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itsonmytbr's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to netgalley for the advanced copy of The Old Religion by Martyn Waites. The disappearance of an outsider in a small, insular Cornish village and the fracturing of the group of kidnappers gets the attention of the local bartender. Tom Killgannon is also an outsider, and he's got to choose between protecting his own secrets and finding out what's terrifying all of his neighbors. The danger is greater than he anticipates, but he can handle anything.
Would I recommend The Old Religion to others? Yes. Will I be reading the rest of the series? No.
Here's the thing: I love magic, and cults, and village conspiracies. This book got my interest with those, and with the bone-chilling cover, right away. I was all in. However, The Old Religion reads more like a spy novel than a thriller or horror piece. It just wasn't for me. If you like tough guys with a heart of gold, it just might be for you. This is a book for boys.
Would I recommend The Old Religion to others? Yes. Will I be reading the rest of the series? No.
Here's the thing: I love magic, and cults, and village conspiracies. This book got my interest with those, and with the bone-chilling cover, right away. I was all in. However, The Old Religion reads more like a spy novel than a thriller or horror piece. It just wasn't for me. If you like tough guys with a heart of gold, it just might be for you. This is a book for boys.
ralphball's review against another edition
4.0
What a setting! As someone who lives in a dry, often drought stricken country I loved reading about a cold, seaside setting. Lot's of rain and misery really makes me happy.
I really enjoyed the book. Unlikable characters? Check. Small town mystery? Check. Is this a Stephen King? No? Ok.
It was a subtle mystery too, no ridiculous exploits by everyday citizens and it wrapped up neatly.
High five Mr Waites!
I really enjoyed the book. Unlikable characters? Check. Small town mystery? Check. Is this a Stephen King? No? Ok.
It was a subtle mystery too, no ridiculous exploits by everyday citizens and it wrapped up neatly.
High five Mr Waites!
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
This is an author who is new to me despite his string of books under alter ego Tania Carver and it was a very enjoyable page turner which kept me gripped from beginning to end.
The plot is set around a fictional village in Cornwall where mysterious goings on start to threaten the lead characters safety as a former undercover cop hiding from bad guys. The title hints at the villages secrets which are around pagan beliefs and the tension racks up as Tom becomes a threat to the baddies plans.
I'm sure references such as The Wicker Man have been made and it also put me in mind of Hot Fuzz and the pub scene in American werewolf and at time I worried as I neared the end whether the scenes would stray over from tension to farce but in the end I felt the author navigated that tricky balancing act with skill and I look forward to reading what I hope will be a series.
The plot is set around a fictional village in Cornwall where mysterious goings on start to threaten the lead characters safety as a former undercover cop hiding from bad guys. The title hints at the villages secrets which are around pagan beliefs and the tension racks up as Tom becomes a threat to the baddies plans.
I'm sure references such as The Wicker Man have been made and it also put me in mind of Hot Fuzz and the pub scene in American werewolf and at time I worried as I neared the end whether the scenes would stray over from tension to farce but in the end I felt the author navigated that tricky balancing act with skill and I look forward to reading what I hope will be a series.
fictionfan's review against another edition
3.0
Strange marketing...
Tom Kilgannon has come to the run-down Cornish town of St Petroc to hide. That’s not his real name – he has taken on a new identity and it’s quickly clear that he’s in some kind of witness protection scheme or similar. Lila is a young girl living in a surfer commune on the edge of town – a surfer commune that is run more like a cult, with the rather nasty Noah at its head. As the book begins, Lila has been instrumental in abducting a young man on Noah’s instructions, and now she’s afraid of the consequences. When Tom and Lila meet, their lives quickly become mixed up with each other, and each puts the other in even greater danger. In the meantime, the mysterious Morrigan seems to hold an almost occult power over the townspeople, all in the name of the Old Religion...
