Tag: Alan Golbourn

The Last Breath Before Death by Alan Golbourn Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

An artist and paranormal investigative reporter must seek answers to his missing brother when he disappears in Germany and in the process discovers an unparralleled evil in author Alan Golbourn’s “The Last Breath Before Death”. 

The Synopsis

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER

A missing brother … An imminent phenomenon …

Award-winning comic book illustrator and artist Jimmy Cochran is also a freelance reporter in New York City, specialising in the supernatural. Upon hearing that his estranged brother, Quentin, has gone missing with his best friend over in Germany, Jimmy becomes concerned — unable to shake off the feeling of foreboding and dread. Things worsen when he quickly learns that the missing two are in great danger from an unequalled evil, which is connected to an upcoming, ominous and phenomenal event.

A mysterious ‘man’ with a terrifying tale …

With time running out, Jimmy investigates further, in spite of the strong warnings and the danger to his own life — particularly after he is contacted by a peculiar and mystifying man with a horrific, nefarious past of his own, linked to old Serbian and German folklores and a sinister, secret brotherhood.

The Review

Another compelling supernatural thriller from author Alan Golbourn. The author does a remarkable job of simultaneously creating atmospheric supernatural stories and a cult following. The imagery in the author’s writing brought the European setting and folkloric atmosphere to life on the page in a way that will stay with the reader.

The heart of this novel was in the balance the author found between relatable character development and deep, folkloric mythos. The unique spin on the classic “vampire” that the author found through Germanic folklore was so inspired and added a depth of terror that few vampire books manage to capture these days. The protagonist’s complex familial bonds with his brother and mother and the relatable life experiences he exudes throughout this narrative will instantly draw readers in.

The Verdict

Haunting, detailed, and entertaining, author Alan Golbourn’s “The Last Breath Before Death” is a must-read supernatural horror thriller. The unique twists and turns that this narrative takes, the relatability of the protagonist, and the chilling nature of this take on vampires will stay with readers long after the final chapter ends. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Alan Golbourn was born in Essex, England. He has enjoyed writing stories since a young age, when he was recognised early for his writing abilities. Amongst several interests and hobbies, including football and computer games, he holds a love and compassion for animals.

The Cult from Beyond (Randolph Landon, P.I. Book 2) by Alan Golbourn Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

After being pulled back into the investigative world when a grieving widow asks for help finding his missing son, P.I. Randolph Landon discovers a cult dedicated to otherworldly beliefs, a mysterious girl with green hair, and an illusive preacher with glowing green eyes in author Alan Golbourn’s “The Cult from Beyond”, the second book in the author’s “Randolph Landon, P.I.” series. 

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Paradise Comes at a Price …

Now settled in Lincolnshire with his family, having given up his private investigator business, Randolph Landon believes he is done with the job. That is until Norman Parker comes along. Shortly after losing his wife, Norman’s son, Oliver, goes missing. Randolph decides to take on the case to help the grieving widower and discovers a strange symbol on the back of a photograph.

Discovering that Oliver has become involved with a strange cult and a mysterious green-haired girl, Randolph finds himself getting in deep once more — and ventures down yet another dark and chilling path. With the help of a detective friend back in London, things soon lead to a terrifying confrontation with an illusive preacher — with glowing green eyes …

The Review

 This was a powerful and captivating thriller. The way the author was able to flip the script of this series from occult horror into a steely and gripping sci-fi thriller was great to see play out in the novel. The tension that builds as the protagonist makes his way further and further into the cult and the mystery that swells as the detective seeks answers to the true origins of the cult made this narrative truly shine brightly in the genre.

To me, the heart of the narrative rested in the author’s strong character progression. Fans of the first book will be delighted in seeing the progression and growth that the protagonist exhibits, giving him real stakes as his family’s happiness and safety motivate him to keep going in his investigation. The mythos surrounding the cult and its origins, including the small town they end up engaging with as the protagonist seeks answers, all kept the reader invested in the narrative.

ABN Banner

The Verdict

Thrilling, action-packed, and entertaining, author Alan Golbourn’s “The Cult From Beyond” is a must-read sci-fi thriller novel you won’t be able to put down. Capturing the enigmatic rise of sci-fi cults in that era of time and adding a twist of genre-bending mythos, the author was able to infuse the spirit of the great detective narrative with a bit of Irish folk horror and powerful sci-fi storytelling to create a book that is impossible to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Alan Golbourn was born in Essex, England. He has enjoyed writing stories since a young age, when he was recognised early for his writing abilities. Amongst several interests and hobbies, including football and computer games, he holds a love and compassion for animals.

The 666 Murders: A Supernatural Thriller by Alan Golbourn Review 

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviews1 Comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A London investigator and a private eye in the late 60s must work together to stop a ritualistic killer before it’s too late in author Alan Golbourn’s “The 666 Murders: A Supernatural Thriller”.

Advertisements

The Synopsis 

His time is now …

London, 1966

Fear grips the capital when a second ritualistically murdered victim is found in an alleyway — with their heart removed.

