The Dead Of Winter by Chris Priestley (published by Bloomsbury, PB £6.99 – out October 2011)
Edgar Allan Poe. M.R. James. Wilkie Collins. Now we can add Chris Priestley to that list, as an esteemed storyteller of ghostly delights. Following on from his Tales of Terror trilogy (of which this book is a great companion piece to), Priestley’s latest is a novel of rich, gothic-laced atmosphere; young orphan, Michael, moves to the country manor of Hawton Mere, set amongst misty marshland, to live with his guardian, the sickly and troubled Sir Stephen.
But something is not right at the estate and, from the off, Michael is certain that there is a ghoulish mystery waiting to be uncovered…
Michael’s adventure is gripping, and by the end you will be feverishly turning pages to discover what happens next. This is an exceptionally well-crafted book, and more than matches the high standard of the Terror books. It’s simply a great pleasure to read and reiterates that Priestley is very, very good at what he does – there are not many writers out there who are as talented as this here fellow. I read this over the Christmas period of December 2010, when it was particularly snowy in Edinburgh – there couldn’t have been a more ideal time to read this book – and I think I will perhaps read it every Christmas from now on!
If you’re looking for a new writer to follow, Chris Priestley is your man.
Andy Jamieson, Editor
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