At long last, it's launch day for Groom Lake - now available in both Kindle and paperback formats. This is a dark psychological thriller with plenty of supernatural horror laced in - in fact, I've been told it's as scary in parts as Father of Lies. So here's a tad more information, and the first two reviews, most gratefully received:
Plot Summary
'Lauren Stafford, a traumatised divorcee, decides to rent a cottage on the edge of a beautiful ancestral estate in the Welsh Marches. But from the very first day of arrrival she instinctively knows there's something terribly wrong here - something malevolent and ancient - a feeling the whole place is trapped in a time warp. She really ought to leave. But the pull of the lake is too strong, its dark magic so powerful it crosses over into dreams...turning them into nightmares. What lies beneath its still black surface? And why can't Lauren drag herself away? Why her? And why now?'
The first reviews are in…
'Here is the perfect antidote to the Summer heat, a new novel from the incomparable S E England that will chill you to the bone. This time set in the haunted landscape of the Welsh Marches.. a brooding hinterland between England and Wales full of ruined castles and dark blood stained memories.
Lauren is down on her luck and needs some time away. She rents what she hopes to be a cozy little cottage, miles from anywhere so she can reassess her life and move forward. What she doesn't expect is a freezing damp ridden hovel that hasn't seen an occupant in many years. The locals are taciturn to the point of hostile and Lauren is left alone in the cold and the dark...or maybe not as alone as she thinks she is.
The set up is classic horror, isolation and a creeping mounting dread but then the tone becomes psychological. Reality warps and bends leaving Lauren unable to distinguish what's real and what's not. Figures who maybe are there or just inside her head..like a little girl by a black lake in the centre of the forest. Who is she and why is she almost familiar?
I will give no more away , suffice to say this is a brilliant novel that works on so many levels. From pure horror to psychological thriller, this is one of the finest cross genre novels I've read. The writing from this author is as superb as ever, flawless descriptive prose which makes the reader feel they're living inside the story. Make no mistake though, this is not for the faint hearted. Some of the material is deeply disturbing. Look out for the 'surprise dish' in the restaurant.. I defy you not to shudder. I always compare this author to the great M R James, they both share that uncanny knack of taking the everyday and slowly and inexorably leading the reader into the heart of a waking nightmare. So if you want to cool down and slowly feel the goose flesh rise on your arms then I recommend a visit to Groom Lake..it's waiting for you in the dark heart of the forest...'
***
Another Dark Masterpiece from the Queen of Horror
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 July 2022
'Sarah England is one of my favourite authors - she is able to weave so much darkness into her novels that they do actually send shivers racing up and down your spine! To date, her first horror novel, Father of Lies, remains one of the only books I could only read during the day! Her latest, Groom Lake, is as dark as the brilliant Father of Lies, I think, and certainly as thrilling. The action takes place in a remote Welsh location, where divorcee Lauren Stafford has gone to try to rebuild her shattered life. It's a place she feels drawn to, but for reasons that she can't quite fathom, and where such strangeness gradually unfolds to the point of sheer terror. What I love most about Sarah's writing is how graphic it is, drawing you right into the story with such mesmerising images, all fives senses employed. I look forward to one of her new releases as I used to with Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice and James Herbert - and this is definitely another triumph!'
***
I hope you enjoy the read. Wishing you a wonderful summer...
Sarah x
