Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds, Book Review

Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds, Book Review

Night Bleeds Into Dawn is a hugely entertaining read, a fast-paced thriller with horror, humour and cracking dialogue which I recommend highly. It’s the first in a planned series of five novels and I’m already looking forward to the next instalment.

Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds, a horror book review by Anthony Watson.

Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds, Book Review
Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds, Book Review

Night Bleeds Into Dawn is the new novel from Graeme Reynolds, author of the High Moor trilogy of werewolf novels and the criminally overlooked Dark and Lonely Water which was one of my favourite reads of last year, channelling as it did the pulpy horrors of the eighties and nineties which developed and nurtured my own love of the genre.

There’s a feel of those classic horror stories about this new release as well but there’s another genre in the mix here too, namely that of detective fiction courtesy of the novel’s protagonist Private Investigator Jack Carlton.

Carlton narrates the book in the first person, and he does an exceptional job of providing insights into his own character and worldview while progressing the plot. It’s an understatement to say that he’s embittered, but fortunately for the readers, his coping mechanism for dealing with the lemons life has given him isn’t to make lemonade, but to employ his caustic and sardonic wit as a weapon.There are some one-liners here that made me laugh out loud.

Which kind of sets the tone of Night Bleeds Into Dawn.

Whilst it would be wrong to describe it as a black comedy there’s certainly plenty of humour to leaven the horrors on display.

The case that Carlton is investigating involves a horrible massacre at a public school, which has left a solitary survivor, Alice Wells. Her mother hires him in an attempt to prove her daughter’s innocence, given she has become the prime suspect for the murders. The first two-thirds of the book focus on Carlton’s investigation into the case, and I have to say I was mightily impressed by how he unfolded that investigation. A great deal of thought has obviously gone into working out the steps to uncover the evidence, none of it relies on coincidence or feels contrived; it’s a natural progression from one piece of evidence to the next.

As the investigation proceeds,

Carlton comes to realize that he’s entering a very dark place and also understands that the reasons for choosing him as the investigator go far beyond simply being the first available name in the phonebook.

Things come to a head at the end of the second act setting the scene for a third act in which all Hell breaks loose and Carlton has to face up to his inner demons. The Guignol which follows is truly grand indeed (if not Venti or even Trenta) as it vividly describes virtually every way of violently deconstructing a human body in technicolor. The work here isn’t so much wet as absolutely saturated. These scenes will have those of a nervous disposition kicking themselves for going against common sense and deciding to read a horror novel but will provide glorious entertainment (albeit slightly jaw-dropping in tone) for the rest of us.

I loved Night Bleeds Into Dawn for the way it unabashedly embraces the supernatural elements of the story, putting them centre stage. Graeme Reynolds has done the groundwork in creating the “real” world against which they are set and a cast of characters you care about, making these elements work so well.. The world Carlton enters puts not only his life at risk but those of his friends and family. And a guinea pig.

Night Bleeds Into Dawn is a hugely entertaining read, a fast-paced thriller with horror, humour and cracking dialogue which I recommend highly. It’s the first in a planned series of five novels and I’m already looking forward to the next instalment.

Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds

Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds horror book review
Night Bleeds Into Dawn by Graeme Reynolds, Book Review

From Graeme Reynolds, the acclaimed author of the High Moor Trilogy, comes a lightning-paced supernatural thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Detective Jack Carlton thought he had hit rock bottom until an opportunity came knocking at his door. But what seems like a chance to redeem himself quickly turns into a dangerous game of survival. Trapped in a situation he can’t escape, Jack must uncover the truth behind a brutal crime at King’s College.

The evidence is impossible; the only witness is catatonic, and time is running out. As the night bleeds into dawn, Jack must confront the darkness lurking within the city’s depths and within himself. Will he be able to solve the case and save those he holds dear? Or will he become another victim of the supernatural forces at play?

For fans of occult detective mysteries, supernatural suspense thrillers, British horror novels, demonic possession books, and novels such as The Dresden FilesCharlie Parker Novels, and the Robert Hunter Series.

Don’t wait, buy now before the price changes!

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