lex sinclair

Lex Sinclair’s nightmare continues with Don’t Fear the Reaper Part 2. It picks up where the first book ended, and you can be sure that you’ll be getting that distinct Sinclair style with it. This is a man who will stay true to his precise way of writing, and he’s not showing any signs of losing his touch. Thus, he sets the stage for another dark ride.

Sapphire, a young boy who only knows an overly-protected life, is on the run. He is running from the Grim Reaper with the help of ex-reverent Perkins, the guardian who has managed to keep him safe – until now. Unable to understand his true purpose of saving mankind, especially in the aftermath of the apocalypse, he begins to rebel. And it might not be such a bad thing if Death wasn’t chasing them.

On the other end of the spectrum is another young boy, Elias. Gradually he changes into a monster his parents can’t recognize, and the nastier he becomes, the more powerful he gets. He is also part of the bigger picture regarding the shift of dangerous power. Humanity has already experienced a great ordeal. Can it withstand a bigger one?

After finishing the first book I was very anxious to see what Sinclair would dig up for the sequel. I loved the plot the first time round, so I had my expectations with the follow-up story. I can honestly say that Sinclair stayed true to form and delivered a solid story. The quality of the writing is very old-school and particular, characteristics I’ve noticed in all of Sinclair’s books I’ve read so far, and the plot never fails to keep you interested. But I’ve also noticed a little more character building as supposed to plot development. Sinclair was very focused on establishing Sapphire’s torment regarding his predestined path, and how he handles it.

When it came to the pacing, I was a little surprised. This time round it felt like Sinclair wanted to speed things up a bit and break away from the way he usually approaches it. Of course, there are the detailed scenery and the convincing characters, but Sinclair is also more aware of stopping at crucial moments and cutting to a new scene.

I’ve probably said this before, but I regard Sinclair as a writer who takes his art very seriously. He’s patient, articulate, and he connects with his audience. And with this particular book, he’s exploring his options and getting a feel for growing his fan base.

For those who haven’t read any of Sinclair’s books yet, you can look forward to some interesting images that will haunt you before you go to sleep. But he’s not so much hardcore as he is descriptive. Sinclair can make a moderate amount of violence work in his favor because he knows how to sell the “thrill” element.

I’d definitely recommend Don’t Fear the Reaper Part 2, along with every one of Sinclair’s work to readers who love the intimate details. If you’ve got the time to really get lost in a story, this is a book you should definitely devour. In fact, anybody who appreciates a good horror story will enjoy it!

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

More Horror Book Reviews

Also by Lex Sinclair:

Don’t Fear The Reaper Part 1

The Frozen Man

Nobody Goes There

The Goat’s Head

Lord of Darkness

Killer Spiders

Don’t Fear the Reaper: Vol. 1, is the latest horror novel by Lex Sinclair. His experience in the genre shines through a story that ventures into the supernatural world of death. In fact, Sinclair mixes up a few elements we’ve seen before, creating something unique to his style and taste. With an obviously high-quality standard of writing, Sinclair brings to life the Grim Reaper.

The world is about to experience a small apocalypse, a prophecy needs to be fulfilled, and the Reaper has to protect the one who is going to continue his work. All over the globe, a strange fog is plaguing the citizens. At the same time strange and horrible things are occurring without motive. A man butchers his family with an axe, a group of girls unknown to each other commit mass suicide, and to make matters worse, a meteor is on course to hit earth.

In between the chaos is Rev. Anthony Perkins, a man who has been experiencing vivid nightmares while losing his faith. As he struggles with the decision to leave the church, his pregnant sister undergoes a traumatic experience, making him only doubt his faith more. Little does he realize he’ll need his faith more than ever when he comes face to face with every mortal’s deepest fear, death.

I knew exactly what to expect when reading the first chapter because it’s the third book I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing by Sinclair. I had no idea what the plot was going to entail, or how it was going to unfold. But I knew I had to get ready for a style that’s very precise in its execution. More than anything, Sinclair is a writer who takes the art very seriously and it shows in his work.

With a very sophisticated tone, Sinclair starts the story with a scene featuring the Reaper and the evil green fog. The first thing you’ll notice from the introduction is that Sinclair pays attention to detail, painting a very vivid picture. His talent to describe something as if it is sitting right in front of you is amazing. This is only empowered by his extensive vocabulary and research.

That being said, the story does follow a relatively slow pace. This is a good thing for readers who like to fall deep into the content of the pages, but it could be a little frustrating to readers who prefer things to happen faster. The amount of characters who are introduced can also get a little overwhelming, so it’s critical to keep track from the first page.