This book is billed as being for fans of Peter May. I wonder why? I don’t remember Peter May ever writing anything with an occult storyline, nor using so much foul language including repeated use of the “c”-word, nor being unable to determine when to use “who” and “whom” correctly, nor filling his books with repeated episodes of violence, including rape, every few pages. Odd! Had I been trying to attract people who might enjoy this, I’d have been more inclined to mention Mo Hayder, or one of the other authors who specialise in violence and nastiness. There’s a market out there for this kind of book undoubtedly, but I’m not sure Peter May fans would be a big part of that market. This one sure isn’t, anyway.
It’s well written, apart from the too frequent grammatical errors, but I was reading an advance copy so perhaps they were sorted before the final version was printed. The characterisation is very good, especially of Lila. She left home young, and has no-one to look out for her. Having drifted into a bad situation she’s now trying to find a way out, and Waites does a good job of portraying her as a mix of vulnerability and strength. Tom is also done reasonably well, though with more of the stereotypical elements of the routine thriller hero – a troubled past, in danger in the present, well able to handle himself physically, but with a complete inability to fend off the women who find him irresistible. Uh-huh, well, not all women, obviously.
But everyone is unlikeable, even Lila, whom (or perhaps in the spirit of the book, I should say who) I really wanted to like. She’s quite willing to be just as horrible to everyone around her as they are to her – credible, undoubtedly, given her background, but it meant my sympathy for her situation wore off after a bit. Apart from Tom, all the men are drug-pushers or losers, violent and cruel, or occasionally weak and pathetic, and potential or actual rapists. There are very few women in it, at least up to the point where I abandoned it – around the 60% mark, and other than Lila they don’t play a significant role. I flicked ahead to the end and got the impression that may change later in the book.
At that 60% mark the three stories were still trailing along without us being any closer to finding out how they were connected – Tom’s past, the young man’s abduction, the mysterious Morrigan – with Lila providing some kind of vague link. I admit I was bored waiting, but it was really the constant episodes of violence that annoyed me – not in a squeamish way, they’re not overly graphic, but just because it all became repetitive and made the tone unrelentingly miserable. I prefer even crime novels to have some light and shade in them.
Despite abandoning it, I’m giving the book three stars. It’s not to my taste but I think it’s pretty well done for all that, and I’m sure people who like this sort of thing will enjoy it. In fact, it’s considerably better than the one Mo Hayder book through which I had the misfortune to wade. But as for Peter May fans, well, I’d suggest we all sit back and wait for the next Peter May book instead. Why do publishers do that?
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Zaffre, via Amazon Vine UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Tom Kilgannon has come to the run-down Cornish town of St Petroc to hide. That’s not his real name – he has taken on a new identity and it’s quickly clear that he’s in some kind of witness protection scheme or similar. Lila is a young girl living in a surfer commune on the edge of town – a surfer commune that is run more like a cult, with the rather nasty Noah at its head. As the book begins, Lila has been instrumental in abducting a young man on Noah’s instructions, and now she’s afraid of the consequences. When Tom and Lila meet, their lives quickly become mixed up with each other, and each puts the other in even greater danger. In the meantime, the mysterious Morrigan seems to hold an almost occult power over the townspeople, all in the name of the Old Religion...
This book is billed as being for fans of Peter May. I wonder why? I don’t remember Peter May ever writing anything with an occult storyline, nor using so much foul language including repeated use of the “c”-word, nor being unable to determine when to use “who” and “whom” correctly, nor filling his books with repeated episodes of violence, including rape, every few pages. Odd! Had I been trying to attract people who might enjoy this, I’d have been more inclined to mention Mo Hayder, or one of the other authors who specialise in violence and nastiness. There’s a market out there for this kind of book undoubtedly, but I’m not sure Peter May fans would be a big part of that market. This one sure isn’t, anyway.
