Book Review: "The Plague Stones" by James Brogden

Cheap books on my phone are great and this one was found after much sleuthing. The Plague Stones seems to be described as a great mixture between old and new, a folk horror (which as you know, is right up my street) and a descriptive story that moves between people and times. There's a lot of atmosphere in this book and so, I was completely immersed from start to finish. If you, like me, love the subgenre of folk horror then you'll probably be in for a right treat if you were to pick this book up. I know people who have this on audiobook and apparently it's free over there if you'd rather listen to it. But horror isn't just for Halloween and I want you to remember that...

At the beginning of the novel, we have the death of a matriarchal figure which is both strange and grotesque. This isn't just a deathbed scene, this is something almost foreboding. The gruesome descriptions, the darkening atmosphere and the almost eerie quiet of the ending to the chapter is probably one of the author's greatest strengths. I was quite surprised that this is the way it all began but it was only to get better from then on. The writing completely drew me in, I have to say it was like watching a dimming sunset turn into midnight. It got darker and darker until the world seemed to stop silent.

When a family called the Feenans are given the opportunity to move out of their horrible flat to the rural house that we are so immersed in at the moment, they jump at the chance. Due to a family connection, they are set to be the new trustees of a village board and definitely believe they are going to be entering a new life with an entirely new class of people. As we move through the book though, there is something really wrong here - including the involvement of the vengeful ghost of a girl (Hester) who died during the Black Plague. The author's sense of atmosphere never wavers and he gives us insight into what feeling like something is a 'bit off' really means. He never misses the mark.

I've read a few reviews of this book in which the pacing is called 'uneven' or 'difficult to reconcile with' and I have to go out here and disagree. I think the whole point of the book is that the pacing is meant to be uneven. It's supposed to feel like you yourself are tripping over all those old stones that are randomly placed on the ground, overgrowth bound and difficult to see when you're walking along the countryside. It basically feels like you're constantly tripping over. Sometimes you fall and there you have the clipped sentences, you think you saw something but then again no you didn't. I found it quite clever.

The character of Peter is probably one of the most annoying character because there is a sense of denial in him that seems like you're forever thinking he's dumb. If you think about it though, would you believe somewhere is haunted just because a bunch of villagers think it is? He feels like Arthur from The Woman in Black sometimes and other times, he's just angry. There's a sense of denial in the fact that he's trying to suppress something. I found him fascinating. Then we have Trish who seeks to return to her faith and then Toby - who is constantly searching out something he cannot explain. Toby is a very important character and I'm quite surprised at how simplistic and 'stock photo' these characters are - because they are insanely interesting. These reactions and their placements highlight the author's ability to make the reader connect with certain characters and disconnect from others.

There are several modern takes on the folk horror genre including food banks and land privatisation, including things like pointless queuing and landlords treating their tenants like shit. The blend of the old and new is a huge strength of the author.

Then there's Hester. Hester. Terrifying. Hateful. Something straight out of a 'Conjuring' movie.

I really enjoyed this book because I felt like there was a cool mix between old and new and then we had all that mythology and folklore on top of it. There's really something strange about this book in that it doesn't let up until it's over. It doesn't let go. It doesn't want you to leave the village. And before long, you won't be able to. Hester wants you to stay.