Title: Lurker
Author: Gary Fry
Genre: Dark Fiction, Horror, Novella
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Meg and Harry have retreated to a remote cottage on the northeast coast of England to recuperate from the mental and physical stress of losing their baby. While exploring the ancient coastal landscape, Meg chances upon eighteenth-century quarry mines reclaimed by nature. But birds and butterflies aren’t all she finds.
When a young woman goes missing, Meg must try to make sense of her many bizarre experiences: muddy handprints on the walls, savage dreams, and a visit from a stranger who may not be what she seems.
And something else is lurking nearby, something that adapts and feeds on grief. And Meg may not be able to stop it…
After losing their baby, Meg and Harry move to a remote cottage on the northeast coast of England. This marks the start of Lurker, a novel that gets progressively darker and more threatening with every turned page.
Meg starts to explore the nearby area, and she stumbles onto a deserted eighteenth-century quarry mine where she hears eerie noises. With her husband often not getting home until late, Meg spends countless hours on her own in the cottage, which is fine at first, but when she starts feeling like something followed her from those mines, she wishes Harry would come home more often.
Muddy handprints appear on the side of the cottage, with no explanation. Strange noises keep Meg from sleeping through the night. And the real question is: what is real, and what only exists inside her mind?
We don’t really get to know Harry. He’s in and out of the picture so often that he doesn’t get the time to develop a full personality. Meg however, we get to know really well and it soon becomes clear her sanity may not always be crystal clear. That’s what makes this book intriguing. The monsters are unique and original, and their descriptions made my heart pound in my chest. The author definitely has a way with words, and with describing things vividly. However, the real question “is it real or is it all in her mind” is what really brings out the best of this book.
The final event can be interpreted in different ways, each way equally horrific. What was the author’s true intention, or how should it all play out according to the author? I’m not sure I want to know – I thought the different possibilities ending was quite satisfying as it is.
A delightful, spine-chilling, quick read, ideal for a dreary winter night.
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