The curse of the Fleers

by Basil Copper

When Captain Guy Hammond, on convalescent leave from his regiment, is contacted by his old friend Cedric Fleer, he finds himself plunged into a treacherous web of deadly intrigue and unimaginable horror surrounding a noble Dorset family. Cedric's father, Sir John Fleer, is being driven to the brink of madness by the ghoulish apparition of the 'Creeping Man of Fleers' which haunts the battlements of Fleer Manor. Is the bloodied and dying figure the fulfilment of the gruesome ancestral curse laid on the family, or is there a yet more sinister explanation for the horrifying deaths that follow Hammond's arrival at the ancient mansion? As the mysterious deaths mount up, can Hammond unravel the family feud that has raged down the centuries between the Fleers and the Darnleys, born of appalling crimes from the bloody past? Is Sir Jeffrey Darnley, the Fleers' hated neighbour, responsible for theses terrible events? Or could The Great Waldo, a celebrated actor who is also a master of disguise, also be implicated? Then there is the grotesque menagerie at Fleer Manor containing Konga, a huge ape that is capable of tearing a human being apart, and the sinister catacombs beneath the house which hide an ancient and deadly secret. But with time fast running out, can Captain Hammond brave death and danger long enough to discover what that terrifying secret is? Published for the first time anywhere in the version the author originally intended, The Curse of the Fleers is a 'lost' Victorian Gothic novel by one of Britain's acknowledged masters of the macabre.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Gothic

140 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Basil Copper was an English writer and former journalist and newspaper editor. He has written over 50 books and scripts. In addition to fantasy and horror, Copper is known for his series of Solar Pons stories continuing the character created by August Derleth.

Copper edited a 1982 two-volume omnibus collection of Derleth's stories of the 'Pontine' canon, published by Arkham House, a publishing firm founded by Derleth himself and chiefly publishing weird fiction (such as Cthulhu Mythos tales); in that edition, Copper "edited" most of the tales in ways that many Pontine aficionados found objectionable[citation needed]. A later omnibus, The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition, was issued in 2000 under the imprint of Mycroft & Moran (a name which is itself a Holmesian jest).

He also wrote the long-running hard-boiled detective stories of "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).

Copper has received many honours in recent years. In 1979, the Mark Twain Society of America elected him a Knight of Mark Twain for his outstanding "contribution to modern fiction", while the Praed Street Irregulars have twice honoured him for his work on the Solar Pons series. He has been a member of the Crime Writer's Association for over thirty years, serving as chairman in 1981/82 and on its committee for a total of seven years.

In early 2008, a bio-bibliography was published on him: Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones.

In March 2010, Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper was launched at the Brighton World Horror Convention as a two-volume set by PS Publishing.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the Victorian era Sir John Fleer is being driven to the brink of insanity by the appearance of the Creeping Man--a figure from the Fleers' past who is said to haunt the family as a result of an ancient curse. A feud has existed between the Fleers and their neighbors, the Darnleys ever since a Fleer ancestor known as Redbeard took advantage a Darnley's wife and then tortured Darnley and caused him to die in a fall from the battlements. Before he fell, Darnley cursed Redbeard and all Fleer descendants. It is said that he reappears on the battlements as the Creeping Man each time a Fleer is due to die. And now Sir John has begun seeing a hideous creeping figure leaping among the battlements directly opposite his windows.

Sir John's son Cedric turns to his old friend Guy Hammond. The men were soldiers together at one time and he knows that Hammond has the nerve necessary to take on whoever...or whatever is haunting the estate. Hammond, who is on leave from his regiment and at a bit of a loose end in London, is intrigued by the story of the Fleers' curse and is happy to try and dispel the rumors that Sir John is going mad. But when dead bodies start littering the flagstones and a strange, creeping figure nearly makes another victim of the soldier, he begins to wonder what he's gotten himself into. Each time he tracks down a promising lead, the person he needs to talk to is added to the death toll. If he can't connect the deaths to a human agent, he may be forced to find a supernatural answer after all.

A set of missing papers from the early days of the Fleers--including an ancient poem describing the catacombs beneath Fleer Manor--become essential to the hunt. But extra copies keep disappearing--will they be able to reach the last set before villain strikes again? If it is a human hand behind all the destruction, then it is someone close enough to the Fleers to know exactly what the next move will be. Is it one of the remaining servants? Or perhaps it is the friendly Antseys--Clive and Claire, one of whom always seems to be where Hammond goes. Or maybe it's the Sir Jeffrey Darnley...the current representative of the antagonistic neighbors. A man who has kept the feud alive and who is often to be seen on the hills near the Fleer estate.

There is a great deal of gothic atmosphere in The Curse of the Fleers. Fog seems to roll in on cue and the eerie nights make a perfect backdrop against which the Creeping Man can make his appearances. It's no wonder that Sir John feels like he's losing his grip on reality. The manor house has all sorts of hidden and spooky places--from the catacombs with hidden chambers to the tower where the dovecote is kept to the weird animal menagerie and the haunting cries and growls of orangutans and tigers. And the ancient curse gives a nod to The Hound of the Baskervilles while creating a version of its own

However, as creepy and atmospheric as the book may be, there is a solid mystery here with clues to be had for the sharp-eyed and quick-witted reader. I found my way to the why of the matter, but lost sight of the who. A very good historical mystery.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Colin Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new version of the novel first published in 1976. The old edition was disowned by the author after the publisher ruined the story with extensive cuts and edits. This version has been painstakingly pieced together from the authors original notes and manuscripts. This version also includes a copy of the original story ideas and authors notes giving a fascinating insight into the writing process.

