quippe | Entries tagged with michael marshall smith

The Blurb On The Back:

They sought the truth.
They found a nightmare.

A TV crew arrives at the Grand Canyon led by Nolan Moore, amateur archaeologist and host of The Anomaly Files. Following the trail of a turn of the century explorer, the team seek proof of a hidden cave within the canyon, filled with ancient treasures.

At first, it seems that, once again, the crew will be returning to LA empty-handed. But then their luck turns. They find a cave – and artefacts beyond their wildest imaginations. But quickly the team’s elation descends into a nightmare as they become trapped within the cavern’s dark passages with little possibility of escape.

Then events take an even more terrifying turn.

For not all secrets are meant to be found …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

THE X FILES meets THE DESCENT in this entertaining horror thriller by Michael Rutger (aka award winning speculative writer Michael Marshall Smith), and while I was left with questions about the plot, the story is riddled with a wry, dry humour and throws a knowing wink at the conspiracy subculture that dominates certain aspects of the internet, which kept me engaged from beginning to end.

THE ANOMALY was released in the United Kingdom on 23rd August 2018. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Daniel is ten years old when his mother dies. She dies young, and with so much left to give. He does not understand. He cannot let her go.

After the funeral, his father begins talking to a large wooden box that suddenly appears beneath his bed. And when Daniel whispers to the box one day when his father goes out ... it answers back.

It’s a voice he does not know. But this voice knows so much.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

There are aspects of this novella that didn’t quite work for me, but I still think that it’s worth a look. The sense of wrongness that increases in every page, coupled with the very real feeling of loss that pours from the characters make this a master class of writing and it’s for that reason that you should check it out.