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Patel & Pardoe #2
The Children God Forgot
Description
A rash of strange and horrifying births sweeps through London in the new horror thriller from master of the genre Graham Masterton.
A SERIES OF STRANGE BIRTHS
A young woman is rushed to the hospital with stabbing pains. The chief surgeon performs a C-section, and delivers a catastrophically malformed foetus that is somehow alive...
A DEVASTATING ATTACK
Sewage engineer Gemma is plunged into a ghostly darkness in the tunnel where she works. She escapes, but her boss goes missing in the chaos. He is later found alive... but his legs have been severed and his eyes pulled out.
A SUPERNATURAL THREAT
DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of the supernatural squad must team up once more to solve the mystery and save the city. But, if they are to succeed, first they must delve into the dark arts of witchcraft...
A rash of strange and horrifying births sweeps through London in the new horror thriller from master of the genre Graham Masterton.
A SERIES OF STRANGE BIRTHS
A young woman is rushed to the hospital with stabbing pains. The chief surgeon performs a C-section, and delivers a catastrophically malformed foetus that is somehow alive...
A DEVASTATING ATTACK
Sewage engineer Gemma is plunged into a ghostly darkness in the tunnel where she works. She escapes, but her boss goes missing in the chaos. He is later found alive... but his legs have been severed and his eyes pulled out.
A SUPERNATURAL THREAT
DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of the supernatural squad must team up once more to solve the mystery and save the city. But, if they are to succeed, first they must delve into the dark arts of witchcraft...
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2021
284 people are currently reading
1961 people want to read
About the author
Graham Masterton
421 books1,980 followersGraham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
April 25, 2022
Wow! After reading the impactful, mind blowing, blood cells freezing opening of the book, I was already hooked!
A woman feels the stabbing pain in her stomach, is found in her car, barely breathing! When she opens her eyes at the hospital, realizing she’s pregnant which is impossible because she doesn’t make sex with anyone for a long time. But her miraculous pregnancy is not the most shocking news she gets. She is carrying a monstrous baby ( Something reminds us Alien movie’s memorable chestburster scene !) who has ugly deformities make your stomach churn !
And this is not the only faceless monstrous baby who was recently born! There are lots of them, spreading green light, walking at the dark tunnels in their ghostly figures ( so spooky, shaking to the core premise, isn’t it? I jumped up and down several times, screamed, dropped my e-reader! )
Great part of the book is the supernatural investigation team: nope: unfortunately they are not Winchester Brothers! The writer of the book is not Eric Kripke.
But if you recently read Ghost Virus which is the author’s previous work, you’re already familiar with DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel, of Tooting Police department! They already worked on a case about occult but they cannot imagine what kind of danger awaiting them in the city!
There is something going on in the sewers reminding you of the mash up of Guillermo del Toro’s Strain and Return of Living Dead: when the babies grow into something between Walking Dead’s extras and Michael Jackson’s Thriller video clip dancers, best way to fight with them apply witchcraft!
Overall: this is wild, wild, wild, horrifying, smart, well written ride with quirky, enjoyable characters ! I’m giving four classic horror stars! It was such a heart pounding experience and a delightful adrenaline crush for me!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
A woman feels the stabbing pain in her stomach, is found in her car, barely breathing! When she opens her eyes at the hospital, realizing she’s pregnant which is impossible because she doesn’t make sex with anyone for a long time. But her miraculous pregnancy is not the most shocking news she gets. She is carrying a monstrous baby ( Something reminds us Alien movie’s memorable chestburster scene !) who has ugly deformities make your stomach churn !
And this is not the only faceless monstrous baby who was recently born! There are lots of them, spreading green light, walking at the dark tunnels in their ghostly figures ( so spooky, shaking to the core premise, isn’t it? I jumped up and down several times, screamed, dropped my e-reader! )
Great part of the book is the supernatural investigation team: nope: unfortunately they are not Winchester Brothers! The writer of the book is not Eric Kripke.
But if you recently read Ghost Virus which is the author’s previous work, you’re already familiar with DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel, of Tooting Police department! They already worked on a case about occult but they cannot imagine what kind of danger awaiting them in the city!
There is something going on in the sewers reminding you of the mash up of Guillermo del Toro’s Strain and Return of Living Dead: when the babies grow into something between Walking Dead’s extras and Michael Jackson’s Thriller video clip dancers, best way to fight with them apply witchcraft!
Overall: this is wild, wild, wild, horrifying, smart, well written ride with quirky, enjoyable characters ! I’m giving four classic horror stars! It was such a heart pounding experience and a delightful adrenaline crush for me!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
January 27, 2021
The Children God Forgot is not a book I will forget about soon! It is creepy, dark and chilling. Imagine aliens meets the Gerber baby meets a powerful witch and throw in an octopus. What!?! Yes, things get strange but in a delightfully creepy way!
This was a highly imaginative and creepy tale with some great detective work. There are things amiss in the sewers. Where else? But also, above ground as well. Great, just great. Nowhere is safe.
A woman goes to the hospital with severe stomach pains to learn that she is pregnant and after a C-Section is performed, the surviving infant is severely malformed? How is it still alive?????
In the sewer, Gemma and crew are attacked, but by what? Her supervisor does not make it out of the sewer with them, he just seems to disappear but is later found alive but missing his legs and eyes. Who or what did this and why????? Plus, yikes eye stuff grosses me out, luckily there is no graphic detail, or I would still be passed out on the floor.
Soon there are more mysterious pregnancies, green lights and deformed infants. Did I mention this is creepy and I may possibly never be able to enjoy smelling lemons again? This is only the beginning. The proverbial you-know-what really begins to hit the fan (and not because some of the book takes place in the sewer). Sewers, deformed babies/children and a witch all make for a sinister tale.
This book is original, creepy and fun at the same time. It is oddly compelling, and I hated when I had to put it down. I just had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. This book reminded me of the movies my sister and I would sneak out of bed on Saturday nights to watch at midnight growing up. Most were black and white B horror films, and we could not get enough of them. This book brings on that sense of nostalgia. It is more creepy (how many times have I said 'creepy' in this review?) than gory, more sinister than straight out horror. I loved the vibe of this book. It has the right number of chills and scares without being over the top. The detectives and Gemma are likeable, and I was rooting for them while they were doing their detective work. I loved the "aha" moments as they learned more. The unraveling of the tale was spot on and nothing felt rushed.
Plus, I learned a few things while reading this book:
1. If there was no way you could have gotten pregnant and yet somehow you are...be afraid, be very afraid...
2. Dogs are the best! (I already knew this but they really are)
3. Nothing good can come out of going down in the sewer - you have been warned!
An overall enjoyable book that was creepy (I had to mention it one last time!), original, dark, interesting and captivating.
Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
This was a highly imaginative and creepy tale with some great detective work. There are things amiss in the sewers. Where else? But also, above ground as well. Great, just great. Nowhere is safe.
A woman goes to the hospital with severe stomach pains to learn that she is pregnant and after a C-Section is performed, the surviving infant is severely malformed? How is it still alive?????
