I've been a huge fan of Sarah Rayne for quite some time now and always think after finishing a book of hers `well, the next one CAN'T be better'. Every time she proves me wrong.
The Death Chamber is by far her finest to date, with the trademark time straddling (she could teach Doctor Who a thing or two!), the rich, drawn out characters and the constant lingering cloud of brooding darkness Rayne has created a masterpiece.
At the heart of the tense and gripping plot is Calvary Gaol, a menacing murder's prison and it's execution chamber. A place that features in some way in the lives of all the central characters and their intertwining story that reaches out from the early1900s to the present day.
I was drawn in at the first chapter and held throughout the entire book, which, as all her previous novels was impossible to put down. I often found myself reading in bed, with prickles running down my arms, such is Rayne's ability to set a scene full of menace and an ominous electric atmosphere.
There is not a single fault I can pick out with this book...I loved all of the characters, was attracted to the `goodies' and loathed the `baddies'...was genuinely stunned at the many twists and turns thrown out all over the book (she could also teach the ride creators for Alton Towers a thing or two!)...And in awe that yet again, she comes up with a story this amazing, that try as you like, cannot be second-guessed.
I'm really struggling to find words of praise high enough for this book and I urge you all to read it and try yourselves. Simply perfect - I can't wait for the next one!