Bernard Taylor's THE REAPING is an unsettling Gothic tale of seduction, and the myriad ways that seduction can be used against a person. Tom Rigby, former artist-turned-shop owner, is commissioned to paint a portrait in a secluded country mansion. At first reticent, the money offered is too lucrative for Rigby to turn down.

Rigby soon finds himself romantically involved with the subject of the portrait, a young relative of the owner of Woolvercombe House. However, during his stay at the mansion, Rigby observes more and more distressing goings-on, and is more than happy to have his leave of the mansion at the completion of the portrait.

Soon, to his horror, Rigby discovers that the commission for the portrait and all that he observed at the manor were all part of a diabolical plot, and that his was a small but integral part in a much larger, more sinister scheme.

Whether of wealth, the flesh, or youth, seduction is at the core of this book. Some plot points seem too contrived for necessity, but the twists and turns will keep the reader guessing. The horror is a very slow build, but once all the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, the story takes a rapid chase to its chilling and unexpected end. Another excellent addition to Valancourt Books' Paperbacks From Hell series.

Hannibal Hills narration is excellent and easy to understand. An all-around great book to listen to.

I would like to thank Valancourt Books for providing a free audio download of THE REAPING in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

4.5/5 STARS!

Bernard Taylor-I LOVE the guy! SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART is still my favorite from him, (and one of my favorite quiet horror tales of all time), but THE REAPING is another fine example of horror at its best!

An artist and father is invited out to a country manor to paint a portrait. Thomas is offered quite a bit of money to leave his family and business to come do this and his every need will be met while he is there. Upon his arrival, though, his surroundings, the family and the servants all begin to unnerve him. Young Catherine, his model for the portrait seems a bit...off as well. Will he finish the portrait and collect his generous fee? Will he happily return home afterward and resume life as he previously knew it? You'll have to read this to find out!

Books like these are the reason I got into the horror genre in the first place. Somehow I missed Bernard Taylors' works back in the day, but thanks to Valancourt Books and the phenomenon of a book written by Grady Hendrix and Will Erickson, PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, many of these older books are coming back into print. Just in time to delight a whole new generation of horror readers!

Bernard Taylor's work is surprisingly well written. He takes his time setting up the story and he writes so deftly that you cannot see where the story is taking you. What you DO see, (and feel) is an atmosphere that nearly suffocates. The tension thrums as the mystery finally unravels and there is no way to put this book down after a certain point. No. Freaking. Way. !!

Once again, a Bernard Taylor story gets my highest recommendation! Don't let this one get away!

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2J9boWQ or at www.ValancourtBooks.com.

*I was provided an e-ARC of this EXCELLENT book by Valancourt, in exchange for my honest review. This is it!* ( )

I have read Taylor's Sweetheart, Sweetheart, a pretty decent ghost story, so I knew about what to expect from this one: a lot of cheese and probably some embarrassingly written sex. The Reaping delivers on both counts. Most of the novel is a slow burn. A painter receives an overly generous commission for a portrait, but to do the work, he has to stay in an isolated manor in the British countryside where there are weird nuns marching around the grounds, weird manservants lurking around, weird noises in the night, a weird old lady wrapped in scarves... lots of weird stuff going on. Oh yes, and the sex. I enjoyed the build-up, but then the book takes something of a left turn, and when the ending comes, the payoff is just not there. It feels forced and rushed, and when it comes to the big reveal, we just don't care. To find this truly horrific, we have to know more about Ilona: who or what is she, what is she trying to accomplish (besides immortality), what is her cult? So many unanswered questions and missed opportunities. For me, this entry in the Paperbacks from Hell series was a big letdown. ( )