In the sewer, Gemma and crew are attacked, but by what? Her supervisor does not make it out of the sewer with them, he just seems to disappear but is later found alive but missing his legs and eyes. Who or what did this and why????? Plus, yikes eye stuff grosses me out, luckily there is no graphic detail, or I would still be passed out on the floor.
Soon there are more mysterious pregnancies, green lights and deformed infants. Did I mention this is creepy and I may possibly never be able to enjoy smelling lemons again? This is only the beginning. The proverbial you-know-what really begins to hit the fan (and not because some of the book takes place in the sewer). Sewers, deformed babies/children and a witch all make for a sinister tale.
This book is original, creepy and fun at the same time. It is oddly compelling, and I hated when I had to put it down. I just had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. This book reminded me of the movies my sister and I would sneak out of bed on Saturday nights to watch at midnight growing up. Most were black and white B horror films, and we could not get enough of them. This book brings on that sense of nostalgia. It is more creepy (how many times have I said 'creepy' in this review?) than gory, more sinister than straight out horror. I loved the vibe of this book. It has the right number of chills and scares without being over the top. The detectives and Gemma are likeable, and I was rooting for them while they were doing their detective work. I loved the "aha" moments as they learned more. The unraveling of the tale was spot on and nothing felt rushed.
Plus, I learned a few things while reading this book:
1. If there was no way you could have gotten pregnant and yet somehow you are...be afraid, be very afraid...
2. Dogs are the best! (I already knew this but they really are)
3. Nothing good can come out of going down in the sewer - you have been warned!
An overall enjoyable book that was creepy (I had to mention it one last time!), original, dark, interesting and captivating.
Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
October 4, 2021
Fatberg, sewers, aborted and deformed children, the most dangerous witch of England, two likable investigators... well, Graham is coming up with an impressive and innovative set of topics in his latest horror novel. And I really enjoyed this one. Intriguing, eerie parts, old lore, vicious gory scenes investigations in London, creepy children, serious subjects (abortion, right to life, what life is worth living) and fast paced supernatural action. Can highly recommend this fine page turner by one of the absolute grand masters of horror. You definitely want to know how this excellent blended story end and what twist Graham offers you at the end. Really convincing and highly recommended!
January 30, 2021
Okay so apparently I am most definetly in the minority with my thoughts on this review but I've had to DNF at Chapter 6.
There were so many things that I found problematic about this book that I just had to put it down for my own sanity.
I felt there was a lot of internalised racism that kept coming to the fore. I know, I know, bare with me a moment.
The typical white english doctor who kept mispronouncing the Nigerian patient's name. He made no attempt to ask how it was pronounced and the patient obviously had this over and over again from being in the UK.
Too much mysgony. Women being described in extremely sexual ways. It's not the blinking 80's!
One interaction between one of the police officers and another just smelt of homophobia. She turns him down when trying to ask her out, and he takes the hump as she "turns out to be the L in LGTBQ".
The Nigerian dialogue felt guessed at and a little bit insulting.
Oh yes and the classic quote "that vaping makes you smell like a poof." If its in the characterisation and it adds something to the storyline then okay but this just felt way too much and that was only in the first 6 chapters.
There were so many things that I found problematic about this book that I just had to put it down for my own sanity.
I felt there was a lot of internalised racism that kept coming to the fore. I know, I know, bare with me a moment.
The typical white english doctor who kept mispronouncing the Nigerian patient's name. He made no attempt to ask how it was pronounced and the patient obviously had this over and over again from being in the UK.
Too much mysgony. Women being described in extremely sexual ways. It's not the blinking 80's!
One interaction between one of the police officers and another just smelt of homophobia. She turns him down when trying to ask her out, and he takes the hump as she "turns out to be the L in LGTBQ".
The Nigerian dialogue felt guessed at and a little bit insulting.
Oh yes and the classic quote "that vaping makes you smell like a poof." If its in the characterisation and it adds something to the storyline then okay but this just felt way too much and that was only in the first 6 chapters.
April 10, 2023
Horror is a curious thing. Horror is not really gore, at least not for me. Horror is the slow build of the uncanny, changing into pure dread. Real horror starts psychologically. Then pour over some gore, and everything's on fire (in a good way).
Women are becoming pregnant without having had any sex, and their foetuses are extremely malformed. What follows is a story about abortions that have somehow survived, and are living in London's sewers.
I'm a Masterton novice, really - I read his infamous 80s novel Ritual (a.k.a. Feast) a couple of months ago, but I can see the same structure in this, his newest novel. A lot of visceral gore, which a lot of readers seem to be shocked by, and it just doesn't have that effect on me. It makes me wince, at best, but it doesn't translate into horror or dread.
I need the slow pulse of building dread, and it just isn't here. Masterton sprinkles his story with violent encounters, but they never build, they just become very repetitious. No real new information or experience is added.
Whether the book is pro-choice or against abortions, is not an easy question to answer. On the one hand you have aborted foetuses presented as monsters, on the other hand the force that tries to control these children is pretty horrific, what does that say about pro-life..? Personally I think Masterton doesn't care one way or the other, and he isn't trying to make such a point with this book.
The characters are quite flat, bordering on the cartoonish. I've seen some readers saying the book is racist, sexist, misogynistic - I think this is part of the cartoonishness, it's all rather broad. The cockney character constantly uses cockney rhyming slang, so much that it becomes a bit ridiculous. When muslim characters are mentioned, there's a lot of focus on muslim men trying to control their wives and daughters. It wouldn't say it's outright racist or sexist, but there is some friction there.
All of that said, the book really fails in its ending - the ending is not only rushed, which it is, there isn't really an ending. The book just sort of.. stops. It's one of the biggest anticlimaxes I've read in a long time.
There's some schlocky fun to be had here (and I use schlocky in a positive context), but the ending ruins everything.
(Thanks to Head of Zeus for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley)
Women are becoming pregnant without having had any sex, and their foetuses are extremely malformed. What follows is a story about abortions that have somehow survived, and are living in London's sewers.
I'm a Masterton novice, really - I read his infamous 80s novel Ritual (a.k.a. Feast) a couple of months ago, but I can see the same structure in this, his newest novel. A lot of visceral gore, which a lot of readers seem to be shocked by, and it just doesn't have that effect on me. It makes me wince, at best, but it doesn't translate into horror or dread.
I need the slow pulse of building dread, and it just isn't here. Masterton sprinkles his story with violent encounters, but they never build, they just become very repetitious. No real new information or experience is added.
Whether the book is pro-choice or against abortions, is not an easy question to answer. On the one hand you have aborted foetuses presented as monsters, on the other hand the force that tries to control these children is pretty horrific, what does that say about pro-life..? Personally I think Masterton doesn't care one way or the other, and he isn't trying to make such a point with this book.
The characters are quite flat, bordering on the cartoonish. I've seen some readers saying the book is racist, sexist, misogynistic - I think this is part of the cartoonishness, it's all rather broad. The cockney character constantly uses cockney rhyming slang, so much that it becomes a bit ridiculous. When muslim characters are mentioned, there's a lot of focus on muslim men trying to control their wives and daughters. It wouldn't say it's outright racist or sexist, but there is some friction there.
All of that said, the book really fails in its ending - the ending is not only rushed, which it is, there isn't really an ending. The book just sort of.. stops. It's one of the biggest anticlimaxes I've read in a long time.
There's some schlocky fun to be had here (and I use schlocky in a positive context), but the ending ruins everything.
(Thanks to Head of Zeus for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley)
July 13, 2025
What Lies Beneath the London Streets?
Small backstory:
Jerry Pardoe & Jamila Patel are back in this second installment as they are called to help investigate some unusual activity down deep in the sewers that leads to strange creatures and a possible wicked witch. But there are also babies being born that are deformed which Patel and Pardoe have to figure out how everything is tied together with what is taking place in the sewers!
That is about all I can hand out with a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This story was a grabber right from the beginning for me as things in the story happen right away. The pacing was fast as I became more involved in the story as there were two stories to follow within the book - the sewer story and the deformed babies story. I was trying to piece together a puzzle of how they were going to be connected and that mystery is solved after the 50% mark of the book!
This series of Patel and Pardoe are stand alone books as there are no cliff hangers where the readers would need to jump right into the next book however something might pop up regarding the two sleuths so I have decided to read the books in order. Looking forward to the third book in the series to see what Patel and Pardoe have to deal with next time! Giving this book five "Supernatural Suspense" stars!
Small backstory:
Jerry Pardoe & Jamila Patel are back in this second installment as they are called to help investigate some unusual activity down deep in the sewers that leads to strange creatures and a possible wicked witch. But there are also babies being born that are deformed which Patel and Pardoe have to figure out how everything is tied together with what is taking place in the sewers!
That is about all I can hand out with a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This story was a grabber right from the beginning for me as things in the story happen right away. The pacing was fast as I became more involved in the story as there were two stories to follow within the book - the sewer story and the deformed babies story. I was trying to piece together a puzzle of how they were going to be connected and that mystery is solved after the 50% mark of the book!
This series of Patel and Pardoe are stand alone books as there are no cliff hangers where the readers would need to jump right into the next book however something might pop up regarding the two sleuths so I have decided to read the books in order. Looking forward to the third book in the series to see what Patel and Pardoe have to deal with next time! Giving this book five "Supernatural Suspense" stars!
December 31, 2020
"How much worse could her life become, if she wasn’t even allowed to die?"
This has to be one of the weirdest (if not the weirdest) books I've read in 2020... but I'm not complaining! The Children God Forgot follows a set of disturbing incidents of mysterious pregnancies and disappearances.
I'm not going to lie, this book took me a little bit until I was fully "into it". But I think the changing perspectives really keeps the pace moving, and some of the body horror made me cringe while reading it. The horror itself was great, the last time I've revisited the sewer setting in a horror novel was It by Stephen King, and these ones are just as creepy!
I definitely wouldn't say this is a book for everyone, but it will really appeal to the certain few who ready to read something all out bloody and suspenseful.
This has to be one of the weirdest (if not the weirdest) books I've read in 2020... but I'm not complaining! The Children God Forgot follows a set of disturbing incidents of mysterious pregnancies and disappearances.
I'm not going to lie, this book took me a little bit until I was fully "into it". But I think the changing perspectives really keeps the pace moving, and some of the body horror made me cringe while reading it. The horror itself was great, the last time I've revisited the sewer setting in a horror novel was It by Stephen King, and these ones are just as creepy!
I definitely wouldn't say this is a book for everyone, but it will really appeal to the certain few who ready to read something all out bloody and suspenseful.
March 12, 2022
Having recently discovered the writing of Graham Masterton, I eagerly continued this dark and twisted series. He uses a chilling horror genre and mixes in the perfect dose of police procedural to keep me reading well into the night as I wonder what lurks in the coming pages. A member of a sewage inspection team goes missing underground, only to reappear without legs or eyes. His colleagues are sure they saw something, but cannot put it into words. Meanwhile, multiple women are turning up with odd foetuses inside them, claiming not to have been pregnant. What begins as a mystery, soon has DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel working new angles to discover what freaking phenomena might be taking place. Masterton does it again, pulling me in as he offers up some of the darkest writing I have read in years!
When called to the scene of a sewer issue, the maintenance team decides to investigate. While they find what they expect, a build-up of fat suppositories, there is something else, almost eerie, that awaits them. When one of the team goes missing underground, the others can only listen to the freakishly loud screams he makes, but cannot locate him. This will mean calling in the authorities, who are just as baffled.
Meanwhile, women around Tooting are developing awful abdominal pains and end up at the hospital. Even more confusing is the fact that ultrasounds show that they are pregnant, while none of them can understand why. Some vow chastity of late, while others purport to have terminated pregnancies in the recent past. What makes it even more baffling is the horrific state of these foetuses on the scans; malformed and looking more horrific than can be put into words. When they are analysed, these foetuses begin taking on a life of their own, attacking others and killing them for no apparent reason. Those who witness the attacks speak of smelling lemon and smoke, as well as seeing some hooded woman who appears as an apparition and speaks of ‘nestlings’.
Brought back together after their unique investigation the yer before, DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel try to make sense out of it all, only to be more baffled than anything. The sewage maintenance worker is found, legless and without eyes, speaking of some demon he saw before being attacked. More women have these odd foetuses within them and there does not seem to be a logical answer.
It is only when piecing together some of the odd ramblings that the police discover a few old maps that could speak some truth to what has been going on. Could these foetuses be symbolic of something larger? DC Pardoe and DS Patel will have to find some answers or Tooting could again be overrun by some spirits that take no prisoners, leaving only death and destruction.
Graham Masterton proves himself to be more than your average horror writer, tapping into deeper and more complex ideas, while leaving the reader transfixed in a state of something not easily put into words. There is an obvious horror theme that offered needed chills, alongside a well-developed police procedural to keep the reader entertained and seeking answers. The narrative flows with such ease that some of the supernatural aspects are less sci-fi than part of the larger, gory, underlying theme needed to keep the story from getting too sing-song. Great characters provide glimpses into the various aspects of intended message, some dark and others highly relatable to the reader. Masterton does not hold back at all, providing the reader with just what they need in a story that offers subtle and oft direct messages about societal values and ethnic sentiments.
The protagonist roles are again filled by DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel. While they work well together, both have their own backstories and development that will likely appeal to the reader. There are moments of personal growth and connection between them, but it is their police work that takes centre stage throughout. Working the case in their own ways, both bring unique skills to the table and use those to crack the case wide open. The reader will likely want to pay attention to some of the underlying comments made throughout, as it helps see the connection these two have, even if they are not usually working alongside one another. Others who grace the pages of the book offer great contrast and will likely be useful for the reader who wants a well-rounded read.
Graham Masterton does not seek to use gore for the sake of reaction, but weaves it into the middle of the story to develop an effective plot that pushes forward. The narrative clips along with ease, though nothing is as smooth as one might expect, especially with such disturbing aspects that appear in almost every chapter. The characters play their roles well, offering the reader insight into the depth of depravity needed to impact the story effectively. There are spine-chilling moments, but also much to be learned from those who play their role well. Plot twists occur regularly and keep the reader from being able to predict too much, though there are times when things get a little over the top, even for me. I often found myself wondering how well this book would translate into a movie of the horror genre, though there are times I worry it might get a little too over the top. Masterton offers some decent historical references and social commentary for the reader to consider, something I will not reveal here, as it is part and parcel of the overall reading experience. I cannot wait to get started on the latest novel, which I can only hope will be as exciting as these last two.
