 I can remember exactly where and when I was when I first picked up Daniel Farson’s The Hamlyn Book of Horror. It was Christmas Eve 1982 and I was seven years old. Myself, my mum and my little sister were in Martin’s Newsagent in my hometown and it was on a table of reduced books at the centre of the room. There was a big sticker on the front advertising it for sale at something like 50p. Clearly it wasn’t deemed a prospective Christmas present for anyone, but it spoke to me. I saw it, grabbed it up and flicked through it and I asked my mother if I could please, please, please have it and - probably because she knew it would shut me up - I got an early Christmas present. As a child I treasured this book. (Undoubtedly more than any of the Christmas presents I received the next day.) I would read it and study it again and again and again. This is a book crammed full of fantastic illustrations. The werewolves contained in the pages have haunted and thrilled my dreams ever since; my interest in Jack the Ripper surely comes from the pages covering the case in this book; while if I was asked to think of images to sum up Dracula; Frankenstein; The Island of Doctor Moreau, my mind would leap instantly to the pictures which accompanied the summaries within these pages. It would be fair to say that the horror writer – indeed, the man – I am today owes a phenomenal amount to this book. I think you can probably tell by now that I wasn’t an average seven year old, but this book sent me even further into my dark interests. It was a glimpse into a more adult world which I wasn’t really part of yet, but so, so wanted to be. As time went by the book started to fall apart; pages tumbled out and the spine broke. But it still never lost its power over me. Then one day I found a new copy on eBay and instantly handed my money over. Once again I could tour through these pages – taking in the classics of horror fiction, as well as dark myths and serial killers. I could stare once more at the pictures, and marvel at the seven year old who used to devour the tales of terror within. It was like welcoming back my oldest friend.  F.R. Jameson was born in Wales, but now lives in London with his wife and young daughter. His work includes the Ghostly Shadows Anthology series: tales of horror and madness which each standalone, but are also strangely connected. There are currently five novellas and one novel in the series, with more coming in 2021. You can find him on Facebook, and on Twitter and Instagram @frjameson. Ghostly Shadows links: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R8FHP7N?ref_=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_tkin&binding=kindle_edition Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/F.R.-Jameson/e/B007337Y6U?ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_byln https://www.facebook.com/frjameson/ Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1566336.F_R_Jameson  From Book 1: Nothing was going to ruin Castle’s holiday, except the mocking laughter of the dead… Larry Castle was going to enjoy his escape to the seaside. Basking in the sunshine, flaunting his mistress, strutting like a big man around town. However, a strange chance encounter leaves his confidence reeling. Castle hears a pointed phrase from his own past, a loaded sentence which only he and a long dead man should know. Words which could mean the crashing down of Castle’s comfortable life. There’s the dreadful possibility that someone knows his darkest secret. A long ago crime, a brutal murder. The thing that made him, but which could equally break him. No matter what, Castle is going to have to deal with this problem. And he’s prepared to go to any length to do it. This weekend Castle is going to confront the spectres of his past, but some are more far real than others! Death at the Seaside is a gripping new supernatural thriller, with an unforgettable antihero. A horror to chill on even the most uncomfortably hot day! The first STANDALONE instalment of F.R. Jameson’s Ghostly Shadows Anthology series. Praise for Death at the Seaside: “Do yourself a favour and read this book, you won’t be disappointed.” “The way Jameson writes is nothing short of amazing. I could easily read anything written by him.” “This one’s kind of creepy. It was advertised as horror/suspense, and it certainly qualifies as a psychological thriller that might play well in a venue similar to The Twilight Zone.”   Comments are closed.
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