Review

Terror at water's edge

June 9, 2000
Web posted at: 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT)

(CNN) -- In the immortal words of Paul Revere, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" These words should be amended to "the British are here" -- and with a vengeance, too.

Leisure Books has been leading the way in publishing paperback horror novels and short story collections. For their newest title, it has journeyed across the pond and published a United States edition of the first novel by United Kingdom writer Simon Clark.

The novel is "Nailed by the Heart," and if you are searching for a new horror/thriller fix while waiting for the next big Stephen King hit, this should keep you shaking until the next blockbuster.

The novel's setting is Out-Butterwick, a small community on the English coast. It is in this town that the Stainforth family, Chris, Ruth, and their 6-year-old son, David, are trying to make a fresh start. The Stainforths have put all their hope and money into buying an abandoned fort with the dream of converting it into a oceanfront hotel. Of course, this being a horror novel, the Stainforths end up making an extremely bad investment.

Out-Butterwick is quaint enough with friendly residents like ex-Londoner Tony Gateman and the American who owns the local general store. But there is unease in the salt air when the townspeople gather every night at the ocean's edge to await the arrival of ... no, that would be telling.

Meanwhile, we learn that the Stainforths' sea fort is located at a focal point of ancient magic and ritual involving pagan worship and sacrifice -- a sort of taboo ground zero. Unfortunately for the Stainforths and Out-Butterwick, these ancient forces are about to reappear, forcing the community to take refuge at the old fort -- giving Clark the opportunity to showcase heroes and those who succumb to human frailty under extreme stress.

"Nailed by the Heart" has elements of a classic horror story, with tension and fear rising as the story gains momentum toward its conclusion. Clark uses elements of contemporary King-influenced fright scenes, augmented with elements so skillfully portrayed first by pulp horror master H. P. Lovecraft. The combination works frightfully well.

Do not let the British setting scare you off; good storytelling doesn't rely just on location. Clark has the ability to keep the reader looking over his shoulder to make sure that sudden noise you hear is just the summer night breeze rattling the window.

Dorchester Publishing - Leisure Books

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