Photo de l'auteur

Paul Finch

Auteur de Hunter's Moon

103+ oeuvres 993 utilisateurs 54 critiques

A propos de l'auteur

Comprend les noms: Paul Finch

Séries

Œuvres de Paul Finch

Hunter's Moon (2011) 177 exemplaires
Stalkers (2013) 110 exemplaires
The Killing Club (2014) 68 exemplaires
Sacrifice (2013) 54 exemplaires
Strangers (2016) 53 exemplaires
Dead Man Walking (2014) 47 exemplaires
Hunted (2016) 35 exemplaires
Ashes to Ashes (2017) 30 exemplaires
Leviathan (2010) — Adapter — 22 exemplaires
Kiss of Death (2018) 20 exemplaires
Shadows (2017) 20 exemplaires
The Sentinels of the New Dawn (2011) 19 exemplaires
Tomes of the Dead: Stronghold (2010) 18 exemplaires
Hexagora (2011) 16 exemplaires
After Shocks (2001) 15 exemplaires
The Chase (2014) 15 exemplaires
The Black Book of Horror (Bk. 1) (2007) — Contributeur — 13 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the Scottish Highlands (2015) — Directeur de publication — 11 exemplaires
Counter Measures: Series 1 (2012) — Contributeur — 11 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the Lake District (2011) — Directeur de publication; Contributeur — 10 exemplaires
Terror Tales of London (2013) — Directeur de publication — 9 exemplaires
Cape Wrath (2002) 9 exemplaires
Terror Tales of East Anglia (2012) — Directeur de publication; Contributeur — 8 exemplaires
A Wanted Man (2015) 7 exemplaires
Stolen (2019) 7 exemplaires
Death’s Door (2018) 6 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the Scottish Lowlands (2021) — Directeur de publication — 6 exemplaires
Ghost Realm (2008) 6 exemplaires
Medi Evil 2 (2011) 5 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the Seaside (2013) — Directeur de publication; Contributeur — 5 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the Cotswolds (2012) — Directeur de publication; Contributeur — 5 exemplaires
One Eye Open (2020) 5 exemplaires
The Shadows Beneath (2000) 5 exemplaires
Terror Tales of Cornwall (2017) — Directeur de publication — 4 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the Ocean (2015) — Directeur de publication — 4 exemplaires
Stains (2007) 4 exemplaires
Ill Met By Darkness (2020) 4 exemplaires
Terror Tales of North West England (2019) — Directeur de publication — 4 exemplaires
Terror Tales of Wales (2014) — Directeur de publication — 3 exemplaires
Darker Ages (2004) 3 exemplaires
Walkers in the Dark (2010) 3 exemplaires
King Death 3 exemplaires
Angstbringer (2019) 3 exemplaires
Groaning Shadows (1600) 3 exemplaires
In a Deep, Dark December (2014) 3 exemplaires
Don't Read Alone (2016) 3 exemplaires
Terror Tales of Yorkshire (2014) — Directeur de publication — 3 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the West Country (2022) — Directeur de publication; Contributeur — 2 exemplaires
Stalkeři (2016) 2 exemplaires
Lovina (2019) 2 exemplaires
One Monster is Not Enough (1705) 2 exemplaires
Medi Evil 3 2 exemplaires
Hell in the Cathedral (2015) 2 exemplaires
Stronghold (Tomes of the Dead) (2010) 2 exemplaires
Terror Tales of the Home Counties (2020) — Directeur de publication — 2 exemplaires
The Dark Satanic 2 exemplaires
Dark North (2012) 2 exemplaires
Enemies at the Door (1900) 2 exemplaires
Bog Man 1 exemplaire
Wicken Fen 1 exemplaire
Sebeke (2017) 1 exemplaire
Mrtvý muž přichází (2018) 1 exemplaire
Kořist (2019) 1 exemplaire
Znesvětitel (2017) 1 exemplaire
Devils of Lakeland 1 exemplaire
Klub zabijáků (2017) 1 exemplaire
Grendel's Lair (2014) 1 exemplaire
What would a tree like to be? (2018) 1 exemplaire
The Husks 1 exemplaire
The Blood Month 1 exemplaire
Flibbertigibbet 1 exemplaire
June 1 exemplaire
The Old North Road (2014) 1 exemplaire
The Lamb 1 exemplaire
Bethany's Wood 1 exemplaire
The Carrion Call 1 exemplaire
CALIBOS 1 exemplaire
Im Schatten des Syndikats (2019) 1 exemplaire
Cape Wrath and The Hellion (2015) 1 exemplaire
Season of Mist: A novella (2019) 1 exemplaire

