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Book Review: Mayhem by Estelle Laure

Cover of Mayhem by Estelle Laure

Mayhem by Estelle Laure  (  Bookshop.org  | Amazon.com )

Wednesday Books, 2020

ISBN-13: 9781250297938

Available: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook

 

Mayhem Brayburn’s mother fled her home in Santa Maria, California, after her husband Lucas died, cutting all ties and marrying again to another man in a small town in Texas. The tradeoff she’s made is that her new husband beats her, and in avoiding the reality of her situation, she has become an alcoholic and addict. When Mayhem’s stepfather turns against her, her mother finally realizes the situation is untenable, and having nowhere else to go, she flees with Mayhem back to her sister Elle and childhood home in Santa Maria.

As Roxy tries to recover from her destructive relationship and her addiction, Mayhem develops relationships with Elle’s foster children: Neve, Jason, and Kidd. The three of them take her to their “hideaway”, a difficult-to-reach sea cave with a freshwater spring, and tell her that to truly be one of them she must drink from the spring, but once she does, she won’t be able to leave Santa Maria. After drinking the water, Mayhem can see the hidden secrets in other people’s minds. Her aunt explains that generations of the women in Mayhem’s family have drunk and developed an addiction to the water, dating back to the rape of the first woman in their family to come to Santa Maria. The water in the “hideaway” gives the Brayburn women the power to see secrets, but the price is that they must identify predatory men, drain their souls, and kill them. Elle tells her that the Brayburn women are the only ones able to preserve their sanity after drinking the water, so the people of Santa Maria are at risk if Mayhem doesn’t step up. A serial killer, the Sand Snatcher, is on the loose, and Mayhem’s first assignment is to find him, drain him, and kill him. And then there’s the problem of Mayhem’s stepfather, who isn’t ready to let go…

Interleaved with Mayhem’s story (which takes place in 1987) are journal entries and documents Mayhem has discovered by the Brayburn women who have come before her, beginning with the first, Julianna, and going through the generations: Julianna’s daughter Billie, Billie’s daughter Stitcher, and Stitcher’s daughter Roxy (Mayhem’s mother). While short, these express the individual personality of each woman effectively, and lead Mayhem to understand her part in the community of Santa Maria.

It is refreshing to see a new kind of monster show up in the horror genre. Elle’s best guess is that the Brayburn women are similar to the sluagh, but while the author may have taken inspiration from their legend, it’s been transformed into something different. The Brayburn women are monsters who must be fed, but they’re also saviors for the girls and women of Santa Maria, and while it may not be openly discussed, the town knows it. The Brayburn women exact a terrible kind of justice on predatory men that the law cannot, and for many girls and women this may be a cathartic, if disturbing, read.

 

Contains: Murder, torture, rape, violence, suicide.

 

 

 

 

Book Review: They Say A Girl Died Here Once by Sarah Pinborough

They Say A Girl Died Here Once by Sarah Pinborough
Earthling Publications, October 2016
ISBN-13: 978-0996211833
Available: $35 signed & numbered hardcover; $400 lettered edition

It’s time once again for Earthling Publications’ Halloween present to horror readers. For the past 11 years, Paul Miller has given the gift that keeps on frightening; not once has he chosen a story, or author, that has disappointed. Every year, Earthling offers something different– a new twist on the classics, or a story that delves into a dark corner of the genre’s history.

This time, he has chosen author Sarah Pinborough, who has penned novels in various genres but always seems to return to horror, where she originally staked her claim, through a number of paperbacks from the defunct Leisure line, as one of those “writers to watch.”

With the success of Mayhem and The Forgotten Gods trilogy, she proved she wasn’t a flash in the pan. She is a master of thriller writing. Her ability to create a dark, horror-infused atmosphere lifts every one of her novels into a realm few writers have reached. Last year’s Death House pushed her into the ranks of the horror-writing elite, and should have swept the awards.

Now she’s back, with They Say A Girl Died Here Once, a ghost story that is as much a psychological thriller and a mystery as it is a horror novel. This disturbing family drama centers on teenage Anna and her family: her mother, little sister, and grandmother. While the tale of a family moving into a house with a dark past is a common trope, Pinborough sidesteps the expected, and delivers a new take on haunting, dark, family secrets.

