Book Review - Solom: The Scarecrow by Scott Nicholson

The blurb contains a reference to Stephen King from a review and I agree with some of the sentiment from that statement. The author develops the characters well and with the sort of detail that King provides for even his minor characters. It has the downside that it stretches the story out more than it probably needs, but doesn't really matter because there's joy in getting to know the characters. It also meant that before things really get going you're aleady inside their heads.

The story is solid, although it does follow a traditional theme of scarecrows and harvest sacrifice. While I did find the main plot a bit predictable there's some nice twists along the way to keep things interesting. I did enjoy the goats - they deserved a bigger part!

The writing is good and accessible,it conjoured up plenty of atmosphere. The pacing also worked well with a gradual build up in the tension and horror until reaching the conclusion. Most of the pieces fit into place along the way and cocludes in a satisfactory way. There were a few details I would have liked to have learned more about, like the old preacher for example.

Overall this is a solid horror read and one worth checking out for horror fans and I've ordered the second book in the series to see what happens next.

Click on image to buy from Amazon

"Like Stephen King, he knows how to summon serious scares." - Bentley Little, The Burning

"Always surprises and always entertains." - Jonathan Maberry, Patient Zero

SOLOM: THE SCARECROW
Book#1 in the Solom series.

When Katy Logan moves her troubled teen daughter Jett to the Appalachian community of Solom, she envisions a peaceful rural lifestyle on her new husband's farm.

But there's more to Solom than she ever imagined. Gordon Smith's first wife Rebecca died under mysterious circumstances, and Katy believes her spirit is still in the house. Gordon's great-grandfather was a horseback preacher who vanished while on a mission one wintry night, and local lore holds that he returns from time to time seeking vengeance. And Gordon teases Katy and Jett with a story about a wicked scarecrow that comes in from the fields at night to slake an unnatural thirst.

When the legends come to life, Katy and Jett discover the Smith family secrets cut deep. And they must face the supernatural menace together or become part of Solom's legends forever.

Click here to buy Solom: The Scarecrow from Amazon (and it's a pretty good horror story)