, we know that something fishy is going on, it's pretty obvious to us- the silent watchers behind the page as two men pretend to be something else. One comes as a priest and the other as a teacher, both with dark plans in mind and sick ideas motivating their seemingly innocent behavior in the small town. The reader is aware than the wolf in sheep's clothing is sowing the seeds in the hearts and minds of the residents and the students, but we sit helpless unable to leap through the pages and help, watching something dark unfold. I think this direction made the book even more exciting, knowing that evil is brewing, watching Liz and her friends plow through the challenges and seeing who falls and who survives was half the fun. When the weirdness of the new church makes Liz question her own faith, she realizes that it's not her that is wrong but the church and the new priest. She also notices that her friend Angela starts changing after attending a weekend club set up by the new teacher. The town and its inhabitants are changing form both sides and pretty soon there is barely anyone left who is even aware of the danger or of the changes taking place in their minds, souls and bodies.
This was total candy for my brain; eerie, creepy, full of ominous atmosphere that cloyed each page, making it thick with anticipation and eagerness for the truth to come out. The ending was a bit startling, I would never have expected for the events that perspired to occur but it was good, albeit a bit fast. The uphill trip (reading the story) was probably the best part since the suspense was very entertaining, just as a good book should be.
October 7, 2011
Sarah Pinborough really needs to write more horror. She's so good. This was a very excellent example of her horror, small town trapped in an ancient battle of good and evil, great backstory and enough gore and action to keep a horror fan happy, but not so much that it takes over or distracts from the story. Very quick read as well, great pacing as always. This was a 4.5 star read for me, but I accept the site's limitations :)
April 4, 2014
Easy to read,very imaginative,as expected from Ms Pinborough,but it is interesting to see how her writing has developed. Completely different from the beautiful prose and insight of The Language of Dying and the maturity and creativity of The Dog Faced Gods trilogy. Sarah is a versatile and adaptable writer which makes her interesting and exciting to read.
July 11, 2017
Set in a small university town in rural Maine, things go haywire when an imposter priest and a university professor arrive. Both the students and faculty of the university, as well as the townspeople fall under their spell and act like mindless zombies. Only Liz and Steve, as well as a couple of the residents are unaffected by the hypnotic effects of the two newcomers, who have seriously nefarious plans that involve the resurrection of the children and grandchildren of Adam and Eve.
Every time I read a Sarah Pinbrough novel, she delivers, and Tower Hill is no exception. She creates a desolate and bleak setting that really creates a sense of foreboding and puts the reader in just the right mood for this horror novel. At first, it seems as if the stakes in the novel are not big enough, however as the plan of the two strangers unfolds, it becomes clear that what they are trying to do would not only have major ramifications in this small town, but the world at large. The characters are well crafted, with the exception of Gray, who comes off to me as a bit of a mustache twirling villain. There is a strong buildup and a good climax. The horror elements are well done, although there are some elements of the story that stretch believability, and are used strictly as convenient plot devices. You could do much worse than picking up this fine horror novel.
Carl Alves - author of Battle of the Soul
Every time I read a Sarah Pinbrough novel, she delivers, and Tower Hill is no exception. She creates a desolate and bleak setting that really creates a sense of foreboding and puts the reader in just the right mood for this horror novel. At first, it seems as if the stakes in the novel are not big enough, however as the plan of the two strangers unfolds, it becomes clear that what they are trying to do would not only have major ramifications in this small town, but the world at large. The characters are well crafted, with the exception of Gray, who comes off to me as a bit of a mustache twirling villain. There is a strong buildup and a good climax. The horror elements are well done, although there are some elements of the story that stretch believability, and are used strictly as convenient plot devices. You could do much worse than picking up this fine horror novel.
Carl Alves - author of Battle of the Soul
May 6, 2015
Cue dramatic sigh. First things first, I find it so odd that I do not like this book. Breeding Ground scared me out of my wits, and I am loving Mayhem. But this one is a bump in the road. Two reasons:
1) The story takes a good long while to get started. It's interesting and mysterious, I suppose, but you know who all the players are going to be long before any real action starts. And some of even the main characters are wobbling right on that cliché line.