It’s well written, apart from the too frequent grammatical errors, but I was reading an advance copy so perhaps they were sorted before the final version was printed. The characterisation is very good, especially of Lila. She left home young, and has no-one to look out for her. Having drifted into a bad situation she’s now trying to find a way out, and Waites does a good job of portraying her as a mix of vulnerability and strength. Tom is also done reasonably well, though with more of the stereotypical elements of the routine thriller hero – a troubled past, in danger in the present, well able to handle himself physically, but with a complete inability to fend off the women who find him irresistible. Uh-huh, well, not all women, obviously.
But everyone is unlikeable, even Lila, whom (or perhaps in the spirit of the book, I should say who) I really wanted to like. She’s quite willing to be just as horrible to everyone around her as they are to her – credible, undoubtedly, given her background, but it meant my sympathy for her situation wore off after a bit. Apart from Tom, all the men are drug-pushers or losers, violent and cruel, or occasionally weak and pathetic, and potential or actual rapists. There are very few women in it, at least up to the point where I abandoned it – around the 60% mark, and other than Lila they don’t play a significant role. I flicked ahead to the end and got the impression that may change later in the book.
At that 60% mark the three stories were still trailing along without us being any closer to finding out how they were connected – Tom’s past, the young man’s abduction, the mysterious Morrigan – with Lila providing some kind of vague link. I admit I was bored waiting, but it was really the constant episodes of violence that annoyed me – not in a squeamish way, they’re not overly graphic, but just because it all became repetitive and made the tone unrelentingly miserable. I prefer even crime novels to have some light and shade in them.
Despite abandoning it, I’m giving the book three stars. It’s not to my taste but I think it’s pretty well done for all that, and I’m sure people who like this sort of thing will enjoy it. In fact, it’s considerably better than the one Mo Hayder book through which I had the misfortune to wade. But as for Peter May fans, well, I’d suggest we all sit back and wait for the next Peter May book instead. Why do publishers do that?
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Zaffre, via Amazon Vine UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I'm more a cozy mystery type of reader but once I started this book I couldn't put it down.
It has a dark atmosphere and a sense of danger that keep you reading to understanding what's coming.
I really like the main characters, with their secrets and emotional baggage, as well as the description of the places, and the twist and tricks of the plot.
i hope this is the first in a series and look forward to reading other books by this writer.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for this ARC
It has a dark atmosphere and a sense of danger that keep you reading to understanding what's coming.
I really like the main characters, with their secrets and emotional baggage, as well as the description of the places, and the twist and tricks of the plot.
i hope this is the first in a series and look forward to reading other books by this writer.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for this ARC
paulcowdell's review against another edition
1.0
Whatever promise this book may have had was lost in its determinedly competent, grimly mechanical assemblage of subplots. You could almost see the technical thought processes at work, because every backstory, every description, every incident and wrinkle, even most of the dialogue, read not as narrative but like pages from the author's character development notebooks. After 250 pages we find out a small trait of the lead character that turns out never to surface again, nor to have any impact on him as a character.
It's just bad writing.
Given his 'by numbers' technical approach, it's all the less forgivable that the author is utterly unable to build tension in the narrative or manage a reveal.
It was a text entirely without life.
I came here because of the author's claimed interest in Folk Horror. Unfortunately this just turned out to be the most perfunctory and pointless of his subplots. He was trying to dress it up as The Real Point, but couldn't because he's only interested in it as affect, just a peg to hang his dull and formulaic would-be thriller on: he can't even unfold the occult underbelly story well, which means it can't ever work.
On the back jacket Mark Billingham proclaims Waites 'one of the very best crime writers we have'. If that's the case get the humane killers, because crime writing's clearly beyond any hope.
It's just bad writing.
Given his 'by numbers' technical approach, it's all the less forgivable that the author is utterly unable to build tension in the narrative or manage a reveal.
It was a text entirely without life.
I came here because of the author's claimed interest in Folk Horror. Unfortunately this just turned out to be the most perfunctory and pointless of his subplots. He was trying to dress it up as The Real Point, but couldn't because he's only interested in it as affect, just a peg to hang his dull and formulaic would-be thriller on: he can't even unfold the occult underbelly story well, which means it can't ever work.
