I am a big fan of Alan’s work. I especially enjoyed his collection, Crow Shine, released late last year, but with The Book Club, Alan has really nailed it. The story is very straightforward on the surface as Jason Wilkes soon becomes worried over his wife no-show after her regular get together with her book buddies. We are entering thriller territory early on as Wilkes plays a game of cat and mouse with his wife’s book buddies, trying desperately to find out where she has gone. I thought I had it all figured out, however, things take a cosmic turn for the worst as Baxter’s tale takes us to a place far beyond our feeble minds comprehension. A place where darkness swallows time and space and spits out those that have dared enter.
I loved this book. It was anything but predictable and protagonist Jason Wilkes is terrifically drawn by Baxter. I felt everything he felt, even after the revelation concerning is affair I still sympathised with him, and I was desperate for him to find out what had happened to his love. The twist the book took left me with my mouth open and it just got better and better. The ending was the icing on the cake, simply fabulous! The book becomes a nightmare of cosmic horror and other dimensional dread, truly splendid. I only didn’t finish this in one sitting because I started it late at night, otherwise I would have devoured it. It is a must-read cosmic thriller, if such a thing exists?!
Alan Baxter continues not to be tied down to any particular genre and in The Book Club he has delivered what I am sure will be one of my favourite novellas of 2017. It is available in stunning hardback from PS Publishing and the excellent artwork from Ben Baldwin means this is a must buy!
5/5 missing persons from the Grim Reader.
Pick up the e-book from here.
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