Before that book, I never heard about Linwood Barclay. I saw online some new books coming out, and people were praising Linwood for such good writing skills and just in general good books. As you can imagine, I got intrigued. I waited two days, and when the book became available on Kindle, I purchased it immediately and began reading.
The story follows Annie Blunt, who is a children’s book author. Annie has a terrible year. First, her husband, whom she dearly loved, was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Then a kid jumped out of a window, because he thought he could fly like one of the characters in Annie’s book. Yeah, sounds like a crappy year…
Annie is desperate to put it all behind her and start anew because she has a son, Charlie, whom she needs to take care of. Shield him from all the bad in this world. She thinks a getaway might help. Her friend finds a lovely house outside of the busy New York so that they can rest and Annie can get her shit together. There wasn’t much to do for a little fella, but to everyone’s happiness, Charlie found a train set locked in the shed.Yey, everyone seems happy, right? But something about this train set is… creepy, maybe a little weird. Annie had a gut feeling that something was not right. Then… the fun begins. It sounds like it could be a potentially good book. I was never afraid of toys, but I gave it a try. Maybe this train set could make me scared of trains, and a midnight choo-choo would wake me up. Yes, that would be the outcome, as my life is a little boring right now, and I could use some good nightmares. After Annie’s story and her trip to this rental house, meeting the neighbours and finding the train set, we are put into dual POV. We are transformed from New York to Lucknow in Vermont, where the past unravels at our feet. We have to meet all the townspeople and the police chief named Cook, and hear his story about how he tries to find out what is going on in this little, not-so-quiet town. A new man named Edwin Nabler arrives and opens his train store. No one remembers when or how he got to Lucknow. People and pets are missing. People start to hear train sounds in the distance, but there is no train track near, so what is going on?
I liked this idea of a book, and I have never read anything about trains before. The problem is that this book is 432 pages long, and it felt long. It dragged on, and after a while, I knew what could happen. I was unsure how Linwood would reconcile the past and present, or how the past’s negative events in Vermont would impact Annie’s family now. The ending and the whole plot twist did not make me gasp and scream REALLY?! It was more – MEH.
Anyway, it was not the worst read. So far, the few previous books were worse than this. I like his writing style, but the story did not do it for me.
1. Atmosphere and tension: This is the backbone of horror- how well the book builds a creepy, unsettling vibe. Does the setting (dark woods, haunted house, possessed people) pull you in? Does the book keep you on edge, dreading what’s next? A great horror book makes the air feel thick with unease. 0
2. Characters and Relatability: Are the protagonists fleshed out enough to care about? Do their fears or flaws resonate? Weak characters can tank a story- nobody roots for a cardboard cutout. The best horrors make you feel their terror as if it’s your own. 1
3. Plot Coherence and Pacing: Does the story hold together logically, even in its madness? Are twists earned, not just cheap shocks? Pacing matters too- too slow, and it drags: too fast, and the fear does not sink in. A tight, well-structured plot keeps the horror gripping. 0.5
4. Fear factor and Impact: How much does it actually scare you? This varies by reader—some want visceral gore, others subtle dread—but the book should leave a mark, whether it is nightmares or lingering chills. It’s about emotional punch, not just jump-scares on paper. 0.5
5. Writing Quality and Styles: Clunky prose or overdone cliches can kill the mood. Does the language flow, painting vivid images without bogging down? The best horror writers wield words like weapons, sharp and deliberate, ampifying the story’s power. 1
3/5