By Richard Schiver
Horror
Following the death of her husband in Iraq a year earlier, Susan and her six-year-old daughter Christine move to Porter Mines in Maryland for a fresh start. At first everything seems idyllic as Susan gets to grips with doing up her new home. But Christine soon becomes unsettled and frightened after claiming to have seen a witch outside her bedroom window one night.
Susan too begins to experience strange phenomena inside her house — a flash of movement from the corner of her eye; a shadowy form in the hallway. She begins to realise she's unwittingly placed her daughter's life in terrible danger.With an appealing book cover that literally jumps off the shelf, I really enjoyed Cursed by Richard Schiver. I thought it was cleverly plotted and well-paced. I should point out that even though the text contains numerous malapropisms, I didn't find them too distracting.
Characters were developed to a good degree and despite stereotypes creeping in, most were believable. The story wasn't scary (or perhaps I'm too hardcore lol) and it certainly wasn't gory. But here's the thing — I really didn't mind! It stood up on its own without the bloodshed and carnage I've come to expect from this genre. It was very entertaining and reminiscent of the 1980s horror I read as a teenager.
Book Source: Review copy from the author
My Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: Abiss Books (20th Oct 2020)
ISBN-13: 978-1951552015
The Blurb
Like many small towns, the history of Porter Mines was woven in a tapestry of dark secrets. One centered on a witch, who vowed with her dying breath to claim vengeance against those who wronged her. A ghost story rooted in grisly truth.
Can Susan protect Christine from a wrath even death couldn’t tame?
Or will her only child fall prey to the curse of Porter Mines?
During his life he has played a series of roles, husband, father, son, and lover, but his favorite by far is grandfather. He and his wife of twenty plus years have raised four children and helped raise eight grandchildren. They provide a secure home to a yellow lab named Max.
His wife, Dena, has experienced firsthand the exasperation of living with a writer whose mind tends to wander at the most inappropriate times. Yet she manages to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground.
Can Susan protect Christine from a wrath even death couldn’t tame?
Or will her only child fall prey to the curse of Porter Mines?
The Author
Richard is the author of eight novels, three novellas, and a collection of short stories. His most recent include Cursed, a horror novel. A Call to Arms, book four in his post-apocalyptic coming of age series, This Lawless Land. Not Of Us, a WWII creature feature published by Severed Press. He is a member in good standing of the Horror Writers Association, and the Maryland Writers Association.
During his life he has played a series of roles, husband, father, son, and lover, but his favorite by far is grandfather. He and his wife of twenty plus years have raised four children and helped raise eight grandchildren. They provide a secure home to a yellow lab named Max.
His wife, Dena, has experienced firsthand the exasperation of living with a writer whose mind tends to wander at the most inappropriate times. Yet she manages to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground.
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