Recursion

by David J. Harrison

Everything that is going to happen already has. During a disruption in the timeline of a sleepy Lake District village, the erratic and strung-out artist Haruki Kensagi cannot help but feel that he’s been here before, either in his past or in his future. Haruki, struggling with both his painting and his mental health, disappears. His long-suffering wife Jane Kensagi, herself a brilliant musician, interrupts her career to look for him unaware that a malignant and ageless entity awaits them both under the dark fells of the Lake District. The estranged couple becomes caught up in a dangerously recursive series of events surrounding a dormant cosmic force. They encounter a cabal of enigmatic characters who may hinder or help in equal measure. And over all this madness, the monstrous but charismatic Captain presides; part faith healer, part cult-leader, all saviour. Haruki and Jane are taken to the limits of sanity and beyond in their attempt to escape from the evil that has been unleashed.

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 28, 2021

Reviews

[D.J. Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

In case you were wondering this isn't one of my novels. I write as D J Harrison. This brilliant author is David j Harrison. Recursion is really very very good. I inhaled the whole book in a couple of sittings finding it compelling, exciting and thoroughly satisfying. There's more to come and I for one can't wait.

[PJ Mblt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the pageturner!

This was definitely slightly outside of my comfort zone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pacing was perfect and allowed me to finish this in a few sittings. It reminded me of the latest season of Twin Peaks in its bleakness and although the plot jumped around quite a lot, due to the limited amount of characters it all seemed quite easy to follow.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Stephen King, the Dune mythology but equally Octavia Butler and maybe even Murakami (the intensely descriptive tofu scene and Haruki's relationships with both Maggie and Jane gave me massive Murakami vibes).

4*

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning - This thrilling,addictive blend of multiple genre's will seriously mess with your head but in a very good way.

The captivating story is set in multiple time frames and predominantly written from the perspectives of estranged couple Haruki and Jane Kensagi. After their lives cross paths with the mysterious and enigmatic Captain, Haruki and Jane find themselves caught up in a terrifying battle for survival. But how do you outwit a enemy when time frames keep shifting and you struggle to comprehend what has or hasn't occurred and differentiate between friend and foe.As the story unfolded,the intricate plot had tentacles which reached back into the couple's pasts where unexpected revelations and connections were revealed.

The story didn't have a large cast of main characters,apart from the Kensagi's and the Captain,there was sister's Maggie and Judy and a strange individual called Frank who had a chapter that was written from his perspective. The characters were a mixed bag of vivid,realistic individuals,some likeable, some not so likeable and there was a couple about whom I changed my opinion by the time the story reached its unpredictable conclusion.

Chilling,packed with atmosphere and containing some scenes that are seriously creepy, this extremely well written debut had me captivated from the first page and frantically turning the pages. For me,the plot contained elements of, amongst others, Children Of The Stones, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and Stephen King's Cell. I absolutely bloody loved this book and if I could would give it far more than five stars. Very,very highly recommended and definitely one of my favourite reads of this year.

[Zoé-Lee O'Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished Recursion and to be honest I have no clue on what to feel or think. I am not sure if I have already had these thoughts or if I am still to have these thoughts….or will I ever have these thoughts…. confused?

This book is very clever but also a mind bender. I thought I was beginning to understand what was going when I read Frank’s chapters. I was wrong. Time has been completely messed with!

It was intense as I was flicking the pages on my kindle. Because you never quite knew where you were in the story, you definitely need to keep your wits about you! Normally as I write reviews I can empty my mind and start afresh, this book won’t leave my mind, it wont comprehend what it has just read.

The writing was a thing of beauty as it has you engaged in the story whilst taking you on what could only be described as a drug induced ride. Time has no meaning, the adventure is what you are there for and it is totally trippy. It is your interpretation and journey here and only you can decide on the future. I mean I still have questions, but think I will have to accept I won’t be getting the answers. I have come along for the ride.

I could see the allure of the Captain and the oddity of Frank, but the conclusion, that is not something I foresaw…or maybe I did….well it is all recursive isn’t it.