Oeuvres associées

Shadows Over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror! (2003) — Contributeur — 722 exemplaires
The Children of Cthulhu (2002) — Contributeur — 257 exemplaires
Tales of Trenzalore (2014) — Contributeur — 148 exemplaires
The Mammoth Book of More Historical Whodunnits (2001) — Contributeur — 148 exemplaires
Inferno (2007) — Contributeur — 142 exemplaires
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 20 (2009) — Contributeur — 115 exemplaires
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2012 Edition (2012) — Contributeur — 89 exemplaires
The Mammoth Book of Jacobean Whodunnits (2006) — Contributeur — 75 exemplaires
The Darker Side: Generations of Horror (2002) — Contributeur — 74 exemplaires
The Chronicles of the Round Table (1997) — Contributeur — 60 exemplaires
The Mammoth Book of Zombie Apocalypse! Fightback (Mammoth Books) (2012) — Contributeur — 57 exemplaires
The Mammoth Book of Sword and Honour (2000) — Contributeur — 51 exemplaires
A Walk on the Darkside: Visions of Horror (2004) — Contributeur — 49 exemplaires
Short Trips: Destination Prague (2007) — Contributeur — 49 exemplaires
After Sundown (Fiction Without Frontiers) (2020) — Contributeur — 42 exemplaires
The Book of More Flesh (2005) — Contributeur — 38 exemplaires
Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales (2005) — Contributeur — 27 exemplaires
British Invasion (2008) — Contributeur — 27 exemplaires
The Mammoth Book of Sherlock Holmes Abroad (2014) — Contributeur — 26 exemplaires
Alone on the Darkside: Echoes From Shadows of Horror (2006) — Contributeur — 24 exemplaires
Dead Souls (Anthology 25-in-1) (2009) — Contributeur — 19 exemplaires
At Ease with the Dead (2007) — Contributeur — 14 exemplaires
Acquainted with the Night (2004) — Contributeur — 13 exemplaires
Exotic Gothic 4 (2012) — Contributeur — 12 exemplaires
Shadows and Silence (2000) — Contributeur — 10 exemplaires
A Carnivale of Horror (2012) — Contributeur — 8 exemplaires
Best British Horror 2018 (2018) — Contributeur — 8 exemplaires
Discoveries: Best of Horror and Dark Fantasy (2015) — Contributeur — 8 exemplaires
Shades of Darkness (2008) — Contributeur — 8 exemplaires
World War Cthulhu (2013) — Contributeur — 8 exemplaires
The Third Black Book of Horror (2008) — Contributeur — 6 exemplaires
Beneath the Ground (2002) — Contributeur — 6 exemplaires
Exotic Gothic 3 Strange Visitations (2009) — Contributeur — 6 exemplaires
Cemetery Dance Issue 59 (2008) 5 exemplaires
The Sixth Black Book of Horror (2010) — Contributeur — 5 exemplaires
The Eighth Black Book of Horror (2011) — Contributeur — 4 exemplaires
The Fourth Black Book of Horror (2009) — Contributeur — 4 exemplaires
Dark Satanic Mills (2017) — Contributeur — 3 exemplaires
Apparitions (2009) — Contributeur — 3 exemplaires
The Seventh Black Book of Horror (2010) — Contributeur — 3 exemplaires
Hideous Progeny: A Frankenstein Anthology (2000) — Contributeur — 3 exemplaires
Fear of the Unknown (2005) — Contributeur — 3 exemplaires
The Fifth Black Book of Horror (2009) — Contributeur — 2 exemplaires
Dark in the Day (2016) — Contributeur — 1 exemplaire
They're Out to Get You - Volume One: Animals and Insects (2021) — Contributeur — 1 exemplaire
Haunts of Horror (2016) — Contributeur — 1 exemplaire
The Sensational Sixties #07 — Contributeur — 1 exemplaire

