Within the Dark Places

by Duncan Thompson

There is a faceless danger lurking in the shadows — or is the real danger the shadows themselves...?
Within the Dark Places is a rollercoaster ride of blood, sweat and tears, a novella that pays homage to horror movies of the late seventies and early eighties.
The story follows a stag-party who find themselves stalked by a malevolent force that hides within the dark shadows of the forest. What the party hoped would be one hell of a night soon turns into a night from hell…

82 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2016

About the author

Duncan Thompson has spent most of his life in a small market town in West Yorkshire -- the same town in which most of his stories are set under the guise of Ravenfield. Duncan has been writing works of fiction since the age of seven. In those early days, his stories often involved himself and his friends being transported to fantasy worlds. However, as a teenager, Duncan fell in love with horror movies and his writing took a whole new direction.

Duncan works in financial services and lives with his partner and their two young children. He also has slight obsession with Spider-Man, the actor Bruce Campbell, as well as having an addiction to vinyl records, coffee and Lego.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perfectly decent yet strikingly average yet another story about the dangers of camping. Seriously, don't go into the woods. Especially when they are named Druid Woods. Not ok. There are evidence that druids have almost certainly participated in ritual cannibalism and sacrifice. Leave their woods alone. But no, for some reason it is still an alluring place to go get engaged or have a bachelor (stag for those outside US) party and sure enough those campers find themselves pursued by the fairly unimaginatively named Shadowmen. This is basically a B horror flick (it was originally meant to be a screenplay) in book form. Somewhat entertaining, nothing special, but passed the time adequately and it was free. Quick read too.

[Lee Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something lurking in the shadows of Druid Wood and it's terrifying...

As an avid fan of horror, I don't scare easily but 'Within the Dark Places' is the closest to terrified I've been for quite some time whilst reading a book.

This story follows a small group who decide to spend their weekend in a woods with chilling results. From the very beginning there's a stack of mystery and intrigue as to what exactly is lurking in the shadows which starts to play on the readers imagination more than anything; something which is text book horror and also very effective in a book like this.

It reads like a modern horror flick by way of a well written page turning style giving the reader no rest-bite between the sometimes graphic but always creepy fate in which the characters face. And believe me it does get graphic in a few places. This one isn't for the faint of heart but I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good scare.

Its paranormal and 'creature feature' combined with some of the usual tropes seen in horror but some cliches will always work and they do so very well here. Although this novella is on the short side, the whole story is delivered effectively and makes for some great horror reading.

[Nathaniel Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping from the very first page. While this book is fairly short, there is never a dull moment. What it lacks I quantity it makes up for 10 fold in quality. The style of writing is suspenseful and fast paced, with descriptions that really put you in the story while leaving your imagination to fill in the rest. The characters, while at first seem stereotypical are actually well written and I guarantee you know people in real life just like them. A must for horror fans.

[Isabella Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I really enjoyed this book, it was fast to read and the story was well written, the scares and creepy feelings were perfect for a bedtime read, I can't wait to read the follow up.

[D Forest · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Within the Dark Places' is a story about Joe who goes on a camping trip with his friends only to encounter a force unlike anything else. I'll leave my synopsis at that as this is a story that is best approached from knowing as little as possible about what is to come as the surprises are certainly best received that way. I read this story in just one sitting, Duncan manages to immediately grab the reader by the jugular and thrust you into Joe's nightmarish trip without any sense of relenting. The writing is sharp and engaging, the chapters are perfectly paced and you'll find yourself wanting to reach the last page to find out the terrifying conclusion. I'm happy to hear that Duncan has many more stories to tell and a sequel to 'Within the Dark Places' is imminent - a horror writer to keep your eye on.

[Chelsea Brownhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within the Dark Places follows the terrifyingly eventful Stag Do of Joe, his friends Mike and Charlie, and his brother, Tony. This, however, is not a usual Stag Do; it is a peaceful night camping in Druid Wood. Well - that’s what it was meant to be until the presences lurking in the shadows decided to rear their faceless heads.
This novella was one of the more frightening books I have read this year and will certainly stay with me after I’ve closed the final page. Using the shadows as something to be feared is uncanny as it makes the familiar unfamiliar. Imagine a mixture between Harry Potter’s Dementors and those murderous shadows from that one episode of Doctor Who, increase their liking for hiding in dark places, and there you have it: The Shadow Men.
The novel is fast-paced and written in a clear style so the action does not get lost in wordy sentences, which is what you want from a thriller. As this was initially written as a screenplay and then developed into a novella, it reads like a film as the exhilarating action unfolds before your eyes, whilst being described in unforgiving detail. Thompson does not hold back on the gory scenes, and parts of Within the Dark Places will leave you grimacing whilst thanking your lucky stars you are not trapped in Druid Wood along with them. Although it is a short story, the characters are well developed and their relationships are believable. I really started to care about Joe’s character by the end, and I was rooting for him to defeat the revengeful monsters. This was an easy and fun read, and I would recommend it to anyone who is scared of the dark.

