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A review by paperbackstash
Night Cage by Andrew Harper, Douglas Clegg
5.0
Andrew Harper is the pseudonym for horror enthusiast Douglas Clegg. Harper’s novels may be labeled as more of a ‘thriller’ by Leisure books, and, while I have not yet red his other novel ‘Red Angel’ and unable to comment on it, Night Cage was, to me, held an utterly terrifying premise. The plot has to do with insane killers, the branch of psychiatry, what could go wrong with the human mind (particularly when the body is subjected to abuse), and old asylums come on, what could be creepier??
The atmosphere of Night Cage was psychologically rich. All scenes within the hospital walls, particularly the underground section, were eerie. The moments of slaughter were cruel, the insanity of some characters disturbingly convincing, even with internal dialogue being the only thing to rely on. Creepy and intense.
Trey as the main character was excellent. I enjoyed seeing his own issues and how they counter acted with his job. I dug his sense of morality as well..not only was he the ‘nice guy’, he also seemed so real it was almost spooky. “Doc” Chilmark and his mother, “Bloody Mary”, are eerie as hell for the antagonists. Psychos almost tragic in nature. Jim as the best friend of Trey was adorably likeable with a sense of humor I enjoy characters having. Adequate mystery surrounded Dr. Brainard and others when it was needed even less likeable characters, such as Victor, grew on me after awhile.
The pace was as it should be to make Night Cage worth tight and well planned.
Style : Harper’s style is crisp and short at points to heighten suspense and action; he uses a lot of pauses in other sentences to draw scenes out. His writing is an ideal companion to this type of story.
I was excited to read a novel from the talented source of Clegg’s mind. His talent under the Harper handle did not disappoint. Night Cage was a haunting, dramatic, suspenseful, and fulfilling. Whether labeled as suspense, horror, or whatever, it put a smile on this readers face and I’m willing to bet it would do the same for you.
The atmosphere of Night Cage was psychologically rich. All scenes within the hospital walls, particularly the underground section, were eerie. The moments of slaughter were cruel, the insanity of some characters disturbingly convincing, even with internal dialogue being the only thing to rely on. Creepy and intense.
Trey as the main character was excellent. I enjoyed seeing his own issues and how they counter acted with his job. I dug his sense of morality as well..not only was he the ‘nice guy’, he also seemed so real it was almost spooky. “Doc” Chilmark and his mother, “Bloody Mary”, are eerie as hell for the antagonists. Psychos almost tragic in nature. Jim as the best friend of Trey was adorably likeable with a sense of humor I enjoy characters having. Adequate mystery surrounded Dr. Brainard and others when it was needed even less likeable characters, such as Victor, grew on me after awhile.
The pace was as it should be to make Night Cage worth tight and well planned.
Style : Harper’s style is crisp and short at points to heighten suspense and action; he uses a lot of pauses in other sentences to draw scenes out. His writing is an ideal companion to this type of story.
I was excited to read a novel from the talented source of Clegg’s mind. His talent under the Harper handle did not disappoint. Night Cage was a haunting, dramatic, suspenseful, and fulfilling. Whether labeled as suspense, horror, or whatever, it put a smile on this readers face and I’m willing to bet it would do the same for you.