Kudos, Mr. Masterton, for this unique reading experience. You never cease to amaze me and I hope your fan base counties to grow!
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http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
When called to the scene of a sewer issue, the maintenance team decides to investigate. While they find what they expect, a build-up of fat suppositories, there is something else, almost eerie, that awaits them. When one of the team goes missing underground, the others can only listen to the freakishly loud screams he makes, but cannot locate him. This will mean calling in the authorities, who are just as baffled.
Meanwhile, women around Tooting are developing awful abdominal pains and end up at the hospital. Even more confusing is the fact that ultrasounds show that they are pregnant, while none of them can understand why. Some vow chastity of late, while others purport to have terminated pregnancies in the recent past. What makes it even more baffling is the horrific state of these foetuses on the scans; malformed and looking more horrific than can be put into words. When they are analysed, these foetuses begin taking on a life of their own, attacking others and killing them for no apparent reason. Those who witness the attacks speak of smelling lemon and smoke, as well as seeing some hooded woman who appears as an apparition and speaks of ‘nestlings’.
Brought back together after their unique investigation the yer before, DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel try to make sense out of it all, only to be more baffled than anything. The sewage maintenance worker is found, legless and without eyes, speaking of some demon he saw before being attacked. More women have these odd foetuses within them and there does not seem to be a logical answer.
It is only when piecing together some of the odd ramblings that the police discover a few old maps that could speak some truth to what has been going on. Could these foetuses be symbolic of something larger? DC Pardoe and DS Patel will have to find some answers or Tooting could again be overrun by some spirits that take no prisoners, leaving only death and destruction.
Graham Masterton proves himself to be more than your average horror writer, tapping into deeper and more complex ideas, while leaving the reader transfixed in a state of something not easily put into words. There is an obvious horror theme that offered needed chills, alongside a well-developed police procedural to keep the reader entertained and seeking answers. The narrative flows with such ease that some of the supernatural aspects are less sci-fi than part of the larger, gory, underlying theme needed to keep the story from getting too sing-song. Great characters provide glimpses into the various aspects of intended message, some dark and others highly relatable to the reader. Masterton does not hold back at all, providing the reader with just what they need in a story that offers subtle and oft direct messages about societal values and ethnic sentiments.
The protagonist roles are again filled by DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel. While they work well together, both have their own backstories and development that will likely appeal to the reader. There are moments of personal growth and connection between them, but it is their police work that takes centre stage throughout. Working the case in their own ways, both bring unique skills to the table and use those to crack the case wide open. The reader will likely want to pay attention to some of the underlying comments made throughout, as it helps see the connection these two have, even if they are not usually working alongside one another. Others who grace the pages of the book offer great contrast and will likely be useful for the reader who wants a well-rounded read.
Graham Masterton does not seek to use gore for the sake of reaction, but weaves it into the middle of the story to develop an effective plot that pushes forward. The narrative clips along with ease, though nothing is as smooth as one might expect, especially with such disturbing aspects that appear in almost every chapter. The characters play their roles well, offering the reader insight into the depth of depravity needed to impact the story effectively. There are spine-chilling moments, but also much to be learned from those who play their role well. Plot twists occur regularly and keep the reader from being able to predict too much, though there are times when things get a little over the top, even for me. I often found myself wondering how well this book would translate into a movie of the horror genre, though there are times I worry it might get a little too over the top. Masterton offers some decent historical references and social commentary for the reader to consider, something I will not reveal here, as it is part and parcel of the overall reading experience. I cannot wait to get started on the latest novel, which I can only hope will be as exciting as these last two.
Kudos, Mr. Masterton, for this unique reading experience. You never cease to amaze me and I hope your fan base counties to grow!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
February 11, 2021
THE CHILDREN GOD FORGOT, by Graham Masterton, is a novel I seem to be in the minority on. The story was unique, and had some great, unforgettable scenes. There were two detectives that returned (first appearing in the novel GHOST VIRUS), that I enjoyed seeing again.
This takes place in a multi-cultural area of England, so I was surprised at the amount of racial/gender slurs. Additionally--although it may not have been intended, it came off to me as having a strong "anti-abortion" message. (Which will be fine for some, but may be offensive to others).
The last thing that didn't work for me was the slang/dialog. Obviously, this is a personal issue, as others will get through it just fine. I struggled a bit with some of the more "regional" dialogs.
Overall, good concept, this one just didn't work as well for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy.
This takes place in a multi-cultural area of England, so I was surprised at the amount of racial/gender slurs. Additionally--although it may not have been intended, it came off to me as having a strong "anti-abortion" message. (Which will be fine for some, but may be offensive to others).
The last thing that didn't work for me was the slang/dialog. Obviously, this is a personal issue, as others will get through it just fine. I struggled a bit with some of the more "regional" dialogs.
Overall, good concept, this one just didn't work as well for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy.
January 4, 2021
There is a lot going on in this book. Mysterious pregnancies, murderous mutant fetuses, deformed children skulking through sewers clogged with body parts. I think this is the craziest story I have read in quite some time, but I don't mean that in a bad way. Oh and there's a witch, lets not forget the witch. There are characters in this book from a previous novel "Ghost Virus" which I believe I described as gruesome gore fest of a story but you don't need to have read that to get onto the wild ride of The Children God Forgot. I am pretty good with handling gore but the graphic descriptions of what went on in the sewer had me holding my breath and trying not to suffocate.
I received an advance copy for review.
I received an advance copy for review.
January 22, 2021
The Children God Forgot
by Graham Masterton
Pages: 326
Publisher: Head of Zeus due out February 4, 2021.
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the publisher and the review is voluntary and are all my own opinions.
Are you ready for some really creepy horror involving deformed fetuses that, even after being aborted, can travel about in the sewers causing havoc? Angelic faces, tentacles for a body, they can travel to another woman and insert themselves! They attacks in groups, dismembering anyone in the sewer system. They also have a deadly witch that guards them, Satan's girlfriend no less! Yea, it's that kind of crazy, horror filled, keep the lights on, covers off to watch for the creepy things, and a dog at your side! (The witch is afraid of dogs!)
This is a super creepy book which I love! I love books that remind me of good, old fashioned, scary-the-pants-off-you, unpredictable, and disturbing! This is that!
This has a lot of side mysteries that are horrific and horrifying and soon they all merge into one!
You need an ominous, bloody curdling book yet one that reminds you of a late night horror flick? This is it but scarier than a movie.
Only problem I had is that the dialogue is too real and very British which for a Midwest American it was difficult to follow in places. Had to really think about how it was used to figure out the meaning.
by Graham Masterton
Pages: 326
Publisher: Head of Zeus due out February 4, 2021.
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the publisher and the review is voluntary and are all my own opinions.