2) Here's where I get grumpy. Though I don't believe the book states, I believe that we are meant to infer that the priest ("priest")/church in this book are Roman Catholic. While individual religion doesn't have much bearing on the story as a whole, it took me right out of the story when the priest said his first Mass. There was so much wrong, it wasn't even mass. I'm not sure what it was. There was hardly even a structure to it. There seemed to be a sermon (homily?), Eucharist, and The Lord's Prayer (which Catholics tend to refer to as the Our Father). Then mass was over. Huh? I can understand changing some things so it's a little non-specific, but making something that I've done for 32 years unrecognizable to me was just too much, I suppose.
Okay grump over; now I'm going back to Mayhem.
1) The story takes a good long while to get started. It's interesting and mysterious, I suppose, but you know who all the players are going to be long before any real action starts. And some of even the main characters are wobbling right on that cliché line.
2) Here's where I get grumpy. Though I don't believe the book states, I believe that we are meant to infer that the priest ("priest")/church in this book are Roman Catholic. While individual religion doesn't have much bearing on the story as a whole, it took me right out of the story when the priest said his first Mass. There was so much wrong, it wasn't even mass. I'm not sure what it was. There was hardly even a structure to it. There seemed to be a sermon (homily?), Eucharist, and The Lord's Prayer (which Catholics tend to refer to as the Our Father). Then mass was over. Huh? I can understand changing some things so it's a little non-specific, but making something that I've done for 32 years unrecognizable to me was just too much, I suppose.
Okay grump over; now I'm going back to Mayhem.
November 9, 2008
This was a great book! It's basically about these 2 men that come into this town to become gods. It has a nice spin on history at the end. The story of adam and eve in the bible is the background of this story. The two men are trying to gain eternal life by ressurecting the descendents of adam and eve. I highly recomend this book!
January 29, 2025
“This is ours. Our time. Our legacy. But we need more room.”
Set in the small town of…Tower Hill, Maine. A picture-perfect town…or is it?
Quite the banger of an opening.
Jack and Gray, both 36, have been best friends for twenty years. New identities: Father Peter O’Brien, and Dr. Kenyon, respectively.
He could feel the power of centuries running through his veins, and he wondered about the men who had buried the box and wondered where their moldering, useless dust lay now.
Steve Wharton, Angela Wright, and Liz Clapton are college students who share a house together.
Steve has had a rough and tumble upbringing in Detroit, Michigan. Angela is a bit of a free spirit/wild child. Liz comes from an extremely religious family, and is on her own in the world for the first time.
The box. The apple. The snake.
Tattoos. The key…and the three boxes.
Buzzing and itching. Transformation beginning…
Dr. Kenyon’s paranormal investigation group.
Georgia Keenan. Angela…and the mirror.
Liz’s special stone, found on the beach.
Louis Eccles, the deputy sheriff. And Al Shtenko.
Lucid dreaming. Doubles.
The Dance of the Serpent.
Flashback to Afghanistan. The beginning, including the cave.
“They want to take what they see as their inheritance and eat their fill of the tree.”
Paradosis.
The trailer-park boy and the sheltered religious girl. The town drunk and the deputy.
Damn. The last 30-40% is unputdownable suspenseful horror at its very best.
Rich in imagery. Crazy strong world-building. Exquisite, eerie atmospheric writing. Stellar weaving of religious history and religious fiction.
Ultra compelling. Powerful character work. Incredibly solid, and especially for the horror genre.
Terrifying, complete, beautiful ending.
He wanted her to send them back. And she knew how.
“It’s all about temptation, after all.”
Set in the small town of…Tower Hill, Maine. A picture-perfect town…or is it?
Quite the banger of an opening.
Jack and Gray, both 36, have been best friends for twenty years. New identities: Father Peter O’Brien, and Dr. Kenyon, respectively.
He could feel the power of centuries running through his veins, and he wondered about the men who had buried the box and wondered where their moldering, useless dust lay now.
Steve Wharton, Angela Wright, and Liz Clapton are college students who share a house together.
Steve has had a rough and tumble upbringing in Detroit, Michigan. Angela is a bit of a free spirit/wild child. Liz comes from an extremely religious family, and is on her own in the world for the first time.
The box. The apple. The snake.
Tattoos. The key…and the three boxes.