In The Curse of the Fleers, we are transported back to Victorian times to meet Captain Guy Harwood, who's at a loose end having just got back from fighting in Afghanistan. A letter from his old friend, Cedric Fleer tells of mysterious happenings at the Fleer's Dorset mansion.

What follows is an intriguing and thrilling adventure as our hero chases unknown intruders (including the marvellous Creeping Man) and the local ladies whilst trying to solve the mystery.

The atmosphere is spot on, the author himself referenced an aim to recreate a Hound of the Baskervilles feeling and that certainly comes through. The book also clearly reference's classic hammer films.

It's a well written and hugely enjoyable example of the gothic novel which lovers of Sherlock Holmes and Hammer will thoroughly enjoy.

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Rigingshadow.

Note! This review is based on the 2012 version (PS Publishing).

In the introduction Stephen Jones writes how badly The Curse of the Fleers was treated when it was originally published in 1976. It was totally destroyed and butchered by the publisher (sections were re-written etc) and the author disowned it. I'm glad that I've never read that version, because it's easy to imagine that it's bad in every possible way, but I have to admit that I'm a bit curious about it, because it would be interesting to know much of the text was removed and changed. I think it's great that PS Publishing has finally published this book in its original form, because it's an excellent book and can be recommended to readers who like dark and macabre fiction.

I have to confess that I'm not very familiar with Basil Copper's fiction, because I've only read his short stories. I decided to try reading The Curse of the Fleers, because I like his stories (his stories are excellent and some of them are Lovecraftian masterpieces). I'm glad that I read this book, because it turned out to be a good and well written gothic book.

Here's a bit of information about the story:

The Curse of the Fleers is a story about Captain Hammond who gets a letter from his friend, Cedric Fleer. Cedric tells him about an ancient curse and a Creeping Man, and asks him to investigate things, but leaves a lot untold. When Hammond travels to the Fleer Manor, he finds out that something strange is going on...

Basil Copper has created a perfectly gothic and menacing atmosphere in this book. The author lures the reader into a web of gothic splendour and macabre happenings by writing beautiful prose and delivering horror elements at a steady rate. I was impressed by the author's writing style, because the tension and terror rose gradually to a thrilling level and I couldn't stop reading the story.

The cast of characters is diverse and interesting and the author writes perfectly (and at times even a bit mysteriously) about them. I especially enjoyed reading about how Cedric's father, Sir John Fleer, was afraid of the Creeping Man and thought that he was losing his sanity. The author wrote perfectly about his fears.

The manor house itself is quite an interesting place, because it's full of surprises from catacombs to a private menagerie. I enjoyed reading about these surprises, because they added a nice touch of strangeness to the story.

This book reminded me quite a lot of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of Baskervilles. I don't know if The Hound of Baskervilles has been an inspiration to the author, but there are several similarities, so it's possible that it has inspired him. There are also traces of other well-known stories (for example Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum).

Before I finish writing this review, I'll mention that the working notes (story ideas, synopsis of the characters, character traits, topography and rough plot outline) at the end of this book are fascinating, because they reveal how the author has created the story and the characters. I'll also mention that I liked the cover art by Stephen E. Fabian.

I can highly recommend The Curse of the Fleers to everybody who loves dark fiction, gothic mysteries and gothic horror. If you like good old-fashioned horror and detective stories, you should put this original version of The Curse of the Fleers to your reading list, because it's a good book.

Excellent gothic fiction!

[Ross Macpherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was edited by Stephen Jones, who clearly has a desire to preserve the work of Basil Copper, given his efforts with this, the Solar Pons stories and Copper’s horror short fiction. This one was originally published in a butchered edition that the author disowned. Restored, it is a competent if minor novel, that certainly could have used some editing to offset Copper’s sometimes clumsy phrasing or clunky descriptive writing. The mystery here will not surprise anyone, but the atmosphere is generally developed nicely. Certain aspects of the plot would have worked better with more time spent detailing them; the wrap up presents some information that would have been more interesting if it had occurred on stage, for one example. Gothic-by-numbers basically.

Regrettably, Jones has done an astonishingly poor job with the text and significant typos and errors are present in every chapter. Your mileage may vary, but it distracted me considerably, and is deeply disappointing. Careless work.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give the book 3.5 out of 5 which makes it 3 stars on Goodreads. Overall it's an enjoyable gothic novel with great atmosphere and an interesting plot taking place in a remote mansion somewhere in England. The pacing is very slow at times and there are rough stylistic edges that scream for an editor. If you can overlook these faults and get the book for a good price (as I did) then don't hesitate and grab it while you can.

[Jon Ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Stephen Jones for returning this volume to its original glory. It was a crime what the editors at Harwood-Smart Publishing did to Basil's work (and possibly his career). I'm glad to see because of Mr. Jones' selfless dedication to his friend that this novel can now be enjoyed as it should have been.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old-fashioned Gothic novel, in the vein of THE HOUNDS OF BASKERVILLE. Pleasant reading but a bit too sedate for my tastes. Suitable for younger readers to whom it might appeal.

[Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining Gothic thriller along the lines of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
It's a shame that this 2020 paperback edition is littered with typo's, making this at times a frustrating read.