Are you ready for some really creepy horror involving deformed fetuses that, even after being aborted, can travel about in the sewers causing havoc? Angelic faces, tentacles for a body, they can travel to another woman and insert themselves! They attacks in groups, dismembering anyone in the sewer system. They also have a deadly witch that guards them, Satan's girlfriend no less! Yea, it's that kind of crazy, horror filled, keep the lights on, covers off to watch for the creepy things, and a dog at your side! (The witch is afraid of dogs!)
This is a super creepy book which I love! I love books that remind me of good, old fashioned, scary-the-pants-off-you, unpredictable, and disturbing! This is that!
This has a lot of side mysteries that are horrific and horrifying and soon they all merge into one!
You need an ominous, bloody curdling book yet one that reminds you of a late night horror flick? This is it but scarier than a movie.
Only problem I had is that the dialogue is too real and very British which for a Midwest American it was difficult to follow in places. Had to really think about how it was used to figure out the meaning.
February 4, 2021
This is a great horror story, the plot, the description was great, and I love Blizzard.
The description is horror: malformed fetuses in the womb or outside, body parts ripped off.
Thank you Netgalley for this nice book.
The description is horror: malformed fetuses in the womb or outside, body parts ripped off.
Thank you Netgalley for this nice book.
January 31, 2021
2/5 stars
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It is definitely one of the stranger and more unique horror books that I have ever read, and I had fun with the weirder aspects of it. It was truly horrifying and disgusting, with quite a lot of body horror. Because this is a horror book, the fact that I was truly horrified and creeped out is obviously a huge plus. Since this book follows multiple storylines, it was fun to explore how the twisty and horrific series of events connected. Regardless of my gripes I had with the writing and the plot in general (which I will discuss next), it was undeniably entertaining and gripping.
My main issue with this book is the uncomfortable feeling I had about some undertones to the story. I don't know if it was the purpose of the author or not, but it definitely had a very strong anti-abortion feel to it. The 'monstrous' and horrifically malformed fetuses in the story came from women who had aborted their pregnancy. It just felt like a sort of punishment for these women. Additionally, the ghost woman (trying to keep this spoiler free so I won't describe her more) kept saying how all human life was sacred and was punishing people for choosing abortion. I just don't like the idea of a male author writing a book that seems to have such a strong anti-abortion message, although I will reiterate that I am not accusing the author of harbouring these feelings or intending this message, but it was just a feeling I couldn't shake while reading.
Similarly, a lot of the dialogue came across feeling either sexist or mildly racist. It is that kind of grey area in which people debate whether it is okay for characters to say discriminatory things without it reflecting badly on the author. But for me, since it added absolutely nothing to the story and felt completely unnecessary, it just left me feeling uncomfortable. The two main female characters in particular, both Gemma and DS Patel, were treated with many micro-aggressions and underhanded comments. While it felt like the author was not necessarily condoning these comments but rather commenting about the characters that said them, it still felt wholly unnecessary. The dialogue more generally was also just quite difficult to follower. It felt quite stilted and all over the place, which took a while to get used to.
While these negative feelings about the book didn't negate the overall uniqueness and enjoyability of the story, it did leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. I feel like we are at a place in literature in which it is no longer tolerable to have major insensitivities in books, no matter how unique or enjoyable the book itself is.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It is definitely one of the stranger and more unique horror books that I have ever read, and I had fun with the weirder aspects of it. It was truly horrifying and disgusting, with quite a lot of body horror. Because this is a horror book, the fact that I was truly horrified and creeped out is obviously a huge plus. Since this book follows multiple storylines, it was fun to explore how the twisty and horrific series of events connected. Regardless of my gripes I had with the writing and the plot in general (which I will discuss next), it was undeniably entertaining and gripping.
My main issue with this book is the uncomfortable feeling I had about some undertones to the story. I don't know if it was the purpose of the author or not, but it definitely had a very strong anti-abortion feel to it. The 'monstrous' and horrifically malformed fetuses in the story came from women who had aborted their pregnancy. It just felt like a sort of punishment for these women. Additionally, the ghost woman (trying to keep this spoiler free so I won't describe her more) kept saying how all human life was sacred and was punishing people for choosing abortion. I just don't like the idea of a male author writing a book that seems to have such a strong anti-abortion message, although I will reiterate that I am not accusing the author of harbouring these feelings or intending this message, but it was just a feeling I couldn't shake while reading.
Similarly, a lot of the dialogue came across feeling either sexist or mildly racist. It is that kind of grey area in which people debate whether it is okay for characters to say discriminatory things without it reflecting badly on the author. But for me, since it added absolutely nothing to the story and felt completely unnecessary, it just left me feeling uncomfortable. The two main female characters in particular, both Gemma and DS Patel, were treated with many micro-aggressions and underhanded comments. While it felt like the author was not necessarily condoning these comments but rather commenting about the characters that said them, it still felt wholly unnecessary. The dialogue more generally was also just quite difficult to follower. It felt quite stilted and all over the place, which took a while to get used to.
While these negative feelings about the book didn't negate the overall uniqueness and enjoyability of the story, it did leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. I feel like we are at a place in literature in which it is no longer tolerable to have major insensitivities in books, no matter how unique or enjoyable the book itself is.
Read
January 31, 2021My first DNF of the year.
The synopsis sounded fantastic
Sadly I bailed by Chapter 3 so never got to the story
Those first two chapters left a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth
Racism, Sexism, Homophobia and Misogyny were all featured in such a way I just couldn't carry on.
The synopsis sounded fantastic
Sadly I bailed by Chapter 3 so never got to the story
Those first two chapters left a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth
Racism, Sexism, Homophobia and Misogyny were all featured in such a way I just couldn't carry on.
January 26, 2022
My thanks to Head of Zeus, Graham.Masterton and Netgalley. It was nice to see my two favorite coppers back. And, yes! That's it. That's the only nice thing I can say about this crapfest. Just a wee bit too political for me, and really kind of racist. I can usually take things in stride, but racist anti abortionists will always send me of the deep end. I'm finally done with this author. I would love to re-read all my faves from him, but I'm afraid of what I might find!
February 9, 2022
The Children God Forgot by Graham Masterton is the second in the Detectives Pardoe and Patel supernatural/horror series.
Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel are called in when there are strange circumstances regarding a case. They are becoming used to the supernatural aspects of their jobs. Jerry has a bit of a crush on Jamila, mind you he seems to have a crush on most females. He has a young daughter, and an ex-wife.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A woman, suffering from intense stomach pains, crashes her car. She delivers a seriously deformed fetus, although she is sure she could not be pregnant.
A sewage engineer, trying to determine the extent of a blockage, sees what she thinks is a child running through the mess, and a severed hand. On a second check of the sewer, her boss goes missing, only to be found later with missing limbs and eyes.
The detectives are originally called to investigate the missing man in the sewer, but soon find themselves looking into horrifying births, shadowy women, and strange lights.
My Opinions:
I had to go and locate this book, because I have recently discovered I have read the first and the third. I hate mixing things up, but there isn't really a need to read these in order, so if you are not as anal as I am, it's okay if you miss one.....although I am reviewing them in order
Note that I enjoyed the first book in this series, but wasn't thrilled. Now I am hooked.
The premise is really bizarre....but that's okay.
