Got another one for ya here! Put the coffee on and grab a seat! Today we've got The Demonic by Lee Mountford, a 2017 horror story set in rural England. UK? I don't know. The British Isles? The motherland, I suppose.
The Demonic by Lee Mountford is a fun little tale. Set in a dilapidated farmhouse (minus the farm, it burned years before), a woman returns to bury her abusive father and sell the house he tortured her in. The story itself is 220 pages, with two short stories at the end by up and coming authors.
The title story moves fast. A lot happens in 220 pages, and I think, in all honesty, that it would have been scarier if the pace had been slower. Lee Mountford pulls no punches, however, with macabre backstory inspired by a couple old crimes, trauma defining the protagonist, and a study of will and freedom.
The characters were consistent, and I found their actions and reactions to be believable. I did not, unfortunately, find their dialogue to be. Not horrible, not as bad as Lovecraft. If I were to meet the author, I would implore him to work in that arena.
It was entertaining and fun, though. The traumas that made the protagonist into who she was were harrowing, and to have her discover their cause through the story was worthwhile. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read. I burned through it in less than six hours.
The first of the short stories at the end was The Muse by Norman Turrell. I really liked this one. It was short and comically dark. I highly recommend it, and intend to look into this author later.
The other short story was by Raven Blackwood, entitled The Haunting of Elderfield Hall. I liked it. It was not super spooky, but it was fully developed and the author's voice was just… fun. She writes like a pleasant little British lady, and I suppose she probably is a pleasant little British lady. I must admit, I did not enjoy how it ended, but it kept my attention despite lacking my typical morbidity.
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