Ever wondered what it would be like if hunted animals were able to fight back?
The Lodge unveils the mystery of a hunting lodge in the remote hills of the Scottish Highlands during the Christmas holidays. After the report of an accidental death at the lodge, Andrew, a young constable from the nearest town, drives up through a growing blizzard.
Snowbound, Andrew and the guests take cover at the lodge as the terrifying ordeal unfolds. These animals have souls. Souls that won’t rest until they’ve had revenge…
But will the hunters become the hunted?
Title: The Lodge | Author: Chris Coppel| Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd| Pub Date: September 23, 2020 | Pages: 226| ISBN13: 978-1800460072 | Genre: Horror/Thriller | Language: English | Source: NetGalley| Starred Review
The Lodge Review
The Lodge is a wild thriller with fun kills and a bonkers villain. Coppel does an amazing job of crafting the narrative to create a slow burning suspense that leads to an eruptive climax. The story centers around a snowbound hunter’s lodge in the Highlands where a group of couples plan to enjoy Christmas. After the death of one of the patrons, a young constable, Andrew, braves the storm to investigate. Soon, he and the others are trapped as they realize they are now the hunted.
Readers will cheer for Andrew as his backstory weaves through the plot. At first, the background interruptions feel heavy handed, but as they continue to pepper the story and readers learn more about the characters, the tension and stakes are raised, and the interruptions are welcome. While most of the characters jumped off the page, one felt a bit too stiff and unrealistic. Elena, a vegan who works at the Lodge, came across a little silly at times as she repeatedly grabbed Andrew’s hand to show him around, even though they had just met, and also seemed a little too childlike in her attempts to flirt with him. However, the other guests and owners of the Lodge brought the story to life.
There are plenty of surprises in this quick paced read sure to win over horror and thriller enthusiasts. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously while dealing with serious themes of grief and anger. Readers will find themselves quickly sucked into the drama unfolding at the Lodge.
You can purchase a copy of this book via your normal retailer, but please consider purchasing it from a local indie bookshop instead. It can be found here at Indiebound or at Bookshop. Please note the Bookshop link is an affiliate link and each purchase you make through it helps to support Sci-Fi & Scary and keep the site running.
Nico Bell is a former Sci-Fi & Scary contributor. As with all former contributors, we wish her the best of luck in future endeavors.
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