Title: Silverwood Road
Author: Simon Crook
Publisher: HarperVoyager
Synopsis:
Behind each door lies something strange and terrifying. Here, the normal is made nightmarish, from howls of were-foxes to satanic car-boot sales. Creepy, terrifying and witty by turn, Silverweed Road deals in love, loss, isolation, loneliness, obsession, greed and revenge. As the screw turns with each story, Crook creates a world of pure imagination, constantly surprising, in a setting that is instantly recognisable but otherworldly at the same time.
My review:
This is a punchy, creepy collection of short stories all set in the houses of the inhabitants of Silverweed Road, where some very strange things are happening…
From the man who taunts the Jackdaws in their garden a step too much, to the dart player who sells his soul to the devil to play better, each of these short stories has some very dark elements to it and you know as you begin each one that there’ll be someone dead before long, because at the start of the book (and in between each chapter) we hear extracts from the local detective blog as he discusses the case from his perspective.
Some of the stories gripped me more than others, as is often the case with a collection of short stories, but as I go to list m favourites I’ve realised there is actually only one or two which I didn’t enjoy as much – all the others were great, with their own unique twists. As commented upon by many other reviewers, this collection had a definite feeling of Inside Number 9 to it (which I loved!)
Coming up to Halloween is a great time to read these stories but they’d be hugely entertaining at any point in the year. Simon Crook manages to tread the line between atmospheric and eerie, creating creepy short stories which never feel ‘too much’…
As you continue reading the stories it becomes more and clear (if you didn’t already realise this) that the stories are all connected in some way, and it makes reading this collection even more fun as you piece together how someone might be linked to someone else on this very odd road… Whether you’re reading this during ‘spooky season’ or not, Silverweed Road is definitely a recommended read.
My rating: 4/5
Many thanks to the publisher, HarperVoyager, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.