Book Impressions - Abra-Cadaver by Matt Drabble

This is a fun horror story, although I enjoyed the concept a bit more than the execution. The story begins with a children's birthday party and a magic trick that goes horrifically wrong. This opening sequence is very well done and starts the momentum rolling. The pace maintains nicely through the first two-thirds of the book with a succession of murders, friends getting reacquainted and the investigation into the killings.

Unfortunately it loses steam as it approaches the conclusion, this is partly due to the story retreading old ground but also because of the constant shifting in perspectives. You just get comfortable with one character and its about to reach something interesting and it shifts. Now this is a useful device for building tension and pace, but it backfires a bit here as its constant.

The other big issue is the end, it's quite predictable and very familiar if you're a fan of slasher movies. There's also a few errors in the text. It's not a bad story by any means, I enjoyed reading it, but the issues did hold it back from being a great read.

Click on image to purchase from Amazon

From the bestselling author of "Gated" a UK Horror Chart #4 and "Asylum - 13 Tales of Terror" a UK & US Horror/Anthology Chart #1

Tommy, Dixon, McEwen, PJ, and Alison were always a close knit group until Tommy's 12th birthday party. Tragedy strikes when a magic trick goes horribly wrong and a woman lays dead.

A local magician Albert Trotter is railroaded during a rigged trial and locked away. Forever protesting his innocence and after a vicious assault in prison, he is eventually sent to a mental institution in a catatonic state.

Now Tommy is 36 and heading home for the first time in over two decades, but he's not alone. Someone is slaughtering the residents of Denver Mills with magic trick themed murders and holding those involved with the Trotter trial in a steely grip of fear.

Tommy will have to find the strength to bring his old friends together as secrets and lies are exposed throughout the small town of Denver Mills.

Something evil is coming home, and they're bringing a whole new bag of tricks.

Click here to purchase Abra-Cadaver from Amazon (and it's a decent horror read)