Shelter

by M.P.N. Sims and L.H. Maynard

Book Overview

The house is a shambles, abandoned by its previous owner and left to rot. For decades it has stood, ignored and forgotten. But not empty. Beneath the house something waits. Imprisoned in a maze of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843957069
• ISBN13: 9780843957068
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

I couldn't put this book down

What reviewers and readers have to remember about Shelter is that it is a first novel. Many literary awards, and that includes the Stokers, have a separate category for first novels. These writers have been writing short stories and novellas successfully for many years as you can see from their website. To make the transition to novels at this stage in their careers should be commended. I can't see anything misleading about the cover blurb. Leisure are well known for their very good covers and this seems no exception. It is clear the book is going to be about what lies beneath the house and not about the house itself. This is a monster story not a haunted house. The monster they have created, The Verani, like their Tashkai in their novella Moths, is innovative and fresh. I agree that it might have been better for Maggie to have been forced to do what she does rather than participate willingly, but I found the whole book to be an effective supernatural novel, with nothing of the scifi about it. We can all think of novels where we would have done it 'better', but how many of us actually have the skill to do it? There seems to be a common thread here in that female readers love the book wholeheartedly while male readers seem a bit put off by the romance element. Women love romance and let me tell you Laura and Richard is pretty realistic. Shelter starts really strongly with the back stories of the Charteris family and in modern times Laura's story being skilfully plotted out. The pace throughout is fast and furious with no wasted words. The characters are well drawn, and even the minor ones have real flesh on their bones. When the two stories merge I found this was done with great skill, and it was actually from that point on that the suspense became page turningly good. I read the book on a beach in Greece on holiday and I couldn't put it down. It only took a couple of days to read. Its not great literature but that's not what I want from my horror. It's well written, fast paced, and gripping. I can't wait until their second novel is published from Leisure. I thoroughly recommend this book to lovers of supernatural horror.

Shelter - loved it, looking forward to the next novel!

I've just finished Shelter, and I loved it. I started it this morning, and just could not put it down until I reached the end (which is the best recommendation for a book that I can possibly give!). As I read I went from wondering what? to how? to whether? and when?, but the point is, the writing keeps you asking questions with each plot twist and development. The 'horror' should be enough to satisfy die-hard fans of the genre, but the story is so much more than tension and gore. There is a real sense of anticipation that has been created in the construction of the storyline, and the mystery and tension is complemented by enough richness of detail of the characters for the reader to engage with them and care about their fate as the novel progresses. I'm certainly looking forward to reading the next novel by these authors!

I can't believe this is a first novel

I can't believe this is a first novel. The writing is so assured. Although the basic plot sounds familiar - hey, how many new plots are there anyhow? - these British writers use deep characterisation to bring the unfolding events alive. The writing is precise and almost literary, and the pacing is damn near perfect. The prologue merely sets up the back story, with the first chapter beginning the roller coaster of a story that never lets up until the last page. The ending, a kind of epilogue I guess, even sets up the possibility of a sequel. This novel reads so visually that it is very easy to imagine it as a movie. I sure hope it gets taken up by a studio or script writer as it will make a scary movie. In places it is graphic, but the overall feel is of a slow build, the tension developing the terror. This one deserves to be nominated for awards, no doubt about that. I for one can't wait for their next novel. Until then I'm off to track what UK books they have available. Well done Leisure on finding these two Brits.