If you love horror, and you love gore, these books are for you! The graphic details that the author imparts are intense! I now know more about sewers and cesspits than I ever wanted to know....and I have never been a fan of abortion....but even less so now. I am quite sure that the author chooses his topics and his wording for the shock value, and he does indeed shock. There's quite a bit of sexist, homophobic, and racial slurs in here, but, it is what it is. He is an equal-opportunity offender, and quite easily offends everyone.
Overall, the book had it's hooks in me, and dug deep. This book is definitely not for everyone, but I admit to enjoying it!
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, author information and a favorite quotation or two from the book), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
August 10, 2024
This has truly got to be one of the most awful books I have ever read. When I first got this book I was very intrigued by the plot, however I did notice that only male writer’s comments were on the front of the book. I didn’t think anything of it, but god it makes sense now. From the start I was hooked but then very odd things were put in. First things first, women are extremely over sexualised with heavy breasts, pouting lips and don’t get me started with the two page description of an aborted monster baby trying to make its way up a woman’s genitals. Absolutely horrific!!! The police in the book were homophobic saying “L in the LGBTQ” and the British white doctor constantly asking how to pronounce a Nigerian woman’s surname. I couldn’t even get past chapter six before stopping to read it. As a female reader I am extremely disappointed in this book, the author and Stephen King for leaving a positive review. This book is the definition of “it is so bad I want to give you a zero, but I can’t so I give you a one”.
January 28, 2021
Revenge of the dead babies? As a woman let me just say, what a horrifying beginning! Graham Masterton's writing is so vivid in this book that I could feel everything. The sewer was fantastically gross and Jerry and Mallett interview with Rusul had me cackling. This book has everything: an evil witch, nauseating body horror, likeable characters, a bit of comedy but still heart thumping suspense. The creepy weirdness of the nestlings pushed this novel into the 5 star zone for me. This one will be another hit for Masterton.
Words to describe this story: "bizarre" and "horrifically unique".
Words to describe this story: "bizarre" and "horrifically unique".
February 22, 2022
WARNING: DON'T READ THIS WHEN YOU ARE HOME ALONE!!
December 31, 2020
Last one of the year...
Wow loved this. The children God forgot by Graham Masterton is only the second book from the author I have read, and I am a fan already.
A woman with stabbing pains arrives at the hospital barely breathing when she is given a C-section. The women have not had sex for a long time, so she wonders how this happened. But the foetus that is delivered is horrifically malformed. But it still lives. When the nurse takes a short break, the foetus has disappeared only hours later another woman comes in who had a abortion only to find out that there is a baby inside which is identical to the one previous.
This book is a weird, terrifying book but got hooked from the first page. I have not read anything like this before but enjoyed it not only for its uniqueness but its originality. This has everything you want a gripping book, but also a horror book which is also part police procedural too. Loved it five stars from me.
Wow loved this. The children God forgot by Graham Masterton is only the second book from the author I have read, and I am a fan already.
A woman with stabbing pains arrives at the hospital barely breathing when she is given a C-section. The women have not had sex for a long time, so she wonders how this happened. But the foetus that is delivered is horrifically malformed. But it still lives. When the nurse takes a short break, the foetus has disappeared only hours later another woman comes in who had a abortion only to find out that there is a baby inside which is identical to the one previous.
This book is a weird, terrifying book but got hooked from the first page. I have not read anything like this before but enjoyed it not only for its uniqueness but its originality. This has everything you want a gripping book, but also a horror book which is also part police procedural too. Loved it five stars from me.
January 15, 2021
I always start a review of any Graham Masterton book with a little of my own (ancient) history. During the 1980s my teenage years were spent devouring Masterton's horror novels. School homework? Pfft, what school homework?! I loved getting my hands on anything he'd written. As he has aged so have I. Now, almost 40 years later, I feel immensely nostalgic whenever a new Masterton book is published.
Well, what can I say except that this was one crazy bizarre read! Malformed foetuses are hopping from womb to womb. Yes, you heard me right! Imagine going to bed and sensing movement underneath the bedcovers. Suddenly you're wide awake fighting off a spider-like creature with an oversized cherubic baby's head. As if that's not terrifying enough, it's creeping up your legs trying to burrow itself inside you, EEK!
I really enjoyed this book, the second in the series featuring DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel. It was such a fun read with likeable characters. Yes, it was gory and definitely not for the fainthearted but those of us who've grown up reading twisted 1980s horror will love it.
Set in multi-cultural London, it contained a fair amount of British humour which lightened the mood — there were moments when I literally couldn't stop laughing at the sheer craziness! It was outrageously entertaining and I do hope a third book is in the pipeline.
Book Source: Review copy from the publisher
Read my review on my blog: https://bit.ly/2LTuoxO
Well, what can I say except that this was one crazy bizarre read! Malformed foetuses are hopping from womb to womb. Yes, you heard me right! Imagine going to bed and sensing movement underneath the bedcovers. Suddenly you're wide awake fighting off a spider-like creature with an oversized cherubic baby's head. As if that's not terrifying enough, it's creeping up your legs trying to burrow itself inside you, EEK!
I really enjoyed this book, the second in the series featuring DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel. It was such a fun read with likeable characters. Yes, it was gory and definitely not for the fainthearted but those of us who've grown up reading twisted 1980s horror will love it.
Set in multi-cultural London, it contained a fair amount of British humour which lightened the mood — there were moments when I literally couldn't stop laughing at the sheer craziness! It was outrageously entertaining and I do hope a third book is in the pipeline.
Book Source: Review copy from the publisher
Read my review on my blog: https://bit.ly/2LTuoxO
February 9, 2022
DNF after one third
Using racist and homophobic actions without any challenge or exploration of the issues is for me a terrible approach. Felt more like a book enjoying being deliberately unpleasant
Dialogue also hackneyed and plot glacial reads like 1980s leftovers - I will not read this author again
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Using racist and homophobic actions without any challenge or exploration of the issues is for me a terrible approach. Felt more like a book enjoying being deliberately unpleasant
Dialogue also hackneyed and plot glacial reads like 1980s leftovers - I will not read this author again
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
May 10, 2021
Este libro es anticonceptivo.
Y puede que les haga adoptar un perro.
Y puede que les haga adoptar un perro.
February 17, 2021
The Children God Forgot by Graham Masterton is a terrifying story that pulls many of the different horror levers.
The story starts with pain, visceral stabbing pain in a woman's belly. The woman in question wakes up in the hospital, completely confused. She finds out she is pregnant, which is impossible. There is no way that she could be pregnant; she had an abortion three months ago. The doctors perform an emergency c-section and deliver a horrifically malformed fetus. One that could not possibly be alive, but it is. Major Cthulu vibes here. Then a rash of strange births and pregnancy sweep through London.
"How much worse could her life become, if she wasn't even allowed to die?"
Simultaneously, sewage engineer Gemma, owner of the sewage company, and cameraman make a routine check in a section of London's sewers. As they travel through the engulfing claustrophobic darkness of a sewer pipe, they discover a fatberg, a stony mound of toilet paper, and grease clogging the sewer flow. They also find a severed women's hand floating in the refuse. Immediately, chaos happens, lights flash, electricity arcs, and the three workers are thrown into utter and complete darkness while trudging through human waste. To say that the moment is something of nightmares would be an understatement.