[JL Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

🄱🄻🄾🄶 🅃🄾🅄🅁 🄿🄾🅂🅃
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡
David J. Harrison
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thanks to Random Things Tours and The Book Guild for my spot on the Blog tour, and for the advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

Now, I do write quite a lot of book reviews and blogs, but if I didn’t, I would still feel compelled to write a review for Recursion. It’s that good! And it's a debut novel to boot!
Perfect mix of psychological horror, intrigue, beautifully descriptive prose. There were times I felt so close to the action that I experienced real emotions and empathy for our characters.

The author has carefully created, three dimensional characters, nicely fleshed out, likeable, flawed, and totally credible. I particularly liked Haruki, and the descriptions of how he was under the spell of the Captain, one minute wanting to distance himself and the very next, craving for the Captain's attention and affection. I was warming towards Maggie and Jane before too long too.

Even when I felt I had become lost in the story (only once), I was compelled to keep reading. overall, I really think this book has made it into my Top Ten of 2021, and with only a few weeks left I don't see it losing it's place. I am happy to recommend Recursion to any reader of quality books, psychological thrillers, and mysteries. I gave Recursion, by David J. Harrison five stars.

You can read my blog, with additional author and book info, and buying links on my website at jldixon.co.uk. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗼

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[Donna Morfett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to go down as one of the oddest books I have ever read. I dont think I can really find the words to do it justice. Its weird, its mind blowing, you dont know where you are, whats happening or why, but you keep reading, you are sucked in.
Recursion is the bending of time, and some have the skill and some have the skill to avoid it. The story is told from various viewpoints, Captain was creepy, did not like him. I guess he used his power to attract women to him and get away with whatever it was he was up to. There is murder, it has a cult like vibe, the people resident have strange scars they have no recollection receiving, to the point they didnt know they were there until it was pointed out.
There is Frank, with his really weird turn of phrase, its childlike in a way, but hes not stupid, and he sees more than people let on.
Finally theres Jane and Haruki, a missing artist and a brilliant musician. Haruki goes missing and Jane goes to find him, and both find themselves sucked into the weird goings on of the village/cult/time bending thing that is happening where they happened to end up.
This is a real page turner, I can see how it wouldnt be for everyone, but I urge anyone to give it a go, you will be sucked in and read to the end just to find out what on earth has been happening. You have to keep your head, so you can follow the jumping timelines, but the author is clever, and the writing is smooth and clever enough to make sure you dont have difificulty.
This book is going to stick in my mind for a very very long time. Every now and then i will think about it, shake my head, think what on earth was that, and smile!

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Haruki Kensagi wanders in time in a way that makes it harder to discern what past, present and future are, where they are and by whom they are being experienced at any given time. Haruki feels as if déjà vu has become a constant voice in his inner ear.

It begins with the following of orders without question, regardless of possible consequence. Gut instinct is eradicated by higher powers of persuasion and evil intent, and perhaps it ends in exactly the same way?

What’s at the core of the horror and the premise – the conundrum of whether the alien presence is evil or does the external presence just exaggerate the evil in mankind? Is the concept of an alien being inserting itself and seeping into the very fabric of people merely a projection of base nature. Is it easier to live with the idea of other than confront the reality of our actions. The megalomania and ego that drives cult structure and behaviour. Or is it all of the above and something evil this way comes?

It’s an interesting combination of horror, speculative and sci-fi fiction, perhaps more so because the author navigates all of the different genre elements without any of them overshadowing the other ones.
*I received a courtesy copy*

[Suzanne Berget · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deftly-woven narrative that messes with your experience and conception of time that follows a set of interesting characters as they try to survive the trials of Braithtwaite (which for a Norwegian is quite a mouthful). It's a real creepy read that has some genuine wtf-moments, a claustrophobic setting and a haunting atmosphere.

