Stranded by Stuart James

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Stranded, the new dark psychological thriller from author Stuart James. Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy at Book on the Bright Side for inviting me to take part and to the author and publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb:

A family trapped. A psychopath on the loose. Let the game begin…

What could be more innocent than going on holiday?

As a family drive along a quiet country lane on their way to the airport, they meet a stranger standing alone in the middle of the road.

Steering them along another path, he tells the driver, Ben, that a tree has fallen and there’s no way through.

But as they make their way along the diverted route, they come across a coach blocking the road.

Getting out of the car Ben goes to investigate and is horrified to find the passengers tied to their seats.

Then a discarded phone starts to ring…

If Ben calls the police, everyone on board will die.

Let the horrific game begin…

Stranded was published yesterday by Bloodhound Books as an eBook and in paperback and you can buy it here.

My Review:

As soon as I saw the blurb for Stranded I knew I had to read it! I laughed when some of the earlier reviews nicknamed it 'Speed 3'. To be fair, there's not too much speeding in it, but there are plenty of edge of the seat thrills... I had previously enjoyed Stuart's work, and you can read my review of Apartment 6 here, so was keen to see what he had in store for us this time. 

Ben, Laura and daughter Milly are diverted of the main road on their way to the airport. When they get stuck behind a coach which wasn't moving Ben goes to investigate and enters a nightmare. A madman has tied several people to their seats and draws Ben and his family into his sick games of retribution. 

Well, James has definitely gone over to the dark side with this one! It's seriously twisted and very creepy - I actually stopped reading it in bed because I scare easily! Everything takes place in the dark in the woods and the scene setting is fantastic, very atmospheric. The challenges that the caller (communication is via a mobile phone), his 'games', are very inventive, often bloody and brutal. And as I said earlier, twisted! I am a little concerned as to what was going on in the author's head when he came up with these ideas - his mind must be a very dark place! 

The characterisation is very detailed and there is a colourful cast of characters. The stand out would obviously be Ben, a regular guy caught up in the night from hell. But he doesn't run, stays calm (mostly) and tries to do the right thing. I really liked him but was surprised how calm the family stayed - I felt they would have freaked out more - I certainly would have done! It's a horror story! Other than Ben, I liked Stephen, Mary and Lydia, three very different characters, but all interesting in their own way. Edward was very unlikeable, but deliberately so. 

This is a story about how grief can send someone over the edge, about how dark secrets also get out, and about one family's determination to do the right thing and the price they might pay for that. I loved how the threads of the different passengers' stories all weaved together. The story crackles with tension, and danger is on every page. James does a great job in maintaining pace and building even greater tension at the denouement, which is exciting and terrifying. And there is some real emotion here - love, fear, hope, betrayal and grief. There is one scene between a father and son that is just heartbreaking and, ultimately, gut wrenching. 

I did feel there was some unnecessary repetition and I wasn't totally keen on the ending. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but I thought the story could have ended just a teeny tiny bit sooner. But as you can tell from my comments above, neither of those things spoiled my enjoyment of the book too much. James is full of creative and original ideas and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next. 

The Author:

'I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep.

'There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breathe away.

'I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns.

'My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right.

'This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.

'I started writing three years ago, penning The House On Rectory Lane which has just won The International Book Award in horror fiction. I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement.

'To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness. That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.

'My second thriller is called Turn The Other Way, which was a world wide number 1 best seller and stayed at number 1 for 19 weeks in the US.

'I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death. A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party. A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them. A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.

'I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.

'My third thriller, Apartment Six, was published in January of this year and was a number 1 hot new release on Amazon for 4 weeks.

'Stranded goes on pre-order Monday October 12th on Amazon and is released October 19th.

'I’m 47, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing. I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.'


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