Étiqueté

Partage des connaissances

Date de naissance
1964
Sexe
male
Nationalité
UK
Lieu de naissance
Lancashire, England

Membres

Critiques

This installment in this series of historical fantasy and horror stories wasn’t as good as its predecessors. I think that’s because many of them are, at their core, monster stories with the surrounding plot and characters not having the thematic seriousness of works in the earlier books.

“The Gaff” is set in the London of the 1830s and has a pair of vicious robbers, Ketch and Bobber, planning to rob a theater in Drury Lane after its sixth and final show for the day. The acts performed there are a combination of the banal, the vulgar, and the risque, and Professor Feltencraft’s Penny-Gaff is a quite profitable venture. And, as Ketch and Bobber will find out, it’s not what it seems in this steampunkish biter-bitten tale. I wish this story would have been longer so some of the implied questions at its end might have been answered.

There are no fantastic elements in “To Walk on Thorny Paths” though there is plenty of gore since it’s a series of locked-room murders. (It was first published in The Mammoth Book of Jacobean Whodunnits). I suspect Finch was inspired by a couple of elements from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, and the story is an interesting mystery with an ending that is ambiguous as to who the guilty parties are behind all this mayhem. But the story’s main interest comes from its setting in 1688. The Monmouth Rebellion has been quelled, but King James II is in the process of being deposed and forced into exile. That’s not good news for Irish Catholic Captain O’Calligan who is politically tied to him. His fate is uncertain that Christmas holiday as he tends to his duties with a snowstorm outside. His job is to keep Lady Foxworth, a fervent Protestant, under house arrest and surveillance as she hosts a holiday gathering. Her future prospects are just as uncertain as O’Calligan’s.

The best story in the book, and the one that most closely approaches some of the best ones in preceding volumes, is “A Plague on Both Your Houses”. Finch not only gives us an intriguing origin for the famed Spring-Heeled Jack of legend but also something of a rumination on British imperialism seem from multiple angles.

But this isn’t the 1830s, Spring-Heeled Jack’s heydey. It’s 1881, and he’s back. Charles Brabinger, recently returned to London after recovering from a wound in the Battle of Ulundi against the Zulus, seeks the help of noted British officer and big game hunter Colonel Thorpe to capture Spring-Heeled Jack. What unfolds are multiple perceptions of the the Empire’s African conquests as Thrope and Brabinger set out to trap Spring-Heeled Jack, and we learn of its ties to not only Africa but Brabinger’s own family. This tale is original to the collection.

I really wanted to like “The Destroyers” more than I did. I was instantly gripped by its characters and settings. It’s 1099, and Jerusalem has fallen to the First Crusade. The looting and raping is still going on when a group of 40 knights go off on another quest for the fabled and rich lost city of Uruk where, near, it is said, the Garden of Eden. It is there the leader, the fearsome Norman Gilles fitzOslac, Count of Cerne, Leopard of Gerberoi seeks final penance for a life of violence. Only in Uruk can their memories be cleansed of the hardships they have endured and the slaughter they have committed.

But I don’t think Finch quite pulls off a satisfying conclusion when Uruk is reached, what is found there, and the Leopard’s reaction to it.

