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thomaswjoyce's review
5.0
With his latest release, the novella An Ideal Retreat, from Dim Shores, Griffin again displays his love for the Weird. There are no conventional monsters to be found in this story; the horrors held within are very human in nature. We are immediately introduced to our narrator, Noone Raddox, at once equal parts relatable and unreliable, as she drives alone towards the old, run-down shack of her husband’s family. We quickly realise that she isn’t just making the journey through a sense of duty towards the family, but that she is actually escaping from a convenient yet unfulfilling marriage to Ian. Despite her attempts to reconcile her husband’s behaviour with the idea that he is spending so much time at work to afford her a life of leisure, she is gradually coming to the realisation that she is no longer in control of her own life, has not been for some time. So she is all too happy to take this opportunity to have some time to herself and get her mind in order, even if it does mean driving four hours from her home to check on the old holiday home that has only recently been vacated by her brother-in-law, Jodah, the black sheep who has spent most of his life in one scrape or another, rehab or a state of desperation.
This is one area where Griffin excels at his craft; he can clearly portray the very human side of his characters without resorting to stereotypes. He paints a three-dimensional landscape and fills it with three-dimensional characters with depth and flaws that the reader can recognise from their own experiences. Noone is in no way perfect and this is shown through her growing dependence on pills and wine. She describes hearing a voice. Despite it being her own inner monologue, she doesn’t seem to have much control over it, constantly finding herself at odds with her own conscience.
The Horror community has another star shining bright in Mike Griffin and it’s to the benefit of horror readers everywhere. Long may the good work continue.
To see the full review, please visit thisishorror.co.uk
This is one area where Griffin excels at his craft; he can clearly portray the very human side of his characters without resorting to stereotypes. He paints a three-dimensional landscape and fills it with three-dimensional characters with depth and flaws that the reader can recognise from their own experiences. Noone is in no way perfect and this is shown through her growing dependence on pills and wine. She describes hearing a voice. Despite it being her own inner monologue, she doesn’t seem to have much control over it, constantly finding herself at odds with her own conscience.
The Horror community has another star shining bright in Mike Griffin and it’s to the benefit of horror readers everywhere. Long may the good work continue.
To see the full review, please visit thisishorror.co.uk
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