I'm not going to say too much about the plot as it is better experienced first hand, but I will a mention a few things that didn't quite work for me. I can never really put down my editor's glasses so I found quite a few misspellings throughout, there were several instances of passive writing and telling that diminished the tension in the given scenes and there were times were I felt like the characters suddenly and conveniently knew stuff just because it was relevant to the plot and it seemed a little shoehorned in.

Also, I love stories that deal with time loops, causal loops and time travel, which is what drew me to Recursion in the first place, and what I like most is when the rules are revealed and the threads are connected. Due to Recursion's multiple POV it was hard to get a grasp of how the time distortion and timelines worked, and the recursions themselves just seemed a little too random and like totally separate, albeit weird, events, instead of iterations of events with slight variations - at least until the very end where things got really interesting.

But if you're looking for something with a Tommyknockers/Annihilation/DARK-vibe then Recursion might be right up your alley.

[Sharon Rimmelzwaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent debut novel that so cleverly interweaves three genres together to create a story that is as unique as I think you can possibly find. When I say unique, I really do mean unique. A suspense/horror/ slight  sci-fi story that together gives this book the edge. I began reading and being a new author to me. I had no expectations...but let me tell you, I was fascinated. No one could tear me away from this book.
When I say unique, I really do mean unique. A suspense/horror/ slight  sci-fi story that together gives this book the edge. I began reading and being a new author to me. I had no expectations...but let me tell you, I was fascinated. No one could tear me away from this book.
Recursion made me question absolutely everything as the action begins to heat up. I wasn't sure at all; the book almost felt like sand beneath my feet with no solid foundation. This really added to the atmosphere of the story. This author has definitely used the fullness of his imagination in a very skilled way. I would definitely be happy to read more of his work.

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about this book when I started it. The writing seemed excellent, albeit a little unnecessary at times. (The paragraphs about tofu stick in my mind here. Can't say I had ever thought that deeply about it!)
If it hadn't been a book for a blog tour, I may have struggled to keep reading. Well, that said, I persevered and this book massively suprised me. Once the story kicked in, I was intrigued by the Captain, and very unsettled by him. His parts are written very well, and give the reader some serious creepy vibes.
Then the disappearance story takes off, and I was completely taken in! This is an unknown author to me, and sums up why I love my reading and reviews so much. You get access to authors you've never heard of, and they give you a fantastic book!
Thank you to Random Things Tours for the blog tour invite.

[Vicki (chaptersofvicki) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the start, it was easy to read with plenty going on to make me want to keep reading to see what happens next.
We follow Haruki as he heads of to a quiet Lake District village. Where incident’s happen in a recursive timeline and time itself seems to slip by in a strange way. Haruki’s wife Jane finds herself heading after him after he goes missing.
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat.
An excellent debut and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

[John Minster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading my first DJ Harrison novel. Elsewhere, characters and plot summaries are covered, so I will comment on the writing which is magnificent. He paints crystalline scenes that pull you in; you feel the mood; smell and taste the atmosphere. Suspense builds from page one. While there is a supernatural horror (my great passion) element involved throughout, the psychological horror is even keener. Unique and not definable into any one sub-genre, this is a story worth reading. I would also make a cool movie.

[Jeanette Greaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting idea that is deftly told. Something alien lies beneath the earth in a quiet Lakeland village. It has, in the past, lost parts of itself, and those parts have infected people and been infected by those same people.
And when they reunite, terrible things start to happen. Does the evil come from the alien, or from the humans it has infected?

[Nudger Baggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book with twists and turns that kept me hooked. I loved the way the author allowed time to develop the characters at the beginning because it gave a good grounding for when things really took off. Fans of Stephen King, Murakami and even David Mitchel will not be disappointed. Just superb.

[Keeshia Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for any horror, cosmic sci-fi, dark thriller reader or anyone who loves a page turner blending genres. It is unique, mind bending of Jane and Haruki lives turned upside after a series of events. Excellent book by David J. Harrison the best book I've encountered in years.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of suspense, but this one looked good, and I enjoyed this overall. The author created some interesting characters, and he has a good writing style. I suspect most suspense fans will enjoy this one.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!