Up ahead around the pipe bend, the three workers can see child-like figures glowing amongst the waste. Child-like figures made of claws, horribly and inhumanly disfigured, that move with lightning speed. They make a run for it, and all make it out except for Gemma's boss, who disappears only to be found later with his legs amputated and his eyes ripped from the sockets.
DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of the supernatural squad team up once again to delve into what is lurking in London's sewers and if it is going to stop with one dismembered body or if there will be more.
Spoiler alert, there will be more. Because, of course, there will be. Masterton will be Masterton, and it won't be just one type of horror. He is going to poke and prod every kind of horror with a stick. He makes you squirm and scream and feel sick. I think that you could have a solid horror story of just the sewer part of the story because, especially for someone with claustrophobia...holy shit. But, there is a robust supernatural angle to this story. What are these things that look like malformed children, and who is the woman with the knives that keeps appearing?
Unfortunately, I will have to stop the description there because it will give it away if I say anymore. Imagine something like The Strain, but with occult vibes taking place in a sewer. Now top it all off with a police procedural, and you won't be far off. Because at the story's heart is a case that needs to get solved.
The supernatural squad is a competent duo. There is no flash with them, aside from wanting to get to the heart of the case. They had appeared together in the novel Ghost Virus; if you have read that, you would be familiar with the pair. However, reading the previous installment in no way affects your enjoyment of this one.
The Children God Forgot will not be for everyone because this is some deep body horror. It is terrifying. I'd put some trigger warnings, flaying, abortion, claustrophobic spaces; there is a lot. If you can't make it through the first three chapters of this book, you will not like what is in store. It will only get scarier and darker with a lot more gore. I love horror, and even I had to put the e-reader down now and then. Because, wow, some of these scenes are dark as hell. One particular one included one of these monstrous fetus-creatures eating a cat and tearing it apart with a cracking sound of a broken rib cage—bits of fur flying everywhere. You get the point.
If you love horror of all sorts and want to be scared, The Children God Forgot is for you. Masterton is, well, a master of writing horror. If you are new to his books. Congratulations, you are in for a hell of a ride! I know that some of these scenes will be burned on your brain like Masterton used an actual branding iron; I promise you will recover from the cat scene and a few others soon.
The story starts with pain, visceral stabbing pain in a woman's belly. The woman in question wakes up in the hospital, completely confused. She finds out she is pregnant, which is impossible. There is no way that she could be pregnant; she had an abortion three months ago. The doctors perform an emergency c-section and deliver a horrifically malformed fetus. One that could not possibly be alive, but it is. Major Cthulu vibes here. Then a rash of strange births and pregnancy sweep through London.
"How much worse could her life become, if she wasn't even allowed to die?"
Simultaneously, sewage engineer Gemma, owner of the sewage company, and cameraman make a routine check in a section of London's sewers. As they travel through the engulfing claustrophobic darkness of a sewer pipe, they discover a fatberg, a stony mound of toilet paper, and grease clogging the sewer flow. They also find a severed women's hand floating in the refuse. Immediately, chaos happens, lights flash, electricity arcs, and the three workers are thrown into utter and complete darkness while trudging through human waste. To say that the moment is something of nightmares would be an understatement.
Up ahead around the pipe bend, the three workers can see child-like figures glowing amongst the waste. Child-like figures made of claws, horribly and inhumanly disfigured, that move with lightning speed. They make a run for it, and all make it out except for Gemma's boss, who disappears only to be found later with his legs amputated and his eyes ripped from the sockets.
DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of the supernatural squad team up once again to delve into what is lurking in London's sewers and if it is going to stop with one dismembered body or if there will be more.
Spoiler alert, there will be more. Because, of course, there will be. Masterton will be Masterton, and it won't be just one type of horror. He is going to poke and prod every kind of horror with a stick. He makes you squirm and scream and feel sick. I think that you could have a solid horror story of just the sewer part of the story because, especially for someone with claustrophobia...holy shit. But, there is a robust supernatural angle to this story. What are these things that look like malformed children, and who is the woman with the knives that keeps appearing?
Unfortunately, I will have to stop the description there because it will give it away if I say anymore. Imagine something like The Strain, but with occult vibes taking place in a sewer. Now top it all off with a police procedural, and you won't be far off. Because at the story's heart is a case that needs to get solved.
The supernatural squad is a competent duo. There is no flash with them, aside from wanting to get to the heart of the case. They had appeared together in the novel Ghost Virus; if you have read that, you would be familiar with the pair. However, reading the previous installment in no way affects your enjoyment of this one.
The Children God Forgot will not be for everyone because this is some deep body horror. It is terrifying. I'd put some trigger warnings, flaying, abortion, claustrophobic spaces; there is a lot. If you can't make it through the first three chapters of this book, you will not like what is in store. It will only get scarier and darker with a lot more gore. I love horror, and even I had to put the e-reader down now and then. Because, wow, some of these scenes are dark as hell. One particular one included one of these monstrous fetus-creatures eating a cat and tearing it apart with a cracking sound of a broken rib cage—bits of fur flying everywhere. You get the point.
If you love horror of all sorts and want to be scared, The Children God Forgot is for you. Masterton is, well, a master of writing horror. If you are new to his books. Congratulations, you are in for a hell of a ride! I know that some of these scenes will be burned on your brain like Masterton used an actual branding iron; I promise you will recover from the cat scene and a few others soon.
February 23, 2021
“It’s so beautiful” she whispered, “How can anything so horrible be so beautiful.”
So difficult to review without giving away any of the gory, twisted details.
The beginning is an absolute crazy ride, nonstop cinematic tense action that forces you to keep reading. I caught myself muttering “no, no, no...” repeatedly and I felt violated like the words crawled up inside me and were burrowing around.
Beings in the sewers, deformed feotus’ striving to stay alive, a long dead witch, and two detectives trying to piece it all together...this book made me cringe and squirm.
“Nobody else wanted to have it on their service record that they had spent weeks chasing fortunes with eight legs and a hooded figure made of smoke.”
This book was so good that I didn’t want to read it because I didn’t want it to end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
So difficult to review without giving away any of the gory, twisted details.
The beginning is an absolute crazy ride, nonstop cinematic tense action that forces you to keep reading. I caught myself muttering “no, no, no...” repeatedly and I felt violated like the words crawled up inside me and were burrowing around.
Beings in the sewers, deformed feotus’ striving to stay alive, a long dead witch, and two detectives trying to piece it all together...this book made me cringe and squirm.
“Nobody else wanted to have it on their service record that they had spent weeks chasing fortunes with eight legs and a hooded figure made of smoke.”
This book was so good that I didn’t want to read it because I didn’t want it to end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2021
Minor spoilers
“Oh dear god I can’t believe this. What are they going to look like when they’re born? And what are you going to do with them, once they are?”