This book was sent to me for review purposes and I have been compensated for my comments. My review is completely honest and is based on my personal thoughts on the text.

[Poppy Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Within the Dark Places is a fantastic new novella from Duncan Thomas. Duncan has a talent for hooking his readers from the very first page. He draws the reader in by creating a dark atmosphere you can’t help but be curious about. Upon delving into the first chapter, I was immediately wondering who the couple was, why they were nameless, and how important they were. With each chapter, there’s a new cliff hanger and once I was gripped, I couldn’t put it down.
This story will draw you into a false sense of security and when you least expect it, your expectations and guesses will be completely thrown off. I went into this story expecting a simple thriller based in the dark woodlands of an English campsite, but little did I know what was waiting for me after only a few pages. Not only a story about things that go bump in the night, Duncan has written something that gives you a mere taster of myth and monsters, that will have you checking over your shoulder whenever you’re surrounded by shadows.
The constant jerks of the storyline are matched perfectly by its short length and easy writing. I was hooked and flew through this story, wanting so much more by the time I reached the final page. I was left hungry for more of Duncan’s dark story, but equally satisfied by the conclusion. It was a bittersweet and exciting read, and I would recommend it to anyone who is curious about what could possibly be lurking out there in the darkness.

(This book was sent to me for review purposes and I have been compensated for my comments. My review is completely honest and is based on my personal thoughts on the text.)

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror isn’t my usual genre of choice for reading material, so I was initially dubious when I approached this book. However, after a few pages Within the Dark Places had me hooked! The tale begins with a classic horror premise: a young couple is attacked by a mysterious figure as they camp in the woods… before the scene fades, leaving their presumably terrible fate unknown. Skip forward, and we are introduced to a quirky group of guys heading off to a stag weekend camping in those very woods – of course, we get the sense it won’t be smooth sailing.

Vivid description and solid character establishment make for an immersive read, I enjoyed how Thompson played with his characters’ idiosyncrasies and threw in a dash of dry humour to keep me chuckling. The storyline itself is well-paced and compelling, but it's in the action and gory elements that Within the Dark Places really comes into its own. The influence of vintage horror films can be felt throughout, though I would say I found there to be a slight over-reliance on cliché at times. Overall, an enjoyable read; I would certainly recommend for classic horror fans.


This book was sent to me for review purposes and I have been compensated for my comments. My review is completely honest and is based on my personal thoughts on the text.

[Joe Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not really a big reader, but I could not put this book down. I was lucky to receive an early edition from a friend. Not being a big reader I didn't think much of it. I'm so glad I read this book now. I think it will really appeal to people who are not confident readers but really like good stories. The chapters are short and snappy. The story can be a bit cliched at times it gets straight to the action without being bogged down by unnecessary descriptions or back story. It is thoroughly entertaining. Fans of horror movies will be very satisfied with this book. Its made me want to pick up more books and re-discover reading.

[Alex Kocharian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, thrilling, fast paced read. Really exciting book which pays tips the hat to classic horror movies. The creature feature is quite unique and disturbing as you never really see what it is, so this adds mystery. Although the book was short, the story was lengthed and paces well, without have any unncecessary boring bits to bog it down. At first I felt the chararcters were a bit stereotgyped, but once progressing I really began to releate and they felt like people I had known all my life. All in all and fun read.

[Marianne Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down and read this book to the end, as soon as it was in my hands. I couldn't put it down!
It was very reminiscent of the books I used to sneak when I was a child, the ones that were 'too grown' and 'too scary' for me.
What you have here is; a perfect spine chiller and an author who is a lover of the genre he is writing for - who really does it justice - so, you won't be disappointed. I highly recommend 'Within the Dark Places', and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.