Short Sharp Shocks! #30
Zachary Ashford: The Encampment By The Gorge & Blood Memory
Reviewed By Steve Stred
I connected with Zachary over on Twitter some time ago and we keep in touch through DM as well as commenting on each other’s stuff. I’ve found Zachary to be a frequent positive on my timeline and it’s been great getting to know him. A while back he sent me a couple of short stories of his to read. I can’t recall if I sent him anything back in return (I think I did?), but the stories he sent me were great. So when his release with Demain was announced, I was excited.
Now having read these two stories!
Wow!
‘The Encampment by the Gorge’ is a great piece of folklore, at times dipping its toes into indigenous folklore. I loved the setup and the action, once things began was fantastic. Pieces of this reminded me a bit of my own release ‘The Stranger’ which made me smile that someone else out there was delivering this type of gore in this type of rural setting. The ending was great and to think that this was the just the first of two stories had me excited.
‘Gorge’ was easily a 5 star read – but could ‘Blood Memory’ top it?
YUP!
‘Blood Memory’ tells us the story of a reporter sent into a small community near a protected mountain in Australia to help with the search for a young man who has gone missing. Most think he was devoured by a croc, but some believe more sinister forces are at work.
This was a really quick, mystery/thriller that weaved some fantastic indigenous folklore throughout it. The ending was outstanding and a part of me really wished this had been a full-length novel.
I’d give this one ten stars if that was a rating Goodreads allowed!
Overall, this shows just the strength of the author roster that book number 30 delivers in all facets.
Can’t recommend this one enough!
The Encampment By The Gorge & Blood Memory
The Encampment By The Gorge: After a guard dog is savagely butchered and their friend is murdered, four men embark on what they think will be a revenge mission into the depths of an illegal commune. Instead, they find themselves under a sky that shouldn’t be and come face to face with gruesome monsters that challenge their hold on reality.
Blood Memory: When a series of brutal crocodile attacks sends shock-waves through an Indigenous community, rumours of an evil spirit abound. Jones, an investigative journalist, discovers the dark truth when he confronts a hostile park ranger and discovers the old ways are not as forgotten as he would like to think.
You can buy The Encampment By The Gorge & Blood Memory from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Zachary Ashford
Zachary Ashford earned his writing chops as a journalist covering heavy metal bands for street press magazines and as a copywriter for a rock n roll radio station. Since those days, he’s done plenty, including operating as a freelance copywriter and editor. Nowadays, he writes fiction and teaches English and Literature in a high school.
You can find some of his nonfiction writing at Nerdbastards and Ozzy Man Reviews (under the name Chuck Steinway).
You can find out more about Zachary via his official website www.zacharyashford.com
You can follow Zachary on Twitter @ashford_zachary
Steve Stred
Steve Stred writes dark, bleak horror fiction.
Steve is the author of three novels, a number of novellas and four collections.
He is proud to work with the Ladies of Horror Fiction to facilitate the Annual LOHF Writers Grant.
Steve is also a voracious reader, reviewing everything he reads and submitting the majority of his reviews to be featured on Kendall Reviews.
Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog OJ.
You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred
You can follow Steve on Instagram @stevestred
You can visit Steve’s Official website here
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