Buzzing and itching. Transformation beginning…
Dr. Kenyon’s paranormal investigation group.
Georgia Keenan. Angela…and the mirror.
Liz’s special stone, found on the beach.
Louis Eccles, the deputy sheriff. And Al Shtenko.
Lucid dreaming. Doubles.
The Dance of the Serpent.
Flashback to Afghanistan. The beginning, including the cave.
“They want to take what they see as their inheritance and eat their fill of the tree.”
Paradosis.
The trailer-park boy and the sheltered religious girl. The town drunk and the deputy.
Damn. The last 30-40% is unputdownable suspenseful horror at its very best.
Rich in imagery. Crazy strong world-building. Exquisite, eerie atmospheric writing. Stellar weaving of religious history and religious fiction.
Ultra compelling. Powerful character work. Incredibly solid, and especially for the horror genre.
Terrifying, complete, beautiful ending.
He wanted her to send them back. And she knew how.
“It’s all about temptation, after all.”
February 3, 2023
"Girls that paint their toenails black, don't tend to be the best homemakers".
Sarah Pinborough sure can hold her own with the others that Leasure was pushing out. That is saying a lot when you had Ketchum, Lee, Laymon and so many more great horror writers in that house.
I usually find pro Christianity stories very lacking yet this one left my old jaded dark heart enjoying it all the way though and would have to say that someone of that faith that likes horror would really enjoy this book. Good clean horror even has coeds yet no sex, well done Sarah sure wish you would return to this genre.
Sarah Pinborough sure can hold her own with the others that Leasure was pushing out. That is saying a lot when you had Ketchum, Lee, Laymon and so many more great horror writers in that house.
I usually find pro Christianity stories very lacking yet this one left my old jaded dark heart enjoying it all the way though and would have to say that someone of that faith that likes horror would really enjoy this book. Good clean horror even has coeds yet no sex, well done Sarah sure wish you would return to this genre.
October 22, 2019
Once again, Pinborough knocks it out of the park. She's absolutely ruthless in this one. There are no easy ways out for anyone. Pinborough plays for blood. I love the explanation of what is going on, even though it reduces this story to religious horror, which I'm not a big fan of. I'm an atheist, so fling all the demons you want at me. I'm not going to flinch. But this was very unconventional, and that made me very happy. When one of the bad guys gets his comeuppance, it truly is a horrifying fate. This book is a lot of fun, and I highly recommend it.
June 25, 2019
OMG this book was great.
February 15, 2022
Beautifully gothic. Loved it.
November 11, 2009
Tower Hill by Sarah Pinborough is about a New England town called, yep, Tower Hill. A new year of college has started and new students Liz, a Maine island girl with a religious history, and Steve, a ruffian from Detroit looking to start a new life elsewhere are in for a treat as well as the whole town. Aside from the students there is also an new teacher and a new priest that has arrived. There is no secret who the antagonists are, but what they are trying to accomplish sends the whole town into a religious nightmare.
The plot is straight forward and there really is not much guessing at all as to what is going on in the town. The book begins well enough and shows promise right from the start. As the story progresses, it really doesn't seem to move very fast. Sure the changes in the town are spread out at good intervals, but I never really get the feeling of suspense or dread. There are some great visuals of Tower Hill and the surrounding countryside. AS for the characters, I really wanted to care about them more and root for them, but as the story progressed, I became a bit bored. Later, the town drunk becomes a central figure and other reviewers have questions about one part of something that is with him. My answer to this would be to believe in miracles. Guidance can come from anywhere, even a higher power. The pacing is rather stagnant. I pretty much had to push myself a little to finish this one.
Some Criticisms
1. The book started out nice enough, but eventually lost is edge. I guess I was expecting a little more from the story.
2. There wasn't much mystery as to the happenings of Tower Hill and what was going on. Sure, there are some things that needed explaining to keep the plot gong and give some history as to where things are coming from, but aside from that, the story came across one dimensional and a bit flat.
3. There is a part where one of the characters parents show up towards the end that didn't add as much as I thought it would. I was hoping for them to play a more integral part in the climax and yet did not.
Some Positives
1. The visuals were great. Ms. Pinborough has a definite talent for using words to paint pictures in her book. She doesn't over burden with details yet you feel like you are right there experiencing the environment.
