Asylum – 13 Tales of Terror
Book Description
Blackwater Heights is a building
with a long dark history, some of it is well known but more is shrouded in myth
and legend. None more so than that of its founding father Horace Whisker.
Martin Parcell is an ex-journalist with shattered dreams of an author's career. Sidelined through a car crash's injuries, he finds himself forced through governmental austerity measures having to take a custodians position at a private mental health hospital. A writer with undoubted talent, but an author without a story.
He begins his new job deep in depression and drowning under waves of his lost dreams. On his first night he meets Jimmy, his elderly supervisor who has spent most of his life within the hospital walls. Jimmy is nearing retirement age and desperate to rest his weary bones. Jimmy offers Martin a way out for both of them, access to the background histories and stories of the hospital's patients. A collection of 13 tales from the darkly disturbed minds of the residents of Blackwater Heights.
As the long night unwinds, Martin finds himself deeply troubled as the tales unfold before him and threaten to drag him down into their insanity.
Martin Parcell is an ex-journalist with shattered dreams of an author's career. Sidelined through a car crash's injuries, he finds himself forced through governmental austerity measures having to take a custodians position at a private mental health hospital. A writer with undoubted talent, but an author without a story.
He begins his new job deep in depression and drowning under waves of his lost dreams. On his first night he meets Jimmy, his elderly supervisor who has spent most of his life within the hospital walls. Jimmy is nearing retirement age and desperate to rest his weary bones. Jimmy offers Martin a way out for both of them, access to the background histories and stories of the hospital's patients. A collection of 13 tales from the darkly disturbed minds of the residents of Blackwater Heights.
As the long night unwinds, Martin finds himself deeply troubled as the tales unfold before him and threaten to drag him down into their insanity.
My Review
The story begins as Martin Parcell arrives to his first night on the job at a private mental hospital, Blackwater Heights. The enormous facility contains a dark past, and his elderly supervisor, Jimmy, is more than happy to tell him all about it as he shows the new janitor around.
Martin begins the evening excited that this new environment filled with a rich history will give him the creative boost he needs to start writing his book. It seems as though he gets a bit more than he bargained for. Each patient that Jimmy introduces him to has a stunning past – hence, the 13 tales of terror.
Along with Martin, I feel as though I received more than I expected from Asylum. I knew I was in for a good story, but Matt Drabble, has created thirteen haunting short stories that leave you with a chill.
I like the layout of the book. Each tale describes a patient within Blackwater Heights, yet you get lost in their story as if it is the only one you are reading, but there are many more. A story within a story that perfectly flows.
Matt Drabble has successfully created a comforting read for those of who love a great classic scary story that allows our imagination to run wild with the characters.
Loving literature from an early age and reading so many works of varied authors, I took the somewhat foolhardy decision to attempt to write my own novels. I have always been an avid fan of the Horror/Supernatural genres and find that many great works in this field are automatically dismissed due to their subject matter.
I am currently embarking on a
yearlong mission to try and attempt to make a dent in the writing market. I
have finished 4 novels and am around half way through my 5th,
setting myself a rate of 2000 words a day. It is a hard slog to combine the day
job and my dream job, but after some success with my 3rd novel, I am
re-energised and more determined than ever.
My third novel "Gated"
hit the #1 spot on the Amazon UK free Horror chart and when it went back on
sale had a high of #4 on the UK Amazon Horror Chart and
#2 on the
Horror/Thriller chart.
My 4th Novel is called
“Asylum” and is an anthology of short horror stories. It is
also an Amazon UK
& US Horror/Anthology Chart #1
I am currently in the proofing
stages of my 5th novel which is a Horror/Thriller called
“Abra-Cadaver”.
Keep up with Matt:
Twitter: @MattDrabble01
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