Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Ghost Mine by Hunter Shea! Many thanks to Anne, Random Things Tours and Flame Tree Press who provided me with an ARC of the book, in return for an honest review as part of the Blog Tour. Be sure to check out the other fabulous bloggers reviews on the tour!
About The Book
Nat Blackburn is given an offer he can’t refuse by President Roosevelt. Tales
of gold in the abandoned mining town of Heclaabound. The only problem-
those who go seeking their fortune never return. Black-eyed children,
strange lights and ferocious wild men venture from the deep, dark ghost
mine…as well as a sinister force hungry for fresh souls.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing.
Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more
established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Flame Tree Press
- ISBN: 978-1-78758-207-1
- Published: 30th May 2019
Dark Reads Review
This is a cracking Horror/Western with a good dose of creature feature too!
The story follows Nat Blackburn, a former cowboy and rough rider, now NY Cop and his comrade and fellow rough rider Teta.
They are sent by president Teddy Roosevelt to investigate the deserted town of Hecla and it’s mysterious mines after the once bustling mining town has become desolate, everyone that sets foot in Hecla is never heard from again. There is something VERY strange happening in Hecla, what will they find there?!
The first thing that really struck me with this book was how brilliant the characterisation of Nat and Teta was. The two characters balanced each other perfectly, Nat being the strong silent type and Teta the loveable rogue, they are the perfect double act.
Their friendship was great, the sarcastic back and forth between the two and Teta’s little quips were excellent, It reminded me of the way my closest friends and I would talk to each other, you could really feel how close their friendship is and how their history has made them trust each with their lives. Both characters were totally believable, (Teta was my favorite!)
The undercurrent of dark humour continued throughout the book, it didn’t take itself too seriously which I loved!
Shea’s writing is brilliantly atmospheric, growing up my Grandfather and Uncle would always watch a Western on a Sunday afternoon, and I’d watch with them. Shea captured the imagery and details perfectly, I felt completely immersed in a classic western setting, you could practically taste the dust! Some of the scenes in the mines were so well written I actually felt physically claustrophobic!
I really enjoyed the mid-section of the book, Shea drip feeds increasingly creepy imagery and strange goings on which had me page turning wanting to figure out what on earth was going on in Hecla, those black eyed kids at the door, yikes!!
I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced, creepy and atmospheric with brilliant characterisation, this one comes highly recommended from me!
About The Author
Hunter Shea is the author of over20 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others.
His novel The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays.Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entityand Island of the Forbidden). He was selected to be part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line in 2011 alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he’s not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon’s highly regarded Rapids reading app.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
Living with his crazy and supportive family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to see the skyline without having to pay New York rent.
Check out Hunter Shea’s guest post for Dark Reads