2. When there is excitement, the story is very engaging. The reader is grabbed and forced to turn the pages to get through the scene. It was these parts that got me through to the end.
3. The twist at the end was awesome. I was not expecting the climax to take the turn that it did. Not only was it a twist in the story, but it made sense and was plausible as far as supernatural horror goes.
Overall, it was an average horror story. There was much room for improvement. This might seem like a negative review for a 3 star rating, however, the writing and the positives make up where the rest lacks. If I find another book by Ms. Pinborough that grabs my attention, I will try her again. To those who love supernatural, religious, horror, then you may like this one. If you are running out of horror stories to read, you may also want to give this one a chance. Now, if you are looking to get into reading horror, or supernatural horror with a religious base, then you may want to try something else.
Dimndbangr
The plot is straight forward and there really is not much guessing at all as to what is going on in the town. The book begins well enough and shows promise right from the start. As the story progresses, it really doesn't seem to move very fast. Sure the changes in the town are spread out at good intervals, but I never really get the feeling of suspense or dread. There are some great visuals of Tower Hill and the surrounding countryside. AS for the characters, I really wanted to care about them more and root for them, but as the story progressed, I became a bit bored. Later, the town drunk becomes a central figure and other reviewers have questions about one part of something that is with him. My answer to this would be to believe in miracles. Guidance can come from anywhere, even a higher power. The pacing is rather stagnant. I pretty much had to push myself a little to finish this one.
Some Criticisms
1. The book started out nice enough, but eventually lost is edge. I guess I was expecting a little more from the story.
2. There wasn't much mystery as to the happenings of Tower Hill and what was going on. Sure, there are some things that needed explaining to keep the plot gong and give some history as to where things are coming from, but aside from that, the story came across one dimensional and a bit flat.
3. There is a part where one of the characters parents show up towards the end that didn't add as much as I thought it would. I was hoping for them to play a more integral part in the climax and yet did not.
Some Positives
1. The visuals were great. Ms. Pinborough has a definite talent for using words to paint pictures in her book. She doesn't over burden with details yet you feel like you are right there experiencing the environment.
2. When there is excitement, the story is very engaging. The reader is grabbed and forced to turn the pages to get through the scene. It was these parts that got me through to the end.
3. The twist at the end was awesome. I was not expecting the climax to take the turn that it did. Not only was it a twist in the story, but it made sense and was plausible as far as supernatural horror goes.
Overall, it was an average horror story. There was much room for improvement. This might seem like a negative review for a 3 star rating, however, the writing and the positives make up where the rest lacks. If I find another book by Ms. Pinborough that grabs my attention, I will try her again. To those who love supernatural, religious, horror, then you may like this one. If you are running out of horror stories to read, you may also want to give this one a chance. Now, if you are looking to get into reading horror, or supernatural horror with a religious base, then you may want to try something else.
Dimndbangr
August 28, 2010
By this time in our adult lives, we know of at least one certainty when it comes to traveling: Stay away from small Maine towns. We’ve been there, and we know that bad things happen in these seemingly idyllic places. For some inexplicable reason, evil – in all its forms – seems to gravitate to the Pine Tree State like white on rice. Yet despite our familiarity with the inevitable unpleasantness that ensues within moments of crossing over the New Hampshire border, horror writers insist on taking us back there. One has to wonder then why UK scribe Sarah Pinborough (Breeding Ground, The Taken) chose Maine for her latest terror tome, Tower Hill. Sure, she’s in good company; Sarah Langan took us there in The Keeper, Nate Kenyon in Bloodstone, Jack Ketchum in Off Season and again in Offspring, Dean Koontz in Night Chills, even TV’s Dark Shadows was set in the fictional coastal town of Collinsport. Of course, no one has made Maine more a horror cliché than Stephen King, with Castle Rock, Derry, Little Tall Island, and Jerusalem’s Lot all part of the master dark scribe’s fictional topography.
Geographical echoes aside, Tower Hill is a solid tale steeped in the grand old horror theme of Good versus Evil.
Read the rest of the review here.
Geographical echoes aside, Tower Hill is a solid tale steeped in the grand old horror theme of Good versus Evil.
Read the rest of the review here.
