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The Forbidden Room
You and your partner are looking forward to a romantic break in the rugged landscape of West Cork, on the south west coast of Ireland. Cliff walks, seafood dinners and spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean.But a storm is brewing.Your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no phone signal. So you start walking. You search for help. And you find it. At an isolated house, a family gives you shelter… but something is wrong.The husband has a head wound. The son is too terrified to speak. And the wife forbids you from going near her other son’s bedroom.This short, sharp novel will keep you up all night.
114 pages, Paperback
Published April 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 4, 2020
Well it got me on the edge of my seat straight from the beginning. I felt so tense reading this, the ending was a little abrupt, or maybe I just wanted more. Great short dark story 4 shiny 🌟
May 6, 2020
The Forbidden Room by Alan Gorevan is a satisfyingly creepy book, which had me on the edge of my seat right the way through. With an eerie sense of foreboding peppering the pages, coupled with the dark and dangerous setting, I raced through this novella in just a few hours, excited to see where the author would take his characters, because when it comes to stories like this, the options really are endless. It certainly had those much-desired qualities of a horror-suspense novel, and reminded me a little of Mark Edwards’ writing, who is another author who excels in this genre and whose work I absolutely love. This was pacey, tense and undeniably sinister. I only wish Gorevan had written this into a full-length novel rather than a novella, because it really was brilliant.
In The Forbidden Room by Alan Gorevan, readers meet Caroline and Jason, whose car has just broken down in the middle of nowhere, as torrential rain and violent wind batters them both. While Jason “pretends” to fix the car, Caroline panics. There’s no phone signal, and no other vehicles passing by. All she’d wanted was a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway with her boyfriend. Now, it seems all she’s getting is soaked and thrown about by wind sweeping in from the Atlantic Ocean. After a near-miss with a wild SUV driver, Charlotte and Jason eventually, and luckily, find somewhere to take shelter. But as is so often the case in these situations, nothing is ever as simple as it first appears to be.
Gorevan creates such a strong atmospheric setting for Caroline and Jason to be trapped within. It’s dark and stormy, and his characters truly are isolated. With no around to call for help, the tension sky-rockets and it’s impossible not to feel worried for the couple as they try to figure out their next move. Of course, when Caroline is almost run over, it does nothing to help ease the panic that absolutely saturates the tone of the novella at this point. Gorevan’s descriptions of the storm and the emptiness surrounding them evokes such a sense of helplessness, I couldn’t help but to share the feeling with them.
Once invited inside Doreen and Steve’s humble abode which they stumble upon a little later, it instantly becomes clear that stepping one foot over the threshold is a mighty mistake to have made but, when soaked to the bones in rain, it’s not hard to understand why they’d be willing to take a chance. Doreen and Steven certainly seem nice enough, but it’s impossible to ignore the uneasiness that settled between the foursome once inside. I wanted to scream at them to get out and leave before the option was taken away from them, before something terrible happened, and my instincts told me that it would. Everything points to this family of four, with their two sons, being more than a little odd. From Caroline’s clothes disappearing when she’s in the shower, to Doreen snapping icily when Caroline innocently heads to the wrong door, I couldn’t wait to see how this entire situation would escalate, and what it would to lead to.
Gorevan handles his characters with ease, and although there is not much room to delve deeply into all of their individual backgrounds what with this being a novella, I feel we find out enough to at least feel satisfied. Caroline and Jason are a fairly new couple, whereas Doreen and Steve appear to have been together for a long time, what with two sons. They also seem very settled in their home, and at ease with how isolated they are. Liam, one of said sons, really intrigued me. He was troubled and it’s not hard to understand why. I think I’d be troubled too, if Doreen and Steve were my parents. It becomes clear that Liam has suffered abuse at the hands of his parents, and the abuse is still taking place now. When Liam’s true plan for Caroline and Jason comes to light, and the reasoning behind what part he played in their detour, I really felt for him, and hoped against hope that he would achieve what he’d set out to do.
All in all, The Forbidden Room by Alan Gorevan was subtly explosive novella, which was fast-paced and sharp with a sinister edge to it that held me captivated from first page to last. Although a little predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but really wished this was longer, with a deeper delve into the characters’ lives. Aside from that, I loved this short and punchy thriller, and it will be receiving a rating of four out of five stars from me today.
With thanks to Alan Gorevan for providing me with a review copy of The Forbidden Room, that of which has no reflection on me giving a fair and honest review.
