Lewis Mallory - Gate of Fear

[nightreader]

Gate of Fear by Lewis Mallory (Hamlyn 1981)

The story opens in New York with a British business man Martin Sorrel leaving a party. Foolishly he decides to walk back to his hotel but is soon attacked by a gang of leather clad bikers. Something else happens to Martin that night, a connection is made – Martin senses a formless, evil presence. Hoping to escape Martin returns to England the next day thinking he can put his fears behind him.

The narrative then shifts back to 30th June 1934, the Night of the Long Knives in Hitler’s Germany. An ambitious young man Hans Klemperer is sleeping his way to the top. After a wild party and bedding an influential General in the SA Hans observes Hitler’s arrival at their hotel, he also hears the Fuhrer’s command to kill them all. Hans tries to make his escape but SS Stormtroopers shoot him down and he falls into a lake.

Back in ‘present day’ London Martin is met at the airport by his closest friend and business partner Jack. Martin soon realises the presence he’d felt in New York has followed him and he’s horrified when Jack is killed in a freak car accident. Martin sees a figure, indistinct but somehow very familiar. In shock Martin returns to his London apartment where he is coldly welcomed by the usually friendly porter Tom. In his apartment Martin feels there is something wrong, things have been moved, as if someone else had been there just a short time before. Later, as he’s about to leave the building he sees Tom being attacked and killed by a man who looks just like him…

Somehow the fates of Martin and Hans are linked, but Hans does not want to die and he knows that with Martin dead he can return to the living world. The story of how Hans uses his sexuality to gain favour among Hitler’s generals is interesting but only leads him up to that fateful night in 1934, it doesn’t explain how he becomes attached to Martin years later. Martin’s struggle to find his murderous double is a bit less interesting and confusing at times, the story starts in New York, then to London, then to Switzerland and finally to Germany. There are however some well staged deaths – Martin confides his troubles to a priest, who then spontaneously combusts!

“Martin saw the priest open his mouth to scream but only flames issued from between his teeth, eating the flesh of his face until the white bone of his skull showed through.”


This isn’t a bad story, but it seems to me there were some missed opportunities here. I liked the link between the twentieth century and 1930’s Germany, it would have really hit the mark if some Nazi occultism had been included, and Hans has potential as a satisfyingly dark character but is only portrayed as an ambitious pretty boy with a penchant for high heels and make up. The rapid shift in locations seemed a bit unnecessary also, although it does have that element of a chase story, Martin persuing his murderous double.

As I say it's not a bad, but I prefer Mallory's 'Nightmare' (Hamlyn 1984).

[H_P_Saucecraft]

A bit late, I know, but here's the cover:

[bluetomb]

Young Brit Martin Sorrel attends a party to celebrate the end of three months in New York on business, unwisely emboldened by booze he decides to walk back to his hotel rather than take a taxi and is set upon by some bikers. He falls into a sort of trance and makes contact with some sort of dark presence, the bikers are frightened off. Police arrive and they're frightened too, but not for long, courtesy of an exploding shop front. Martin makes it back to his hotel, but he's locked in a chase now, back to England and beyond, and struggling against mental breakdown too. And his tormentor looks a lot like him...

There's nothing scarier to me than the idea of reality breaking down, loss of the self, loss of control, personality being overwhelmed by another. So I'm drawn to literature and cinema along these lines, and to the associated imagery and style. Gate of Fear really goes for it. Plentiful imagery of mists and mirrors and waters, story hopping time and place (present day New York, London etc. to 1930's Germany) initially between chapters but as things progress hopping between paragraphs, even sentences. Martin's inner ordeal is explored at length, and I found several passages of impressive, dizzying intensity. There are a few odd clunky lines and some will be put off by the repetition, and the as it were "literary" approach to a Nazisploitation supernatural thriller, but I was largely convinced. There are also some exciting chases and memorable, mean spirited and weird if not gory slayings (though one is unfortunately flubbed), and the villain in this one really is a notably slimy, hateful piece of work. It's ultimately not as good as it could be though. Martin gets a minimum of development, we get a little bit of his past but mostly it takes place through the action. Not necessarily a bad thing and I suppose the intention was a heightened contrast between the villain and he (therefore greater tension), but he never gets to be that interesting or compelling. Nor indeed does any one else, people are pretty one note. The explanation is rushed, as if the writer himself didn't have too much faith in it, and its a shame because it is quite an interesting theme. The combination of undeveloped characters and explanation wind end up making for a goofy and slightly unsatisfying twist, and in general saps some of the potential impact, interest and excitement, this should have been a gripping rush to the end but I actually dawdled a bit over the last chapters. Still, this pretty worthy stuff, a bit odd, a bit ambitious, and pretty ace a good few streches on form. Worth your time...