November 18, 2011
I was fairly neutral on the book, all considered. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't in love with it either.
It wasn't scary, and it was hard to get engaged with the story. The story has a really slow build-up, and while I can see how that was necessary to really smack the reader in the face when the story got moving, it doesn't quite work as well when you care very little about the main two characters.
Liz & Steve don't have much going on, and their personalities and motives could be summed up nicely in a paragraph or two. It was hard to care about them and what they were going through, even though there was probably good reason to do so in there somewhere.
The saving grace for me were the two main antagonists, Gray & Jack. They had a complicated, fleshed out relationship and history that was interesting, and their brotherly-love for each other was pretty endearing for a couple of ruthless killers (or worse, in Gray's case). I honestly felt quite bad for them at the end when
As for the side cast - Al & Lou really won me over at the end. Al and his genie were sweet, and Lou was a good man.
The story itself was alright, but felt a bit predictable toward the end, which isn't always a bad thing, but I don't think it did any favors to the story this time around.
Definitely a 'read it for yourself & decide' sort of book. :)
It wasn't scary, and it was hard to get engaged with the story. The story has a really slow build-up, and while I can see how that was necessary to really smack the reader in the face when the story got moving, it doesn't quite work as well when you care very little about the main two characters.
Liz & Steve don't have much going on, and their personalities and motives could be summed up nicely in a paragraph or two. It was hard to care about them and what they were going through, even though there was probably good reason to do so in there somewhere.
The saving grace for me were the two main antagonists, Gray & Jack. They had a complicated, fleshed out relationship and history that was interesting, and their brotherly-love for each other was pretty endearing for a couple of ruthless killers (or worse, in Gray's case). I honestly felt quite bad for them at the end when
As for the side cast - Al & Lou really won me over at the end. Al and his genie were sweet, and Lou was a good man.
The story itself was alright, but felt a bit predictable toward the end, which isn't always a bad thing, but I don't think it did any favors to the story this time around.
Definitely a 'read it for yourself & decide' sort of book. :)
January 3, 2009
Tower Hill by Sarah Pinborough. Armageddon is nearly unleashed in a quiet college town as two mercenaries try to become gods and bring back evil spirits using artifacts from Eden. Original treatment of Biblical legends as premise for horror plot, but the characters were rather thin.
Title (and Author): Tower Hill by Sarah Pinborough.
Main Ideas: In the face of desperate odds, faith and sacrificial love can still conquer evil.
Overall Notes: There were some interesting elements to this book. The main antagonists, Jack Devaine (the fake priest) and the sociopath Gray Kenyon, were the most interesting characters, although even they were so purely evil that they did not seem real. But their total self-serving ambition and lack of compunction and fear made them at least fascinating to watch. The protagonists (especially the college age ones) were thinly drawn and not very interesting. I liked the way Pinborough incorporated Biblical legend and turned it into an apocalyptic horror plot in a mostly original way. The idea of the spirits of Adam and Eve’s descendants waiting in bitter anger to return to the world was very innovative.
Title (and Author): Tower Hill by Sarah Pinborough.
Main Ideas: In the face of desperate odds, faith and sacrificial love can still conquer evil.
Overall Notes: There were some interesting elements to this book. The main antagonists, Jack Devaine (the fake priest) and the sociopath Gray Kenyon, were the most interesting characters, although even they were so purely evil that they did not seem real. But their total self-serving ambition and lack of compunction and fear made them at least fascinating to watch. The protagonists (especially the college age ones) were thinly drawn and not very interesting. I liked the way Pinborough incorporated Biblical legend and turned it into an apocalyptic horror plot in a mostly original way. The idea of the spirits of Adam and Eve’s descendants waiting in bitter anger to return to the world was very innovative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2011
I was really looking forward to this one, as I really liked Pinborough's Torchwood novel. Somehow, thought, this one didn't soar for me. The ending reminded me a little of the Doctor Who episode "The Parting of the Ways." I did like that Ms. Pinborough didn't rely on blood and gore for her chills, but some of the characters were too undefined for me. Steve, in particular. He didn't really have much of a personality. And if you're writing a horror novel set in Maine DON'T mention Castle Rock (Stephen King's oft-used town). It inevitably makes one compare the book to King's stuff, and in this case it came up short. Tower Hill was one part Stepford Wives, one part King's short story Jerusalem's Lot, and, (as previously mentioned) one part Doctor Who. And the parts just didn't add up to an enjoyable read for me. As I so enjoyed her Torchwood book, though, I'll probably give Ms. Pinborough another chance.
