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Post by andydecker on Nov 18, 2010 12:45:08 GMT
Guy N. Smith The Lurkers, (Hamlyn, 1982, 158 pages) Peter Fogg, a 9to5 guy, has written a novel and made it big. Now he is working on the second book und relocated into the wildernis, that is some remote part of Wales. He rents a farmhouse in the country. His wife Janie isn´t thrilled, his young son Gavin has trouble at school. All villagers hate outsiders. So Gavin gets terrorised by the local bullys, and the wood with the standing stones is creepy. Strange occurances make living a hell for the Foggs, the pet cat gets slaughtered, the cottage is supposed to be haunted. The local constabler warns Peter of the poachers who are in the woods. At the end his wife leaves with the kid and stubborn Peter is alone. There is the first snow, and suddenly he is under siege, and the killing begins. At 158 pages this is a quick read, even if the plot is rather uncomplicated. Outsiders from the cities in the welsh wildernis where every farmer seems to have sinister motives. The characters are the usual Smith types, the stubborn hero, the nagging and hysterical wife, the terryfied youngster, the primitive bullys. As far as the gore goes, this is very restrained, it is the atmosphere which is in the foreground. And it is very well written in this regard. The descriptions of the nature and the woodlife are very good, some scenes manage to evoke the awe nature can have on your typical urban writer. This is authentic writing, even in the problems the writer-husbands has. But after the slow build and bloodless hapenings there comes the ending. Which is ... how to put this politly? Is straight out of Scooby Doo? A let down? Instead of the evil past everything is due to a gang of poachers killing deer and our hero is saved by the police? Come on! Not one of Smith´must reads.
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Post by killercrab on Nov 18, 2010 15:55:16 GMT
Disagree - I loved The Lurkers! Great atmosphere. Maybe I've a nostalgia bent for it too I'll admit but to me it's definitely a must read.
KC
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