On the back jacket Mark Billingham proclaims Waites 'one of the very best crime writers we have'. If that's the case get the humane killers, because crime writing's clearly beyond any hope.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
Dear goodness Mr Martyn Waites I've a nervous wreck after reading this! Who's in that van? Did I just see a figure standing in a doorway? Is that a dead crow I see?
Thank goodness St Petroc in Cornwall where the book is set is fictional. I had to double check just incase. My nerves had calmed a little. Just a little mind.
Then I read the end. And my head exploded.
Thank goodness St Petroc in Cornwall where the book is set is fictional. I had to double check just incase. My nerves had calmed a little. Just a little mind.
Then I read the end. And my head exploded.
srreid's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy from Readers First in exchange for an honest review.
A man with a past no one knows about, Tom Kilgannon, hiding out in a sleepy Cornish village working in the local pub just taking one day at a time.
A girl who has gotten in over her head with a group of travelers (why do travelers always seem to be so static) who camp out in a bay on the outskirts of the village. She helped them do something she regretted - kidnapping a student, and tried to escape them. She ends up hiding out in the house of the mystery man.
She steals his coat which has all his documents for his new identity hidden inside it - he has to get them back. And so he gets caught up in the mysterious goings on of this mismatched group of travelers. But what they are up to is bigger than just a sport of drug dealing and fencing stolen goods. The entire village it appears are involved, being under the thrall of the mysterious Morrigan who is intent on finishing some ritual (which is why the needed to kidnap the student), which will ensure the village wins a bid for a new marina to be built, bringing in an influx of cash they are in dire need of in post Brexit Britain. But things don't go to plan, the Tom makes sure of that.
Great story, characters you get caught up in, i'm just docking a star for the old religion aspect being a bit short changed, it feels more like it's been tapped on at the end rather than being an integral part of the story throughout. It's only briefly mentioned here and there - then right at the very end it plays its proper part, albeit very briefly.
Would definitely be interested in reading more featuring Tom Kilgannon though so will be watching out for future books by this author, which was confirmed is happening in the Q&A section at the end. I like this extra little touch, added more to the story like a DVD extra, more books should do things like this. It reminds you the author is a person too, gives a little insight into the writing of the book and it's influences, very enjoyable way to finish off a book.
A man with a past no one knows about, Tom Kilgannon, hiding out in a sleepy Cornish village working in the local pub just taking one day at a time.
A girl who has gotten in over her head with a group of travelers (why do travelers always seem to be so static) who camp out in a bay on the outskirts of the village. She helped them do something she regretted - kidnapping a student, and tried to escape them. She ends up hiding out in the house of the mystery man.
She steals his coat which has all his documents for his new identity hidden inside it - he has to get them back. And so he gets caught up in the mysterious goings on of this mismatched group of travelers. But what they are up to is bigger than just a sport of drug dealing and fencing stolen goods. The entire village it appears are involved, being under the thrall of the mysterious Morrigan who is intent on finishing some ritual (which is why the needed to kidnap the student), which will ensure the village wins a bid for a new marina to be built, bringing in an influx of cash they are in dire need of in post Brexit Britain. But things don't go to plan, the Tom makes sure of that.
Great story, characters you get caught up in, i'm just docking a star for the old religion aspect being a bit short changed, it feels more like it's been tapped on at the end rather than being an integral part of the story throughout. It's only briefly mentioned here and there - then right at the very end it plays its proper part, albeit very briefly.
Would definitely be interested in reading more featuring Tom Kilgannon though so will be watching out for future books by this author, which was confirmed is happening in the Q&A section at the end. I like this extra little touch, added more to the story like a DVD extra, more books should do things like this. It reminds you the author is a person too, gives a little insight into the writing of the book and it's influences, very enjoyable way to finish off a book.
jenlisy's review against another edition
2.0
I started this book and got a few hours into the audio. I never got into the characters and decided to bail rather than trudge through.