September 29, 2009
I read this book last spring for part of my Back to the Beach presentation. It was a thoroughly enjoyable tale. It involved an elaborate Biblical mythology that involved an explanation of why the people in Genesis had such long lifespans. There also is an interesting take on the nature of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and what manifestation it takes. Even the Serpent is included.
One man murders and poses as the town priest and another gets a job as a professor at the local university in Tower Hill. Meanwhile, 3 students move in together. Soon the mystical aspects of the story begin to unfold their horror throughout the community. If I recall, the setting is Maine.
Perhaps some of the Christian notions of God and good vs. evil will deter some readers, but I found them an engaging part of the drama.
One man murders and poses as the town priest and another gets a job as a professor at the local university in Tower Hill. Meanwhile, 3 students move in together. Soon the mystical aspects of the story begin to unfold their horror throughout the community. If I recall, the setting is Maine.
Perhaps some of the Christian notions of God and good vs. evil will deter some readers, but I found them an engaging part of the drama.
February 25, 2014
I really enjoyed the story-line. It's the classic Good vs. Evil, but it has a couple of twists in it that were really interesting and fresh. The bad guys were terrific, and the good guys were... ok.
Although a minor character, Al Shtenko was the only 'good' guy that felt fully developed.
What sometimes pulled me out of the story, and prevented some other characters from fleshing out, were the British turns-of-phrase spoken by American characters.
When a teenager comes from a trailer park in Detroit, he will not say things like, "She didn't do it properly." Or "...could have done." And I don't know any Americans that serve 'franks and beans,' along with bacon and eggs for breakfast.
However, the Brit slips are few enough that I still liked the book.
Although a minor character, Al Shtenko was the only 'good' guy that felt fully developed.
What sometimes pulled me out of the story, and prevented some other characters from fleshing out, were the British turns-of-phrase spoken by American characters.
When a teenager comes from a trailer park in Detroit, he will not say things like, "She didn't do it properly." Or "...could have done." And I don't know any Americans that serve 'franks and beans,' along with bacon and eggs for breakfast.
However, the Brit slips are few enough that I still liked the book.
July 29, 2008
Despite some initial misgivings (not another author settings books in Stephen King's backyard and writing in a similar vein) I was quickly absorbed.
There is a definite feeling of us vs the world in the book, an evil that is seemingly undefeatable and just a tiny few who even realise there is a problem.
Great
There is a definite feeling of us vs the world in the book, an evil that is seemingly undefeatable and just a tiny few who even realise there is a problem.
Great
September 3, 2009
I needed this. I have spent so much time in my own world writing my books. I haven't read a book that wasn't my own in just a few days in forever.
Very good horror story. Like most good stories the bad guys were worth the price of admission. Great ending that I won't talk about for fear of getting into a lot of trouble.
If you like horror, run out and buy it.
Very good horror story. Like most good stories the bad guys were worth the price of admission. Great ending that I won't talk about for fear of getting into a lot of trouble.
If you like horror, run out and buy it.
August 8, 2013
This was a new author to me, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I find it very difficult to find quality horror reading these days. This book had it! The Biblical/Armageddon fight between good and evil seemed to be well thought out. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. I can only hope that others will be just as good.
May 22, 2015
Very pleasant find. I had not read anything by Ms. Pinborough before. This sucked me in and kept my attention until the end.
April 7, 2009
I really enjoyed the first half of the book but somewhere in the middle the story seemed to fall apart for me.
October 17, 2008
I guess I shouldn't say I read it. I TRIED to read it but simply never became interested in the story. It felt more like a teen horror novel than one for adults.
January 21, 2009
I just started reading it but a priest gets killed right away so I'm saying thumbs up.
May 29, 2011
Great book but why do they always have to pick on the Catholics.
November 26, 2011
I don't know what to say other than I read it but now a week later I can't remember a single thing about it. Well, I guess that says alot in itself, doesn't it?
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