REVIEW
Chaz Brenchley - "Dead of Light"
New English Library
With Dead of Light, Chaz Brenchley certainly lives up to the praise bestowed on him by masters of the horror/mystery genre, Ramsey Campbell and Christopher Fowler (see above). There’s little left to add except to stress the fine writing, meticulous character development and skilfully executed build up of tension. The story has you glued to the page as you watch Benedict being drawn back into a nightmare world dominated by a cruel and domineering family, a world to which he has never really belonged, and from which he is desperately trying to escape. When one of his cousins dies, his shaky attempts at independence from the family are shattered, and his new found friends aren’t able to hide their distrust and fear of anyone tainted with the Macallan name. Benedict fights against the inevitable, but then he begins to discover that perhaps he is not so different from his despised family afterall! The book is full of strong characters, many of them women, and unexpected reactions and resolutions. Dead of Light is a fine example of the contemporary horror/mystery genre. As such is not for those who like traditional whodunnits, nor those who like their stories firmly grounded in the real-world, but the puzzle element is unmistakable and you are certainly kept guessing, biting your nails, right until the end. (E.A.L)