Alison Buck

Alison writes horror; not blood and guts horror but classy horror.  She has an elegant writing style which I admiore very much.

Abiding Evil

Amazon.com  Abiding Evil

My review -

Let me assure potential readers that Abiding Evil will stay with you long after you've read it. It is 'filmic' - I'd love to see Hollywood have a go! It's packed with characters, all well written, some that you like and some you really find distasteful - all human life is there! It has that quality that true, good horror fiction has, that makes you feel the chill on the back of your neck and the thought that this could possibly happen. I find myself wondering if there are some places that have an evil 'nature' about them. Places where bad things happen.

Without giving anything away I think I can mention the soft spot I had for the 'excluded' person in the woods. None of these characters is a stereotype. They are all rounded and believable which makes the bad that happens seem all the worse. Some of the descriptive passages are truly scary. It's a very exciting ride - fasten your seat belt!

Devoted Sisters

Amazon.com  Devoted Sisters

My review -

Two elderly sisters, Lizzie and May, have isolated themselves from the world for many years. Lizzie is afraid of the dangers of modern living and May is fragile both in body and mind. They are bound together by a promise made to their mother. Lizzie must look after May, May must obey her older sister.

Alison Buck is fine and elegant writer and always able to get inside the mind of her characters. Gradually the sisters' relationship breaks down and we become aware that they are not 'seeing' the same things. They are hallucinating and becoming irrational in their thought patterns. Reference is made several times to the sisters growing their own cereal to add to bread - I put two and two together! The ending is dramatic but under the circumstances, believable.

Alison can write beautiful description and sinister, threatening nightmare. The juxtaposition in the same story is delightful. A jolly good read, this!