In The Forbidden Room by Alan Gorevan, readers meet Caroline and Jason, whose car has just broken down in the middle of nowhere, as torrential rain and violent wind batters them both. While Jason “pretends” to fix the car, Caroline panics. There’s no phone signal, and no other vehicles passing by. All she’d wanted was a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway with her boyfriend. Now, it seems all she’s getting is soaked and thrown about by wind sweeping in from the Atlantic Ocean. After a near-miss with a wild SUV driver, Charlotte and Jason eventually, and luckily, find somewhere to take shelter. But as is so often the case in these situations, nothing is ever as simple as it first appears to be.
Gorevan creates such a strong atmospheric setting for Caroline and Jason to be trapped within. It’s dark and stormy, and his characters truly are isolated. With no around to call for help, the tension sky-rockets and it’s impossible not to feel worried for the couple as they try to figure out their next move. Of course, when Caroline is almost run over, it does nothing to help ease the panic that absolutely saturates the tone of the novella at this point. Gorevan’s descriptions of the storm and the emptiness surrounding them evokes such a sense of helplessness, I couldn’t help but to share the feeling with them.
Once invited inside Doreen and Steve’s humble abode which they stumble upon a little later, it instantly becomes clear that stepping one foot over the threshold is a mighty mistake to have made but, when soaked to the bones in rain, it’s not hard to understand why they’d be willing to take a chance. Doreen and Steven certainly seem nice enough, but it’s impossible to ignore the uneasiness that settled between the foursome once inside. I wanted to scream at them to get out and leave before the option was taken away from them, before something terrible happened, and my instincts told me that it would. Everything points to this family of four, with their two sons, being more than a little odd. From Caroline’s clothes disappearing when she’s in the shower, to Doreen snapping icily when Caroline innocently heads to the wrong door, I couldn’t wait to see how this entire situation would escalate, and what it would to lead to.
Gorevan handles his characters with ease, and although there is not much room to delve deeply into all of their individual backgrounds what with this being a novella, I feel we find out enough to at least feel satisfied. Caroline and Jason are a fairly new couple, whereas Doreen and Steve appear to have been together for a long time, what with two sons. They also seem very settled in their home, and at ease with how isolated they are. Liam, one of said sons, really intrigued me. He was troubled and it’s not hard to understand why. I think I’d be troubled too, if Doreen and Steve were my parents. It becomes clear that Liam has suffered abuse at the hands of his parents, and the abuse is still taking place now. When Liam’s true plan for Caroline and Jason comes to light, and the reasoning behind what part he played in their detour, I really felt for him, and hoped against hope that he would achieve what he’d set out to do.
All in all, The Forbidden Room by Alan Gorevan was subtly explosive novella, which was fast-paced and sharp with a sinister edge to it that held me captivated from first page to last. Although a little predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but really wished this was longer, with a deeper delve into the characters’ lives. Aside from that, I loved this short and punchy thriller, and it will be receiving a rating of four out of five stars from me today.
With thanks to Alan Gorevan for providing me with a review copy of The Forbidden Room, that of which has no reflection on me giving a fair and honest review.
February 8, 2021
Short and oh so bitter
Happy Valentine's Day. Another short, tense, action packed novella from the masterful Alan Gorevan. In a fast paced story, Alan Gorevan manages to create a palpable feeling of tension, dread, atmosphere and vivid imagery and excellent character. But without the need for overlong description. The characters and scene play easily in your head.
The plot advances quickly and by the end you are swept along like a wild west Cork Atlantic storm.
Happy Valentine's Day. Another short, tense, action packed novella from the masterful Alan Gorevan. In a fast paced story, Alan Gorevan manages to create a palpable feeling of tension, dread, atmosphere and vivid imagery and excellent character. But without the need for overlong description. The characters and scene play easily in your head.
The plot advances quickly and by the end you are swept along like a wild west Cork Atlantic storm.
August 17, 2020
I needed this little pocket sized read in my life - it had everything I needed to get out of a book slump.
For such a short read, the author managed to elicit strong feelings in me regarding all of the characters, which is something I find incredibly important when enjoying a book.
A couple break down on a deserted country road and are forced to walk to the nearest house for assistance, but it becomes clear that their car difficulties were part of a plan to reveal the unsavoury truth about the house and the family that live there.
It was atmospheric, suspenseful and the ending didn't disappoint.
For such a short read, the author managed to elicit strong feelings in me regarding all of the characters, which is something I find incredibly important when enjoying a book.
A couple break down on a deserted country road and are forced to walk to the nearest house for assistance, but it becomes clear that their car difficulties were part of a plan to reveal the unsavoury truth about the house and the family that live there.
It was atmospheric, suspenseful and the ending didn't disappoint.
November 26, 2020
After speaking to Alan on a recent podcast, I was eager to start reading his books. The idea of some short stories appealed to me to add something extra in between books.