Anna and her family have moved into a new town to escape the “thing” that happened to her back home: an incident that has fractured all her relationships, as well as her own sanity. She attempts to fit in with the teens she meets, and to participate in the normal activities of high school. Anna’s mother works odd hours, so Anna is also tasked with taking care of her grandmother, Evelyn, who is in the advanced stages of dementia. Evelyn’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic. She begins wandering the house, often winding up at the basement door, and speaking phrases that make little sense. The discovery of what has happened, both in the house and in the town, makes Anna curious enough to delve into the mystery, as she attempts to decipher the words of what has been speaking through her grandmother. What ensues pushes the tale down a new avenue in ghost stories. Each relationship Pinborough weaves is tenuous at best, from the creepy handyman who courts Anna’s mother, to the rebellious friend, to the other teens bent on finding out what the “thing” is in her past.

In lesser hands, They Say A Girl Died Here Once could have been just another ghost story. With her exquisite writing, Sarah Pinborough molds it into something special and unexpected. Her deft hand in creating atmosphere as a character is on display here, along with the individual characters who drag the reader into the depths of her nightmarish visions.

With this author, and Earthling as the publisher, this novel is very much recommended. The only downside is the limited print run, so pick it up quickly.

Reviewed by David Simms


Women in Horror Fiction: Sarah Pinborough

     

Sarah Pinborough has written in a variety of genres, including horror, crime, YA fiction, and screenplays. Her recent novel, A Necessary End, written in collaboration with F.Paul Wilson, has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her solo novel Mayhem, an historical horror novel set in the Victorian Era. was released last month. Sarah answered questions posed to her by reviewer Dave Simms about women in horror, writing, and her two newest books. Read Dave’s review of A Necessary End  here, and look for our review of Mayhem coming up!

 

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1.)      Would you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m an author and screenwriter based in London. I’ve been writing novels for coming up on ten years and have written horror, crime, YA and cross-overs of all of them really. Oh, and some saucy fairy tale re-tellings. Not sure what else to say…that question always sounds like a dating site profile question.;-)

 

2.)     In celebration of Women in Horror Month, who have been your biggest inspirations, past and present? What authors are on your bookshelf, and which women authors would you recommend to others?

Of women, Daphne Du Maurier was one I loved growing up. Currently I think Lauren Beukes and Sarah Lotz (her novel The Three comes out in May– I’ve just read it and it’s awesome) are really making waves with supernatural thrillers. Also Alison Littlewood’s stuff stands out. I also loved Sarah Langan’s Virus.

 

3.)     How do you see the horror community now? Do you feel females command a stronger presence with the emergence of authors such as yourself, Alexandra Sokoloff, Rhodi Hawk, and others?

I don’t really ‘see’ a horror community per se as I straddle so many genres and so I just see a genre writing community. I think women have always had a strong presence in the field. A lot of editors in speculative fiction– in the UK at least– are women, and lots of women are doing well with their writing. I think people have a skewed vision of women in the horror genre, because for a long time the attendance at conventions was very male-dominated. That’s less the case now, and to be honest, lots of people have very successful careers without ever going to a convention. But the convention circuit and various Associations often only see that pond, as it were, and forget lots of people are doing very well who never attend or join. I spend a lot of time in the crime community and they’ve never had to address the gender issue because there are so many successful women working in that field and the festivals tend to be a relatively fifty-fifty split. Also, I don’t think editors pay any attention to gender when reading a pitch or manuscript. They’re just looking for a good story. But, all that said, I think it’s good that the horror genre is becoming more supportive of women’s writing and celebrating it. It might encourage more women to go to events.

 

4.)     What is your writing process like? Do you use music or require total silence? Do you have a specific place or can you create anywhere?

I write in silence, basically because I’m so easily distracted. I prefer to write in the morning – often in my bed with a cup of tea. Then I do some exercise and whatever chores I have to do then do some more in the afternoon or some plotting in a cafe. Have a break for a movie or a book and then maybe do some more in the evening or work on something else. I’m quite a hermit really. I like social stuff but if my diary shows more than two or three things in a week I start to hyperventilate at losing my quiet space.

