First up was M R Crosby at his Stranger Designs site (the full review can be read here)
I didn't mean to sit up late in order to finish Drive, the new novella from Mark West, published by Pendragon Press. I really didn't. However, once I started to read, I found it difficult to stop. It's not often I get caught up in the moment with a book; usually I get drawn in slowly, soaking up the atmosphere. Yet here I was, quite unable to put the thing down, compelled to find out what happens next.
Then there's Matthew Fryer, at Welcome To The Hellforge (the full review can be read here)
I’ve been enjoying Mark West’s fiction for several years now, and his brand of atmospheric, uneasy horror always has me coming back for more. He is one of those authors that brings such investable humanity and resonance to his fiction that genre is rendered almost irrelevant. I was therefore delighted to discover that with this new novella from Pendragon Press, he wanders outside his usual discomfort zone into white-knuckle territory, but still manages to deliver his most terrifying piece to date.
from before, here's Jim Mcleod's review at The Ginger Nuts Of Horror (the full review can be read here)
Many authors are limited by style and genre, and when they write outside of their comfort zone the resulting book can feel like a letdown. Regular readers of this website will be aware of how I feel about Mark West's writing. He is one of those rare breed of horror writers that is capable of wrapping up a horror story within a framework full of heart and soul. His stories have a deep emotional core that elevates them to a whole new level. So what happens when Mark decides to take his writing in a new direction.....
Also The Ginger Nuts Of Horror (the full review can be read here), this from reviewer Paul M. Feeney
Mark West pens a short tale that's steeped in 70's and 80's chase films, yet retains a character all of its own. [It's] a pretty simple premise – that of the innocents (David and Nat) being hunted and terrorised by unknown and violent assailants, through the dead of night where there seems to be nowhere to go and no one to help. West cleverly wastes little time in getting to the meat of the action and the bulk of the book details David and Nat's encounters with the gang and their subsequent attempts to escape. As such, there is very little room for prolonged character development and it's a testament to West's talents that he still manages to imbue both David and Nat with three dimensional and sympathetic traits. We really feel for these two people and their plight.
James Everington, at Scattershot reviews, had this to say (the full review can be read here)
Mark West’s latest novella is in some ways a departure from the author’s previous work; there’s none of the supernatural horror of The Mill here. But despite its realism there are scares aplenty in Drive and its small-town English realism adds to the effect.
Paula Limbaugh, at Horror Novel Reviews, wrote (the full review can be read here)
YES!! A new novella by Mark West! Okay, just to get it out of the way I’m a big fan of Mark West. He has a way of plotting the course and leading you down the dark and twisted corridors of his mind. Drive is another example of a top-notch tale. Have you ever been out alone in the middle of nowhere driving? Have you ever thought what if? What if someone forced you off the road, what if you have a flat and a car full of men pull up, or what if…..
If you're interested:
“Drive takes you for a journey down the darkest alleyways of human savagery.
A fast paced, high tension thriller that delivers on all fronts....”
- Jim Mcleod, The Ginger Nuts Of Horror
"Drive is a gripping, tense urban noir with prose as tight as a snare drum..."
- Paul D. Brazill, Guns Of Brixton.
"Drive is a gripping, tense urban noir with prose as tight as a snare drum..."
- Paul D. Brazill, Guns Of Brixton.
“Mark West writes the kind of fiction that gets under the skin where it lies dormant until you turn out the lights ...”
- Dave Jeffery, author of the Necropolis Rising series
I really enjoyed your book, too, Mark, and your write-up for FCon. Hope all is well with you.
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes,
Sarah Crabtree
Thanks, Sarah, much appreciated. So when are we going to see you at another Con, it's been a while now? Hope you're well.
DeleteTake care