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laynetheandroid's review
4.0
A very rapid and easy read. What would have been a fairly straightforward plot is made tantalizing by the nonlinear structure. Leech and the world he lives in are given great depth.
pbanditp's review
4.0
“My name is Archibald Leech and I’m a man of many stories.” So states Leech in this dark and murky book that feels like everlasting night. He is sent by Control as a kind of secret agent into a hell scape of a world where the people seem to have gone mad.
This book feels like a found footage that has missing parts and a nonlinear timeline. As explained in the book- “Hollywood films are shot out of order, their sequence a pure chaos only understood by the director.”
In LEECH, vague images flash past as you try to capture the action and danger that is all around you.
This book feels like a found footage that has missing parts and a nonlinear timeline. As explained in the book- “Hollywood films are shot out of order, their sequence a pure chaos only understood by the director.”
In LEECH, vague images flash past as you try to capture the action and danger that is all around you.
thomaswjoyce's review
5.0
Fantastic mixture of horror and noir. Once I started reading I didn't want to stop. I've read a few books by Foster now, so I knew what to expect. Strong characterisation, great pacing, wonderful attention to sentence and paragraph structure, fantastic descriptions and language by all of the characters, especially Leech. The premise of a secret agency investigating supernatural events isn't a new one, but Foster's take on it is refreshing and unique. Everything comes with a layer of grime or sweat, Foster opting to infuse his characters with real emotions and desires, making them more relatable and 100% more compelling. The structure of the novel is interesting, but makes sense given the mysterious nature of Leech and those who struggle to Control him. I love how the final section of the novel ties in with his short story "Armageddon Baby" from the anthology Lost Signals. Reading both at the same time and seeing where they diverge was a fun experience. While some mysteries still remain about the character of Archibald Leech and the history of Control and how it operates (possibly enough for another novel, please?), the novel is perfectly complete, and perfectly written. Foster has delivered yet another intriguing combination of horror and noir; incredibly rich and oppressively dark. The perfect intersection of the horror of the great unknown and the darkness in a person's soul.
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