Overall, I can honestly say that Sinclair hasn’t lost his creative touch on a classic idea. I consider his latest novel, along with those I’ve read before, to be among the “higher quality” reads within indie circles, although I don’t consider them “easy-reads”. There’s originality, skill and an interesting plot, which is consistent elements for Sinclair. He demands the reader’s full attention, otherwise, the story might not grab you the way it’s meant to. So, for the horror fans who want to invest themselves in a good book, I suggest picking up this new release from Sinclair.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

More Horror Book Reviews

Also by Lex Sinclair:

The Frozen Man

Nobody Goes There

The Goat’s Head

Lord of Darkness

Killer Spiders

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:

The Frozen Man

Nobody Goes There

The Goat’s Head

Lord of Darkness

Killer Spiders

More Horror Book Reviews

From the author, Lex Sinclair, comes a story that is compelling and unnervingly vivid. “The Frozen Man” isn’t just another book about a sinister entity that leaves behind a trail of bodies, but truly exploits the human condition. He shows us that we are only human and sometimes it’s our judgment that brings us into trouble. More importantly, trouble that could’ve been avoided. By using a very comfortable style of writing, the reader is systematically dragged into a reality from which there is no return. The story isn’t just about a series of events that lead toward an unending nightmare, but the consequences that accommodate bad choices.

Tom and Kate, a married couple looking to rekindle their love, decide to go camping for the weekend in North Wales. Even though they’ve only been married 3 years and dated for 4, their relationship is dwindling. The fact that Kate can’t get pregnant and Tom trying to comfort her in all the wrong ways only makes it worse. As fate would have it their trip is interrupted by heavy snowfall and they are forced to sleep at the nearest bar with a bunch of strangers. Among the strangers is a man named Charles, and after the power to the bar is cut off, they all sit around the fireplace while Charles shares one of his fantastic stories.

His story is one he heard from his father, about a young man who was known as Nathan. Shortly after the Second World War Nathan gave hope to a village by performing strange miracles. The end of story sees Nathan brutally murdered by a jealous war-hero called Dennis. According to Dennis, Nathan stole the girl he was supposed to have and therefore he had to die. This could possibly be the price Nathan paid for falling in love, because he wasn’t allowed to get so close with mortals. Nathan’s body was found hanging from an oak tree in the forest by a chord of silver hair. When the hair was cut the body was frozen solid. This resulted in the nickname “The Frozen Man”.

Eventually the snow clears and the married couple stumbles upon a frozen body hanging from a tree in the forest. Against Tom’s better judgment they take the body down and store it in the boot of their car. With no real plan they go home and hide the body in their loft. However, a phone call from Charles out of the blue gives Tom and Kate the idea to revisit the choices they made. They tell Charles what they found and more research on Charles’s part revealed that bodies such as this shouldn’t be tampered with. They all decide to get the body back to where it was, but it’s not there anymore. This discovery leads to horrific events and consequences the couple never anticipated.

The Sinclair sets a rather warm and comforting mood for a story that turns out to be pure evil. By using the emotion of his characters, especially those of Kate and her hope to conceive a child, he is able to bring a different twist into how the characters got themselves into trouble. He is particularly adept with painting the natural scenery and giving the reader a vivid picture of the surroundings. It’s almost as if he is testing the true love between two people and how far they will go to keep each other happy.

In this case Kate and Tom passed the test, but with dire consequences. Without spoiling the end, it has to be said that Sinclair did a superb job. It is original as it is shocking, making it the perfect climax to a finely paced story. The manner in which he details the suspense and emotion is impeccable, drawing the reader into the book with every page. In a single sentence, “The Frozen Man” is definitely a book that will be filed under my “Favorite” collection.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.
More Horror Book Reviews

Also by Lex Sinclair:
The Goat’s Head
Nobody Goes There
The Lord of Darkness
Killer Spiders

The book “Nobody Goes There” by Lex Sinclair is a disturbing tale that introduces the reader to a small town hiding a huge secret.  Following a plot that revolves around strange and horrible things happening in a relatively normal town, the book is an enjoyable read for those who appreciate suspenseful horror stories.

Taking place in a South Wales town that is normal in most respects, “Nobody Goes There” follows the lives of various townspeople as they are terrorized by a mysterious creature that lurks in a nearby canal.  The people in town are divided between the older people in town who refuse to discuss the gruesome deaths that continue to occur, and the younger people in the town who constantly tempt fate by exploring the canal.  The book follows two students, Dorothy and Owen, as they become aware of a creature that is responsible for the deaths and disappearances in the canal.  Though they are both deeply afraid of whatever has been killing locals for generations, they are determined to avenge the deaths of their friends and protect the remaining townspeople.

This is a distinctly UK/Welsh novel, with nuances like “kerb” instead of curb that can make the American reader pause, but is required and enjoyable projecting the realism of taking place in Wales.  The strong plot of this book, along with the engaging writing style, keeps the reader interested in both the characters and overall story line.  Sinclair is able to tell the story from the point of views of multiple characters allowing the reader to grasp the full horror of the situation while steadily building suspense.

While there are a few issues with grammar and typos, the minor issues do not take much away from the readability of the story.

Overall, this is creepy, disturbing, and a well-written horror/thriller piece is a true page turner that will keep the reader on edge.  Expanding upon the classic plot of good versus evil, the book features well crafted, realistic, characters who are forced to face their own fears to protect those around them.  I would recommend this book to any horror fan who enjoys a story with a touch of mystery and suspense.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.
More Horror Book Reviews

Also by Lex Sinclair: The Goat’s Head