Rhos Meadow is the second book I’ve read by author Lex Sinclair, and just like the first time I’ve gained a lot of respect for his work. He’s also a definite fan of subtle detail and slowly building a tense atmosphere. This particular story is a combination of several popular themes, for example, small towns and infected residents, but it brings something a little different to the forefront. Sinclair presents the story in two different time-frames – before the disaster happened and the aftermath.
In the small town of Rhos Meadow, there are big changes coming. The government is buying up surrounding land in pursuit of a fracturing drilling operation, along with the construction of wind farms. This is making some of the residents edgy while others are looking forward to the economic growth. But there are a few other secrets that also increase the mystery surrounding the small establishment.
In the aftermath of the spreading infection, the second story focuses on a police officer, Eric, who gets caught up in the fog while driving through a seemingly deserted Rhos Meadow. In his attempt to get some direction he bumps into Diana, a mother in search of her missing daughter, Tulisa. Unfortunately, their quest in finding Tulisa puts them against creatures that look like they came from hell itself.
The author is never at a loss for words, especially when it comes to painting the surrounding scene. In fact, he expresses everything so clearly that it feels like the fog is hanging around you as you read. The same can be said about his deep characters. Sinclair has created a diverse group of people and thrown them into a difficult situation, naturally adding more edge to the plot.
Another thing I really love is the author’s style and his creativity. Finding something completely original to entertain readers that keep getting more difficult and it forces writers to re-invent popular ideas. In this case, Sinclair took the zombie craze and gave it a “The Hills have Eyes” spin. However, he stayed away from creating a cast that gets slaughtered as the heroes find the answer to the problem.
Sinclair is very patient with unfolding the tale to the reader and it sticks to a rather consistent pace. This might be a deal-breaker for some readers, especially those who prefer a quicker tempo. I also didn’t feel as connected with characters as I did with “The Frozen Man”, but I remained interested till the end. In case you are wondering whether there is anything paranormal about the book, yes there is. On top of the infection, there is another entity floating around town and it’s connected to the missing girl.
I would suggest this book to readers who like a more classic voice in the horror genre because Sinclair digs deep into the characters and depends largely on their emotions to stir fear from the reader. However, I would not label it under the “easy reading” section. Personally, I enjoyed the book very much and I look forward to what more he has in store.
Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.
More books by Lex Sinclair:
