Hello, today I am on the tour with Black Tide Book Tours for a horror story set in the isolated Scottish highlands!
Book Title: The Lodge
Author: Chris Coppel
My Rating: 3.5*
Publisher: Troubador Publishing
Publication Date: 20/09/20
Genre(s): Horror / Supernatural
Pages: 152
Format Read: E-book
Goodreads: Ever wondered what it would be like if hunted animals were able to fight back?
The Lodge unveils the mystery of a hunting lodge in the remote hills of the Scottish Highlands during the Christmas holidays. After the report of an accidental death at the lodge, Andrew, a young constable from the nearest town, drives up through a growing blizzard.
Snowbound, Andrew and the guests take cover at the lodge as the terrifying ordeal unfolds. These animals have souls. Souls that won’t rest until they’ve had revenge…
But will the hunters become the hunted?
My Review
The premise of The Lodge drew me in straight away and I loved the setting of the bleak, isolated Scottish Highlands with the impassable snow that really added to the tension of the novel. Trapped in the hunting lodge with various guests, a dead body and no one to call, Andrew, the policeman called to the scene of a crime, must survive the next few days while also trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
The hunting lodge is decorated with animal heads, deer antler chandeliers and other animal furnishings with even more boxes full of decorations in the basement which creates the scene of a disturbing venue perfect for hunters. I was on Elena’s side for much of this novel as I do not like the killing of animals for sport and the thought of the hunted becoming the hunter was an intriguing plot that I was hoping to enjoy.
The setting gets creepier as the book goes and although it is only quite a short book with 152 pages it fits in a lot of detail about the setting which adds to the tense and spooky vibes as it reaches a crescendo at the end. At first it is just little things that happen that the characters brush off but it gradually gets stronger until both the characters and readers are terrified to make a move.
The book is split into two narratives; one of the current situation in the lodge and the other that provides snippets from Andrew’s past which at first I thought took away from the tension and was quite jarring to be continuously taken away from the main plot but it all made sense towards the end of the novel.
This is a unique take on the horror genre as the hunted animals look to take revenge on the people that kill them for fun with a suspenseful story that had me holding my breath in parts. The Lodge by Chris Coppel is the perfect length for a quick read that may have you looking differently towards animal heads in future!
Universal link for the book on Amazon.
About the Author
Chris believes that stories should be able to transport the reader to different places, where they can experience events and dimensions that have never been considered. Chris is able to write gentle fable-like adventures (Far From Burden Dell) as well as opening the pages into dark and terrifying stories where dimensions co-exist with indescribable evil. (Legacy).
Chris Coppel was born in California and has since split his time between the USA and Europe, living in California, Spain, France, Switzerland and England.
Chris has held senior operations positions for both Warner Bros. and Universal Studios. Chris also held the position of Director of Operations for UCLA’s Film School where he also taught advanced screen writing. Chris and his wife Clare spent many years helping animal rescue with Best Friends Animal Society in Utah. Before joining Best Friends, Chris was President and Managing Director of the Home Entertainment Division of Testronics in Los Angeles.
Following in his father’s footsteps (Alec Coppel wrote Vertigo among many other successful movies) Chris has written numerous screenplays as well as the novels Far From Burden Dell, Luck, The Lodge, Legacy, Lakebed, Lingering, Lifetimes, Lunacy and Last Light.
Chris is also an accomplished drummer and guitarist. He and his wife currently live in the UK.
https://twitter.com/chriscoppel/
https://www.facebook.com/ccoppel1
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