 

5.)     With Mayhem, you tackle the legend of Jack the Ripper and Victorian London.  Even though the novel is much, much more than just about Jack, what brought you to historical writing?

I had just finished The Dog-Faced Gods trilogy and I read Dan Simmons’ The Terror and that was what inspired me really. I loved the blending of fact and fiction in it, and I always like to try new things. The Victorian Era was a good place to work in because people have an image of it already, so you’ve half-way set your world up before you start. I started searching for unsolved murder cases and the Torso murders came up. When I saw that they were going on at the same time as Jack the Ripper I knew I’d found my case to work with.

 

6.)     You’ve collaborated with F. Paul Wilson on the Stoker-nominated A Necessary End.  Was this process more natural or much tougher than you imagined? Is there anyone you would like to work with?

It was tough for Paul I think, because I was working on several other projects, all with deadlines, and so he often had to wait a while and nudge me when it was my turn to write. It was great fun though and at one point, when our two main characters were having an argument, we went on Googledocs and basically riffed it out – Paul taking on the female character and me the male. The argument went to places we wouldn’t have got if one of us had just written it. I’m not a natural collaborator though because I hate that feeling that someone is waiting for you. But Paul has collaborated before so he was great to work with. I think I’d like to try collaborating on a script at some point, but that would have to be a week away in the same room with someone and hammering out a first draft, rather than too-ing and fro-ing over the internet.

 

7.)     You entered the young adult fray with The Nowhere Chronicles. Do you see yourself continuing in this genre? How much of a  departure was the effort from your “adult” books?

I really enjoyed writing those books and I’m really proud of them. I just wish, on reflection, that they’d come out under my name. I didn’t really see it as a departure – they’re as well-plotted as the Dog-Faced Gods, I think, and once you get in your stride with YA you’re not thinking of it as any different to any other novel – the main characters are just younger. My next two books for Gollancz are YA cross-overs I guess – The Death House and then a teen thriller called 13 Minutes Dead.

8.)      You’ve been a teacher. How has that impacted your writing? Have/had your students read any of your work, critiqued it, or given helpful suggestions? Mine have always wished to be a part of the process and have been the most brutal, but helpful critics.

I was a high school teacher for a few years but I don’t think it’s impacted my writing other than help when writing teenage characters. Some of them read my early books and one student– whose name I used in The Nowhere Chronicles– read the first one before I sent it in, but I just wanted to see if it worked for a fifteen year old– which it seemed to. None of them critiqued me though– but then I don’t use Beta readers either.

 

9.)       You’ve written straight up horror, historical horror, YA, and suspense/thriller, along with re-telling of fairy tales in dark, witty manner. Which genre has been the most enjoyable to write, or which title?

Gosh, I like them all. The fairy tales were fun because I got to be humorous in them. I like playing around with different types of story-telling but I don’t think I have a favourite, although saying that, I think thrillers with a hint of weird is what I like best.

 

10.)        Screenplays have been added to your resume and an original television series is in the works. What can you tell us about them and how does the visual medium compare to novels and short stories?

The film I’ve sold is called Cracked and is an adaptation of The Hidden, my first book. I also wrote an episode of the BBC series New Tricks. The series is something different entirely but that’s under wraps for now. Screenwriting is an entirely different medium– primarily because so much of it is collaborative– producers and directors all have notes and changes. You don’t own it in the way that you do with a novel. I love it though and I think it’s helped my storytelling and dialogue in my novels. I like doing both.

 

11.)     You began with The Hidden a decade ago.   What’s the most important lesson you have learned about the genre, writing, and the publishing world, since that book was first contracted?

That’s really hard to answer because you learn as you go without realising how much you’re learning. I guess I’d say there’s nothing as valuable as a good agent, editor and copy-editor.;-)

 

12.)      Is there anything else you’d like to share with librarians and readers?

Can’t think of anything! Just keep up the good work – we NEED libraries! And of course, we need readers!