Parasite Crop: Mark Cassell
Reviewed By Sarah J. Huntington
This was a dark and highly imaginative book with a wonderfully sinister feel.
I enjoyed the vast majority of it and while it did drag in a few places, the author has a particular, laid back style that is easy to fall into and enjoy.
Parasite Crop begins in 1856 with a young boy, Sydney. He is in desperate trouble. We then skip forward to 2016 and soon learn that Sydney is still alive.
Next, the reader meets a couple, Jo and Cane and Jo’s grandfather Tommy. The scene is set perfectly in the rundown town of Dungeness.
As with most family histories, there are secrets and there is also darkness in the land.
For me, this book was horror, with tones of folklore and mystery. The plot is mostly fast-paced and takes the reader in all manner of directions. At several points, I believed I might know what was coming next and I was wrong. I love to be surprised by books that manage to do this.
I liked the characters too except for one. Marshall. The rest are solid and realistic enough although a little cliche at times and that ending. Perfect.
Next time I find myself gardening, I will think of this story and it’s definitely worth reading if you enjoy horror, bleak situations and unique tales.
Parasite Crop
Twelve-year-old Sydney often looks out across the ocean, recalling the night in which the ship sank.
He still tastes the saltwater that stole his life over one hundred and fifty years ago.
Cane and Jo visit Dungeness, combining a family reunion with a house hunt. Not only do they discover two generations of secrets, they also unearth a local horror beneath the shingle beach.
When the lives of Sydney and the couple entwine, the crop has other ideas about the true meaning of happily ever after.
Surviving the harvest is the easy part…
You can buy Parasite Crop from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Sarah Jane Huntington
I am the author of several short horror story collections, Paint it Black, Iron Maidens, Between light and shadow and Waves of Mutilation.
Cabin Terror is my first full-length novel.
My stories have appeared in a few anthologies so far.
I am a nurse, currently working in hospice care.
You can follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahJaneHunti1
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