Quite a few unexpected turns with Masterton’s latest release and the story is abhorrently crafted. Two English detectives who specialize in supernatural occurrences (they also appear in “Ghost Virus”, which I will also check out) put their habitual murder cases on hold after a couple of foul incidents start sweeping London, primarily a commercial sewer blockage. Investigators call it another industrial accident at first, but a project manager gets sucked into the fatberg, only to be found mutilated and covered in excrement once his body is retrieved.
At the same time, a hybridized storyline involving aborted fetuses who insert themselves into the wombs of innocent women surfaces. Both plots sound ridiculous, and they are at first. Masterton has a lot of ethnic and turd humor in the early chapters-the raunchy fart jokes are delivered fashionably with smart-witted Cockney dialect-and once he gets that off his chest, things take a violent turn-piles of dead bodies, graveyards, suicidal tendencies. Somehow, they all coincide with the runaway fetuses and mysterious sewers.
I wanted to give this a five, but the ending was rushed into delivery and seemed unfinished.
I still highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing the free e-ARC.
“Oh dear god I can’t believe this. What are they going to look like when they’re born? And what are you going to do with them, once they are?”
Quite a few unexpected turns with Masterton’s latest release and the story is abhorrently crafted. Two English detectives who specialize in supernatural occurrences (they also appear in “Ghost Virus”, which I will also check out) put their habitual murder cases on hold after a couple of foul incidents start sweeping London, primarily a commercial sewer blockage. Investigators call it another industrial accident at first, but a project manager gets sucked into the fatberg, only to be found mutilated and covered in excrement once his body is retrieved.
At the same time, a hybridized storyline involving aborted fetuses who insert themselves into the wombs of innocent women surfaces. Both plots sound ridiculous, and they are at first. Masterton has a lot of ethnic and turd humor in the early chapters-the raunchy fart jokes are delivered fashionably with smart-witted Cockney dialect-and once he gets that off his chest, things take a violent turn-piles of dead bodies, graveyards, suicidal tendencies. Somehow, they all coincide with the runaway fetuses and mysterious sewers.
I wanted to give this a five, but the ending was rushed into delivery and seemed unfinished.
I still highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing the free e-ARC.
August 18, 2022
My second time reading Graham Masterton and I must say I am not overly impressed. A fairly basic supernatural police procedural novel.
May 2, 2021
(I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review)
A young woman is rushed to the hospital with stabbing pains in her stomach. The chief surgeon informs her that she is pregnant, even if she knows this is impossible. And there’s something wrong with the baby…
The Children God Forgot starts with a bang. You read the first few pages and you’re immediately hooked and compelled to what comes next. And, boy, oh boy, I was not ready for what came next… AT ALL.
The story is intriguing in its own. It kind of turned towards something I was not expecting and felt kind of rushed in the end, but it was a very interesting reading.
I really enjoyed the main characters as well, because they feel like real people. I have to admit my first impression of DC Jerry Pardoe was awful to say the least. His description of a fellow colleague made me roll my eyes - She had high cheekbones and feline eyes(…) her white uniform blouse only emphasised her very large breasts (…) the face of a TV weather girl and the figure of a Playboy model’- and it was only page 7 of 312! Thankfully, his character kind of changed? Evolved? and I could enjoy his misadventures with DS Jamila Patel, my favourite. She’s witty and has the best dialogues in the book.
There’s something I really need to address, though: this is, as today, the most brutal, graphic, clinically detailed body-horror book I’ve come across. From the very beginning, the writer describes everything that is happening inside the body of a woman who shouldn’t be pregnant but it is, describes the foetus that shouldn’t be alive but it definitely is…. And I just couldn’t. I’ve been reading horror my whole life, and I can count with one hand the times I needed to stop reading, take a long breath, and continue. As the story (and the horror) advanced, I reached the point where I thought maybe this was not a good after-lunch reading after all.
Does this mean it is a bad book? No, absolutely no. The writing is good, the characters are good, the story is good. It just isn’t for me. I will recommend it to readers who are looking for a bad, bloody, witchy trip, though.
A young woman is rushed to the hospital with stabbing pains in her stomach. The chief surgeon informs her that she is pregnant, even if she knows this is impossible. And there’s something wrong with the baby…
The Children God Forgot starts with a bang. You read the first few pages and you’re immediately hooked and compelled to what comes next. And, boy, oh boy, I was not ready for what came next… AT ALL.
The story is intriguing in its own. It kind of turned towards something I was not expecting and felt kind of rushed in the end, but it was a very interesting reading.
I really enjoyed the main characters as well, because they feel like real people. I have to admit my first impression of DC Jerry Pardoe was awful to say the least. His description of a fellow colleague made me roll my eyes - She had high cheekbones and feline eyes(…) her white uniform blouse only emphasised her very large breasts (…) the face of a TV weather girl and the figure of a Playboy model’- and it was only page 7 of 312! Thankfully, his character kind of changed? Evolved? and I could enjoy his misadventures with DS Jamila Patel, my favourite. She’s witty and has the best dialogues in the book.
There’s something I really need to address, though: this is, as today, the most brutal, graphic, clinically detailed body-horror book I’ve come across. From the very beginning, the writer describes everything that is happening inside the body of a woman who shouldn’t be pregnant but it is, describes the foetus that shouldn’t be alive but it definitely is…. And I just couldn’t. I’ve been reading horror my whole life, and I can count with one hand the times I needed to stop reading, take a long breath, and continue. As the story (and the horror) advanced, I reached the point where I thought maybe this was not a good after-lunch reading after all.
Does this mean it is a bad book? No, absolutely no. The writing is good, the characters are good, the story is good. It just isn’t for me. I will recommend it to readers who are looking for a bad, bloody, witchy trip, though.
November 25, 2020
I've been a fan of Graham Masterton for decades and am delighted at this continuation of the intriguing police partnership of London police officers Detective Sergeant Jamila Patel and the rougher-quality Detective Constable Jerry Pardoe, first paired in GHOST VIRUS [2018]. Although the two officers are assigned to different stations, they share a reputation as capable of deciphering "the weird," and the current set of tragedies can't get much more weird. Say goodbye to practicality and logic. This is Weird, this is Supernatural, this is seriously over-the-top.
Strong Caution: The Horror contained here is Extreme, including a substantial amount of Body Horror. Much of the violence is perpetrated on women and girls, who are targeted due to the functions of the human reproductive system. Violence is also perpetrated against males, and there are references to prior episodes of violence against women and men, and to child fatalities. Abortion is a significant issue here as are congenital birth defects, stillbirth and miscarriage, and thalidomide. So sensitive readers, be aware.
Strong Caution: The Horror contained here is Extreme, including a substantial amount of Body Horror. Much of the violence is perpetrated on women and girls, who are targeted due to the functions of the human reproductive system. Violence is also perpetrated against males, and there are references to prior episodes of violence against women and men, and to child fatalities. Abortion is a significant issue here as are congenital birth defects, stillbirth and miscarriage, and thalidomide. So sensitive readers, be aware.
December 21, 2021
Strange fetus creatures are crawling into women while they sleep. The sewers have become more dangerous as something is killing those who enter. A very good creepy monster story. Good pace and gory details. I've since found out this is second in a series. These are about a police detective team who investigate unusual and supernatural cases. Will be reading the first book.
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