However, along the way, Finch does a good job depicting Crusaders and how their war has been, at least for some, an act of contrition and how the Church was hoping the Crusades would solve the problem of thuggish knights in Europe. The characters are well done. There is Thurstan, the pragmatic knight and the best soldier next to the Leopard. There’s Ramon, a man who perhaps does seek penance but will not renounce his fealty to Leopard and his mission, no matter his increasing unease. His softer side is shown by the English lad, Ulf, that he has taken for a squire. Ulf is appalled at the slaughter and looting when Jerusalem was taken. He’s mostly despised as a cowardly Englishman by the Normans. There’s the avaracious de Vesqui and Bernard d’Etoille, Arch-Deacon of Salisbury who preached a crusade long before Pope Urban announced it. He is appalled that the violent nature of the knights seems unchanged though they have taken Jerusalem.

“Colossus” is another story first appearing here and, if it has an historically significant theme, I suppose it’s the varied moral characters of the soldiers in the army Duke Wellington called “the scum of the Earth”.

It’s 1816, and twelve-year old Tom Caxton has joined an artillery unit of the British Army, one that saw action at Waterloo. After artillery drill on Woolwich Common, Caxton and other soldiers are sent to retrieve the fired cannonballs, But they find some have penetrated into a mound of earth that, it is revealed, covers an old Roman tomb. And the tomb has a guardian, a giant bronze automata. The action is well-done, but, ultimately, it’s another monster tale, just with a bronze monster this time. Finch certainly gives us a range of characters from valiant soldiers to greedy, murderous ones. The historical inspiration for the tale, as revealed in an end note by Finch, is also interesting. There are also some curious echoes in imagery and plot to “The Gaff”. It’s not a bad anthology. It just suffers in comparison to its predecessors.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
RandyStafford | Mar 2, 2024 |
I found this author through his short story in Exit Wounds. In looking for something new to read, this collection of Christmas-themed short stories seemed perfect for my mood and the time of year, and it turned out to be just that.

Some were twists on classic Christmas stories, a few were only set at Christmas time, but all were plenty of fun. I only wished he'd done a twist on the typical romatic Christmas glurge, where a couple meet cute and the idealistic one converts the cynical one to the True Spirit of Christmas (TM).

Audiobook, purchased at Audible, performed by Greg Patmore. His voice is unusual, but I felt he nailed the performance.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
Doodlebug34 | Jan 7, 2024 |
Paul Finch is a new author for me with the exception of the first book in this series I have not read anything by him. Just like the first book this was fast paced easy to read and exciting. I wish there was more character development but all and all a solid read
 
Signalé
b00kdarling87 | 3 autres critiques | Jan 7, 2024 |
I really enjoyed this book. It was pacy and unputtdownable. The writer has a gift for suspense. The characters were interesting but they could have been developed a little more; the plot was great and I found myself constantly looking forward to reading about what would happen next. If you like suspenseful and pacy crime writing you will not regret reading this book. Finch should develop this main woman PC character more: the foundations are there for a great character - in many ways she is already.… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
b00kdarling87 | 5 autres critiques | Jan 7, 2024 |