With no leads or motive, DCS Kendall Quincy is under intense pressure to find the sadistic killer before a third victim is claimed.

Out of luck Randolph Landon — disillusioned with his life as a private investigator and separated from his family, soon becomes embroiled with his biggest, challenging, and most terrifying case to date. The case leads him down a sinister road to a chilling discovery like no other, so that he regrets grumbling about his lack of work and misfortune …

The Review

This was such a chilling and haunting read. The author did an incredible job of building tension and layering the atmosphere with suspense that kept readers on the edge of their seats. The balance of mythos and world-building the author made with the complex yet nuanced character development was greatly felt throughout the reading and made the growing mystery of this series of occult murders so harrowing to read.

Yet it was the richness of the narrative itself and the slow growth of the characters and their backgrounds that really kept me invested. The ways in which the heroes all came together by the book’s end completely made me conjure up images of Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker, and Quincy Morris traveling to Dracula’s castle to slay the immortal monster. The well-developed villain of the tale is quite horrifying and yet mesmerizing to read, and the way his backstory plays into the narrative and the mythos as a whole was so creative and unique, making me hooked on the author’s tale.

The Verdict

Brilliant, entertaining, and spookily delightful to behold, author Alan Golbourn’s “The 666 Murders” are a must-read suspense horror read. The equal ways in which the author develops the thriller aspects of the narrative with the supernatural mythos and action that takes place throughout the read made this story a classic horror tale in the making. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Alan Golbourn was born in Essex, England. He has enjoyed writing stories since a young age, when he was recognized early for his writing abilities. Amongst several interests and hobbies, including football and computer games, he holds a love and compassion for animals.

Famuli Cani: A Supernatural Horror by Alan Golbourn Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviews1 Comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Two friends face terrifying odds when strange happenings around a farmhouse in the Scottish countryside bring ancient Scottish folklore into reality in author Alan Golbourn’s “Famuli Cani: A Supernatural Horror”. 

The Synopsis

PENITUS IN NEMUS

Dating back centuries, an old evil has returned to within Rothiemurchus Forest. With stories of people having disappeared down the years and fires in the forest at night, wildlife are now being found dead — mutilated and slaughtered.

When a farm, surrounded by the rich forest, becomes affected by sinister and unexplainable events, a group, including an uncle and nephew, soon face unimaginable horrors, beyond comprehension …

From the Back Cover:

EVIL IN THE FOREST

When best friends, David and John, are made redundant, they decide to go away with another close friend, Grant, to David’s uncle’s farm up in Scotland in Rothiemurchus Forest. David soon learns of strange and terrible things happening on the farm, where some of the animals are found mysteriously mutilated and slaughtered.

David’s uncle also informs his nephew of other strange phenomena — including whispers in the wind, and a strange and constant sensation of being watched by someone or something. Driven by his concerns for his aunt and uncle and fuelled by curiosity, David is determined to travel up north, against the wishes of his uncle.

Things soon start happening even before David and his friends set off. They become targeted with frightening and inexplicable events, and messages warning them to STAY AWAY, so that one friend is too scared to go, leaving only the two to make the long-distance drive up to Scotland. Despite more frightening and unimaginable things happening on their way up to the Highlands, the two friends, now fearing for their lives, remain determined to reach the farm.

With their minds racing to all sorts of theories, they will soon face an unparalleled horror, with pure evil awaiting them, and an old Scottish folklore proving to be terrifyingly true …

Set at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park and its beautiful scenery, a contrasting dark and evil secret is about to be revealed …

A debut novel with strong characters, Famuli Cani is an original, chilling, suspenseful and engrossing story, that will keep you guessing right up to its horrifying climax.

Advertisements

The Review

This was such a truly engaging and highly creative read. The author found a way to balance the iconic horror tropes found within the narrative surrounding cults and demons, and added a breath of fresh air with Scottish folklore and settings, making for an original horror tale like no other. The pacing and atmosphere shifted back and forth between extended character interaction and mythology building with quick-paced chills and scares that readers with a vivid imagination will watch unfold in their mind in delightful terror. 

The character development was well-thought-out and developed in this narrative. The author found a means of making the characters feel real and relatable, which helped ground the story enough to make the paranormal/supernatural elements of the story feel real enough to be spine-chilling. The thing that stood out to me was the book’s length. While many would probably be hard-pressed to engage with a novel of this length, I would advise them to stay with this book, for it felt like reading a whole new horror mythos coming to life before my eyes. The author kept enough twists and turns going to keep drawing me back in time and time again, making this a truly memorable read.

The Verdict

An adrenaline-fueled, chill-inducing, and entertaining horror read, author Alan Golbourn’s “Famuli Cani: A Supernatural Horror” is a must-read novel of 2021! The perfect fall and Halloween horror read, the balance of terrifying threats both human and non-human mixed with thought-provoking world-building and well-rounded characters made this a standout read, and I highly recommend checking this out for yourselves this fall season. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Alan Golbourn was born in Essex, England. He enjoyed writing stories at a young age and was known for his writing abilities. Amongst several interests and hobbies including football and computer games, he holds love and compassion for animals.