Fiction Thoughts – Blackened Cottage

by Jamie Downes

Author – A.E. Richards

Genre – Psychological Horror

Published – (Kindle Edition) 2012

Length – 217 Pages

Despite being written exclusively in grand, standard English, had Blackened Cottage been constructed for the world of moving images, its neighbours would be the likes of Secret Window and Shutter Island rather than Downton Abbey. A.E. Richards’ gothic tale of peril plants subtle seeds of veiled but persistent doubt regarding the legitimacy of certain plot points, without allowing them to be dwelled upon alone for extended periods. For with the survival of innocence at stake in a beautifully flowing, darkness-enveloped pursuit of freedom, the main emphasis is placed not on the murky secrets of the past, but on the absorbingly terrifying reality of the present. It’s this immersion that makes Blackened Cottage such a winner – the unwavering atmosphere that engulfs the narrative. It’s a tremendous example of how to maintain the interest of your audience without giving too much away, and a must read for fans of psychological horror stories.

Blackened Cottage is available as a Kindle download from Amazon UK, here.