Listes

Prix et récompenses

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi

Auteurs associés

Charles Black Contributor, Editor
Mark Morris Contributor, Editor
Nicholas Frank Contributor
John L. Probert Contributor
David A. Sutton Contributor
David Conyers Contributor
Daniel McGachey Contributor
Franklin Marsh Contributor
D.F. Lewis Contributor
Gary McMahon Contributor
Gary Fry Contributor
Paul Mudie Cover artist
Steve Goodwin Contributor
Mark Samuels Contributor
Sean Parker Contributor
Roger B. Pile Contributor
David A. Riley Contributor
Barbara Roden Contributor
Justin Richards Contributor
Gary Fry Contributor
Reggie Oliver Contributor
Johnny Mains Contributor
Steven Savile Contributor
Steve Duffy Contributor
Simon Clark Contributor
Christopher Harman Contributor
Anna Taborska Contributor
Ramsey Campbell Contributor
Peter Bell Contributor
Simon Bestwick Contributor
Thana Niveau Contributor
Gary McMahon Contributor
Jonathan Oliver Contributor
Alison Littlewood Contributor
Carole Johnstone Contributor
Stephen Laws Contributor
Roger Johnson Contributor
William Meikle Contributor
Joel Lane Contributor
Stephen Volk Contributor
D. P. Watt Contributor
Ian Hunter Contributor
John Whitbourn Contributor
Helen Grant Contributor
Jason Gould Contributor
Tom Johnstone Contributor
Adam Nevill Contributor
Mark Valentine Contributor
Edward Pearce Contributor
Colin Baker Narrator
Derek Carlyle Narrator
Jamie Parker Narrator
Nicola Bryant Narrator
Beth Chalmers Narrator
John Banks Narrator
David J. Howe Contributor
Rosalie Parker Contributor
Steve Lockley Contributor
Janet Fielding Performer
Sean Brosnan Narrator
Toby Hadoke Narrator
Sam Stone Contributor
Peter Davison Performer
Dan Starkey Narrator
Sarah Sutton Performer
Kate Farrell Contributor
Richard Mark Narrator
Ken Bentley Director
Sarah Singleton Contributor
Steve Jordan Contributor
Ray Cluley Contributor
Sheila Hodgson Contributor
Ian Potter Contributor
Craig Herbertson Contributor
Matt Fitton Contributor
Carl Barker Contributor
Graeme Hurry Contributor
Peter Crowther Contributor
Rosie Seymour Contributor
Marie O'Regan Contributor
Paul Meloy Contributor
Christopher Fowler Contributor
Nicholas Royle Contributor
Nina Allan Contributor
James Doig Contributor
Gary Greenwood Contributor
Charlotte Bond Contributor
Graham Smith Contributor
S.J.I. Holliday Contributor
Fred Urquhart Contributor
Paul M. Feeney Contributor
S. A. Rennie Contributor
John Alfred Taylor Contributor
Tracy Fahey Contributor
M. W. Craven Contributor
Lynda E. Rucker Contributor
Mark Samuels Contributor
Paul Edwards Contributor
Antonia James Contributor
Adrian Cole Contributor
Stephen Gallagher Contributor
Adam Golaski Contributor
Joseph Freeman Contributor
Jacqueline Simpson Contributor
Robert Shearman Contributor
Conrad Williams Contributor
Cate Gardner Contributor
John B. Ford Contributor
David A. Riley Contributor
Simon Strantzas Contributor
Robert Spalding Contributor
Terry Grimwood Contributor
Jan Edwards Contributor
Paul Kane Contributor
John Travis Contributor
Solomon Strange Contributor
Peter James Contributor
R. B. Russell Contributor
Chico Kidd Contributor
Lizzie Fry Contributor
John Linwood Grant Contributor
A. K. Benedict Contributor
Priya Sharma Contributor
S L Howe Contributor
Gail-Nina Anderson Contributor
Bryn Fortey Contributor
Sam Dawson Contributor
Andy Briggs Contributor
Stephen Bacon Contributor
Allen Ashley Contributor
Andrew Hook Contributor
Tim Lebbon Contributor
Tina Rath Contributor
Simon Avery Contributor
Mike Chinn Contributor
Dan Coxon Contributor
Mick Sims Contributor
Paul Lewis Contributor
Keris McDonald Contributor
Mark Chadbourn Contributor
Lisa Tuttle Contributor
Steven J. Dines Contributor
Mike Ashley Introduction
Bärbel Arnold Übersetzer
Velten Arnold Übersetzer
Richard Gray Cover artist
Tony Patrick Cover artist

Statistiques

Œuvres
103
Aussi par
48
Membres
993
Popularité
#25,942
Évaluation
½ 3.6
Critiques
54
ISBN
168
Langues
5

Tableaux et graphiques