High Moor [Paperback]

I'm going to get right to the point you need to go and buy this novel. Normally when I read the debut novel from an author, I lower my expectations a little. It takes time for an author to hone their craft and find ther own voice and style. This is a brilliant book, I decided to cast aside all first novel expectations after 30 minutes of reading this book. Graeme has produce what can only be described as howling success of a novel (see what I did there folks)

I'll be honest I can count the number of werewolf books I have read on one hand, so I have very few points of reference to judge this book against. What I will say is that out of those books this ranks up there with the best of them. This is an utterly thrilling read, that will have you turning the pages at breakneck speed. The book is littered with great characters, both loveable and despicable. Characters that you will grow to care about, to such extent that the midway climatic scenes ring with emotional intensity.

As for the werewolves Reynolds has created a great and believable mythos. The pack has a strong identity, these are not just the monster of the week type werewolf, their actions and rules are an important factor in what makes this a great book. These are proud, but vicious animals, don't go into this book looking for cuddly furballs, you will be disappointed, these werewolves have big sharp teeth and claws, and they are not afraid to use them

The majority of the story takes place in 1986. I was 15 in 1986, having a ball of time. Reading this book is like looking back at old film footage of my life. Reynolds has expertly captured the feel of what it was like to grow up in a small town in 1986.

But fear not folks this is in no way a rip off Stephen King's It. High Moor is it's own novel, it will strike one hell of a chord with those of a certain age, who grew up in the UK. But it will also appeal to a much wider audience such is the strength of Reynolds writing. The last time I connected so strongly with the setting of a novel was with Joe Donnelly's Twitchy Eyes, and in many ways this book share similar themes, and is of a similar quality.

It takes a writer of tremendous skill to imbue a an action packed novel with as much depth, as is displayed here. This book was a joy to read, not just for its ability to transport me back to a time gone by, but also because it is so well written. If this is the level of writing Graeme is capable of producing in a début novel, then I for one cannot wait for his next novel.

Well I do enjoy a good horror book and having read very little concerning our good close doggy friends the ever pleasant werewolf I thought I would give High Moor a try especially as the price had just been reduced by the author for a limited period...and I must say I was pleasantly surprised :)) The action is fast and most of it takes place in the 1980's with the last third moving forward to the present. Anyone meeting or infected by the werewolf can expect to meet a sudden and very nasty death, we are introduced to Carl Schneider werewolf hunter extraordinaire arriving with a full arsenal of weapons to tackle the nasty epidemic of the werewolf. The real werewolf beast is the "moonstruck" variety and as the name implies only emerges at a full moon name but boy does he reap carnage.....whereas the more "pleasant" :)) werewolf can change at will and as the action in the book shows they are the only real weapon available to kill the moonstruck werewolf. The story essentially is the return of John Simpson to his childhood home and there he confronts adversaries from his youth....but in order to achieve a good and enjoyable werewolf read the author must blend storytelling with dark humour and Graeme Reynolds does an excellent job at portraying the full horror and joy of the werewolf sage to an eagerly waiting reader salivating at the mouth...with a little bit of blood and grizzle.....enjoy!!

I really enjoyed this book. Great to have a good British based horror novel on the shelves. Reminded me of American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Silver Bullet etc with both the adult and child perspectives. I am looking forward to the next installment.