Even if they are of the same genre as I usually read, they help break up the monotony of novels and longer books.
This was the first one of Alan's books that jumped out at me. The fact that it is set in Ireland, and the cover caught my eye.
This book starts with a scenario that you just know is going to lead to trouble. But the trouble that awaits Caroline and Jason after their car beaks down unravels into a shocking and edge of your seat thriller that you can't put down.
I will be reading by Alan thats for sure.
Even if they are of the same genre as I usually read, they help break up the monotony of novels and longer books.
This was the first one of Alan's books that jumped out at me. The fact that it is set in Ireland, and the cover caught my eye.
This book starts with a scenario that you just know is going to lead to trouble. But the trouble that awaits Caroline and Jason after their car beaks down unravels into a shocking and edge of your seat thriller that you can't put down.
I will be reading by Alan thats for sure.
January 31, 2021
Wow! Alan Gorevan does it again! This was a fast-paced thriller that didn't even allow me to draw breath. Events kept unfolding that kept me glued to my seat. Thanks to Gorevan's brilliant writing, I've been up all night reading this book. I can assure you that once you start reading it, you will finish it in a single sitting. Gorevan is definitely a writer to watch out for and I wouldn't at all be surprised if he turns out to be the next Lee Child. Highly recommend this compulsive thriller that will take you to the the Irish coast and won't let you rest until you've devoured every single page. Go for it. You can thank me later!
March 11, 2022
Caroline Doherty and Jason Murphy are heading up to the mountains for a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway, but something goes wrong. Their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and a storm’s brewing. They make their way to a secluded house… but something feels off. With the storm, they are forced to stay the night. The parents seem kind of weird and intimidating, and the son seems nervous. What is going on in this house?
This was an incredibly quick read, but it was so good. It was interesting trying to figure out what was in the forbidden room and what the mystery in the house was. Gorevan never fails to produce thrillers that keep you on edge.
This was an incredibly quick read, but it was so good. It was interesting trying to figure out what was in the forbidden room and what the mystery in the house was. Gorevan never fails to produce thrillers that keep you on edge.
March 7, 2024
Caroline and Jason are off for a Valentine’s weekend in west Cork, when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
When a car fails to stop to help them, and almost knocks Caroline over, they decide to go and see if they can find somewhere to stay.
They find a house, all on its own near the sea. Steve and Doreen invite them in and appear to be great hosts. But what are they hiding?
This story did scare me a little as I had no idea what was going to happen! I liked the subtle little twists in the story, they were a clever idea to add.
The story was chilling and made for a great thriller. I ploughed through this book, my only regret was that it wasn’t longer.
When a car fails to stop to help them, and almost knocks Caroline over, they decide to go and see if they can find somewhere to stay.
They find a house, all on its own near the sea. Steve and Doreen invite them in and appear to be great hosts. But what are they hiding?
This story did scare me a little as I had no idea what was going to happen! I liked the subtle little twists in the story, they were a clever idea to add.
The story was chilling and made for a great thriller. I ploughed through this book, my only regret was that it wasn’t longer.
April 22, 2020
One of the best thrillers I've read. I have never put down a book and started reading another one, until I picked up this book. The atmosphere and chilling, descriptive writing had me glued to the pages. I actually felt like I was with these characters. The chilling feeling just keeps escalating. It was so well-written that I couldn't put it down. This was a very frightening book and the author is brilliant, in the way he grabs you and doesn't let go! I just wanted this book to be so much longer so it wouldn't end. Highly recommend! 5 Stars!
April 16, 2020
The plot gripped me from beginning to the end, my heart raced together with the scenes that's happening in the book. I was truly scared like as if it's happening to me too. The description of scenes although not enough to build up tension, it's enough to make you imagine. For a short story, the author did fairly well in instilling the emotions you get from this genre.
September 5, 2021
What a thrilling novel! I really enjoyed discovering western Ireland in this book. The characters are well written and leap off the page. This one will stay with you long after youve turned the final page!
April 6, 2020
An interesting creepy read, over all.
Read it one sitting, it kept me hooked throughout.
It was well written.
Read it one sitting, it kept me hooked throughout.
It was well written.
April 8, 2021
Unfinished ending.
Would of preferred a proper ending to find out what actually happened to the characters. It was a good story and I wished it had of carried on.
Would of preferred a proper ending to find out what actually happened to the characters. It was a good story and I wished it had of carried on.
May 17, 2022
An eerie but gripping tale of how we shouldn’t believe all that we see. Set in West Ireland, I really enjoyed this novel. Another winner from Alan Gorevan, one that I would highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews