Devon Book Club discussion

Hi everyone. I've been shamefully absent these last weeks - partly due to being on holiday and partly as I was busy at work before that getting ready to go on holiday. Then I got Covid on holiday and am now trying to get better to go back to work. Hmm 😷🙃

Anyway, I'm back to it now and picking up the threads. Some time ago I asked what themed week you'd like next and the answer was gothic/horror. So, I'm thinking that I'll arrange that for the two weeks that include Halloween - seems appropriate.

This then is a call for writers who'd like me to feature their work (priority as always to Devon-based writers if I get too many) and a call for your recommendations for books you love in that genre. you can leave a message here or send me a personal message.

So, as we celebrate our 8th birthday this weekend do we want flowers, chocolate, champagne - why yes of course but, being a community of book - lovers we also rock in other ways so let's talk about ... Horror and Gothic.
This was the popular choice among you all for our next themed week event. As it is Halloween next weekend this seems very appropriate and so I am kicking the week off today. Tomorrow, if you are on Twitter, our #devonbookhour will be largely dedicated to this theme too so join us there as well.
As always, rules are largely non-existent. I'm happy to talk about any books that fall broadly in those genres.
So, if you love reading horror or gothic tell us about the books that stand out for you and
If you are a writer and want to share relevant books please do so (I've had a number of community members offer to be featured and so will post details of those during the week).
Let the week begin...

Apologies if I'm a party-pooper, but I've never been that keen on horror, while I'm not sure what (now) counts as Gothic. If it includes works such as 'Rebecca' then I suppose I'm keen.
However, for real horror: Kingsbridge Library Reading Group are reading All Quiet on the Western Front as this month's book. Not surprisingly, there's an adaptation (Netflix) on TV tonight (I think?).

DrMama wrote: "Apologies if I'm a party-pooper, but I've never been that keen on horror, while I'm not sure what (now) counts as Gothic. If it includes works such as 'Rebecca' then I suppose I'm keen.
However, fo..."

As I say, I am relaxed rule wise and All Quiet on the Western Front is certainly a wonderful, moving but also horrific book.

I'm curious about what people enjoy about horror - books like Frankenstein I get as it is remarkable in a number of ways but reading to be frightened is an interesting concept.

Rebecca must surely be up there for great gothic stories

I'm not sure what 'horror' is any more. From what I can tell, most of the stuff that's churned out as 'horror' nowadays is pretty shoddy... such as the stuff that made me hide under the bedclothes when I was 9-11! I had a sheltered childhood with a very controlling father - and yet spent a lot of time reading stuff that I should not have been reading. I read 'Rebecca' when I was 12-ish. This was at Grammar School, as before then I wasn't allowed to join the Library. NB: I still wasn't allowed to join, but there was a good school library (my dad would have been horrified at many of the works on the shelves), plus a public library in the town where I caught my bus home - an aunt/cousin forged my Dad's signature. Some of the works terrified me, but not 'horror' stuff ... more the real events - what people do to each other. I don't go out of my way to read horror, and I can't remember the last time I was horrified... Maybe The Discomfort of Evening which tallies with my idea of 'what people do to each other'.

I tend to think of the classics like Bram Stoker, Hp Lovecraft, Steven King - but, Dracula aside, I've not read any of them so am looking forward to some tempting suggestions

not keen on horror at all, I tried to read a Cthulhu story, couldn't finish it. Annoyingly Waterstones clump sf, fantasy and horror together in their categories. As far as I'm concerned there is no connection with horror in the other 2 categories.

A couple of early mentions from our community - for downright scary The Historian and, for spooky, the Merrily Watkins series that begins with The Wine of Angels

Ley wrote: "not keen on horror at all, I tried to read a Cthulhu story, couldn't finish it. Annoyingly Waterstones clump sf, fantasy and horror together in their categories. As far as I'm concerned there is no..."

Agree that - but I am curious to see what people share with us as favourite books in this genre and why they love to read them.

Other suggestions - The Monk, ghost stories by M.R. James The Silent Companions The Shape of Darkness

As you know, I love to feature writers from our community when we do our themed weeks. To kick off our week I am delighted to share a trilogy of folk horror books in the Wicker Dogs series from Bideford writer, D.A. Holwill.

In addition to his writing Dave is also a musician and a freelance editor and proofreader. You can find out more about him and his wider work here https://daveholwill.com/

Dave is a very active member of our Twitter community and contributes both thoughtfully and with his own particular style of humour to our debates.

To kick off our week Dave has generously offered a set of all 3 of his folk horror novels as e-books. For details of how to enter see below

Introducing the books:
From Book 1 - Wicker Dogs:
After more than two centuries, Lady Melissa Dewer’s current body is wearing out.

Luring Patrick, the last of the Dewer bloodline, and his long-term girlfriend Polly to her remote Dartmoor town proves easy. Tricking them out of a child neither of them want to have will not.

On moving to their new home, Patrick finds a dismembered foot in a stone circle and soon discovers that, in Dourstone Nymet, there is always a mysterious disappearance during their ancient Winter festival.

Once Polly falls unexpectedly pregnant, Lady Melissa takes her under her wing and, amid rumours of Patrick’s infidelity, persuades her not to get rid of the baby.

It looks like Lady Melissa will get her wish and, unless Polly wakes up to the manipulations of this remote town and its odd traditions, it could be Patrick that disappears, along with her unborn child.

"Wicker Dogs sinks its teeth into the folk horror genre and doesn't let up until the last bloody mouthful" - James Brogden

Book 2 - The Bellever Hagstone
If only Lady Melissa Dewer could stay dead.

It’s Christmas time in Dourstone Nymet, a year since Polly nearly lost her daughter to the eldritch forces that govern the mysterious Dartmoor town.

Since then she has found herself having to lead the community’s traditional rituals.

But Dourstone does not like change, and Polly’s meddling leads to the return of an ancient evil, isolating the town from the outside world.

Once again Polly finds herself cut off from the only person she can trust. Her daughter.

To get her back she will have to work with the very people she once fought, to solve a series of clues leading to the only thing that can break the siege: the Bellever Hagstone.

The problem is, there’s only one person who can solve them.

Luckily, Lady Melissa Dewer doesn’t know how to stay dead.

Book 3 Jack Sharpnails
It seems like everyone’s moving to Devon these days.

They’ve all got their reasons.

Cole has come looking for a friend.

A friend last seen in the small Dartmoor town of Dourstone Nymet.

But nobody there has seen her, whether they’re in her Instagram feed or not.

When her baby brother is stolen away to the Undermoor by the mysterious Jack Sharpnails, Cole turns to Nathaniel Harker for help.

He takes her under his wing, giving her the attention she has always craved.

He may not be the friend she was looking for, but he’s the one she’s found.


In the third instalment of the acclaimed Wicker Dogs Folk Horror series, new faces move to town, taking over the Drop of Dew and causing unrest among the residents. They don’t always take kindly to strangers, will they take Cole and her family to their hearts, or rip the heart from their family?

To enter, just leave a message below by 6PM on 30/10/22. As these are e-books entries are welcome from across the world.

I usually like to read something a little bit spooky-themed in October, so this year I decided to read Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel. I'm only half way through at the moment, but so far so good! It's about a spirit medium, Alison, and her hired assistant, as well as Alison's sinister spirit guide, Morris. It alternates between the current day where they are travelling around many small towns, attending psychic evenings and fairs and then back to Alison's traumatic childhood. It is pretty dark and disturbing (though with a touch of dark humour), but I had never read anything of Mantel's other than Wolf Hall - it's extremely different and I'm glad I found it. Will definitely read some more of her books in future.

Our horror/gothic theme week continues and today I am delighted to share with you the work of one of our long-standing and very active community members Anya. J Davis.

Anya is a fantasy and horror author and you can find out more about her and her work through the website link below.

An Open University graduate, Anya spent many years working as a professional copywriter and editor before starting to submit fiction for publication. Her short stories have been published by World Weaver Press and Massacre Magazine. One of her stories also made it onto the Exeter Writers’ Short Story Competition longlist in 2016.
https://anyajdavis.wordpress.com/shor...


Her short stories are beautifully written and very varied and I hope you enjoy them

Jayne wrote: "I usually like to read something a little bit spooky-themed in October, so this year I decided to read Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel. I'm only half way through at the moment, but so far so good! It..."

Hi Jayne - that's a book I've often thought about reading but for some reason never picked up. Looks interesting - I shall add it to my list. Any other recommendations from your years of spooky reading?

Hi Ian, a couple of ones I can think of are Himself by Jess Kidd (set in an Irish village, populated by residents past and present, and the solving of a mystery from years before) and Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (set in a very modern Ikea-style store - the physical book is designed to look like a glossy furniture catalogue!) Both quite fun reads and not too scary, unlike The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell which I think was mentioned above - that was a lot more unsettling than I was expecting!! Looking forward to getting some more recommendations here 🙂

I've just finished Cheryl Burman's 'River Witch', set at the end of the nineteenth century - the nearest I've got to horror. I suppose it could be called historical fantasy.
Cheryl’s descriptive writing is good; she knows how to create atmosphere and portray her characters well. However, I did find description slowed up the beginning of the story too much. It took some time to get going.
Fantasy, nor horror, are not really my genre of reading; hence I found it difficult to cope with river nymphs and goddesses and a cat who could communicate its thoughts. For my taste, I would have much preferred it purely as a historical novel, especially as belief in witches and wizards had faded by the late nineteenth century. The conclusion was very difficult for me to take.
The plot and the content of each chapter were well considered. I enjoyed the description of Hester working on the family farm; then later the portraying of the workhouse. It was convincing.
The story is well written - a good read for those who enjoy fantasy fiction.

Jayne wrote: "Hi Ian, a couple of ones I can think of are Himself by Jess Kidd (set in an Irish village, populated by residents past and present, and the solving of a mystery from years before) and Horrorstor by..."

Thanks for the recommendations - they look good.

Cynthea wrote: "I've just finished Cheryl Burman's 'River Witch', set at the end of the nineteenth century - the nearest I've got to horror. I suppose it could be called historical fantasy.
Cheryl’s descriptive wr..."

Again, not a title I know but sounds fun

So, how about a little techno horror I hear you cry this Halloween.

Oh well, if you insist ... let me tell you about The Exeter Incident by David Watkins

A CITY IN THE GRIP OF TERROR
As a series of gruesome murders are discovered in Exeter, Detective Inspectors Danni Brent and John Carter begin to suspect the killer may not be human. Their investigation is only a few hours old when they also realise the murderer can’t be acting alone.

There’s more than one.

A lot more.

Paul Kingston is on the run and hiding in Exeter. Whilst trying to secure a new identity, he comes face to face with an impossible monster. Hunted, alone and afraid, who can he turn to? Who can he trust?

None of them know that Exeter is about to experience its darkest day.

None of them know time is running out.

The clock is already ticking….

WHO WILL SURVIVE AS THE CITY FALLS?

"Great monsters and dynamic characters make this brutal, bloody, brilliant novel an essential read. I'll never see Exeter in the same light again!" - Tim Lebbon, The Last Storm

"Move over Masterton; there is a new master of techno horror; the Exeter Incident is a glorious over the top thrill ride of unrelenting horror." -- Jim McLeod, Gingernuts of Horror

"In The Exeter Incident, Watkins seamlessly blends a police action drama with monstrous sci-fi horror. Its frenetic set pieces stand side-by-side with sensitive, three-dimensional character building which will have the reader rooting for the protagonists to the bloody end." -- Kev Harrison, author of Below

David's bio:

David Watkins lives in Devon in the UK with his wife, two sons, ridiculous dog and psychotic cat. He has currently released four novels and a short story. Each book is well rated and reviewed on Amazon and beyond.

His most recent release is The Exeter Incident, from D&T Publishing.