Lauren Owen is more than likely known to fans of unpredictable Victorian gothic horror stories like her previous book The Quick. Her return, Small Angels, is a tale of heartache, revenge and the dark side of human nature, wrapped up in unsettled scores that have left their mark on the folklore-entranced villagers that reside near Mockbeggar Woods.
Small Angels is the name of an old church close to Mockbeggar: it’s not exactly the best place to get married, yet this is what Chloe has chosen to do. Partner Sam, like the locals, seems to know more about the past horrors and secrets of this area than they’re letting on, but Chloe soldiers on – planning her dream wedding while feeling, in the back of her mind, that something dreadful is about to be unleashed.
Flipping between the past and the present, Owen is a master at creating dark tension, leaning more in the direction of Susan Hill rather than Stephen King. The chapter telling the tale of Harry Child’s dogs is enough to raise the hairs on the back of your neck and ensure that one never sets foot in uninviting woods or haunted churches in faraway villages ever again. Small Angels is a thrilling read that doesn’t take its foot off the pedal.
Small Angels, Lauren Owen (Tinder Press)
Price: £18.99. Info: here
words DAVID NOBAKHT