Captain Clive's Dreamworld by Jon Bassoff

Heading to the US today and the seemingly idyllic town of Angels and Grace for my stop on the blog tour for Captain Clive's Dreamworld by Jon Bassoff. This was an unusual one for me as it was billed as horror, a genre I tend to avoid because I'm a complete wuss. A total scaredy-cat. But I loved the sound of it so decided to pull on my big girl pants and be brave! And...I might still be recovering but it was well worth it! Big thanks to Emma Welton at damppebbles.com for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

After becoming the suspect in the death of a young woman, Deputy Sam Hardy is reassigned to the town of Angels and Hope, which, within its borders, holds the once magnificent amusement park, Captain Clive's Dreamworld. When he arrives, however, Hardy notices some strange happenings. The park is essentially empty of customers. None of the townsfolk ever seem to sleep. And girls seem to be going missing with no plausible explanation. As Hardy begins investigating, his own past is drawn into question by the town, and he finds himself becoming more and more isolated. The truth—about the town and himself—will lead him to understand that there’s no such thing as a clean escape.

Captain Clive's Dreamworld was published by Eraserhead Press in paperback, audio and digital formats on 1st October 2020.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK 
Amazon US 

My Review:

Deputy Sam Hardy hates his job. He hates the violence he sees, has nightmares, doesn't sleep well and drinks too much. It's probably fair to say he's a broken man. But he is shocked to find himself the suspect in the death of a young girl and quietly sidelined to a new job in the town of Angels and Hope. Created by entrepreneur and visionary Captain Clive, Angels and Hope is partly sustained by nearby amusement park Captain Clive's Dreamworld and, on the face of it at least, seems to be the perfect town. No real crime, everyone has a job and Deputy Hardy is welcomed by one and all. But dig a little deeper, and all is not what it seems. The town holds some dark secrets. 

Oh man, I don't know how to review this book properly without spoilers. Angels and Hope has a real Stepford quality to it, with everyone too good to be true. It's a product of a fabulous, and dark, imagination with its four sections dedicated to the seasons. The inhabitants of the Winter part in their Christmas jumpers constantly wrapping presents and sipping holiday drinks was creepy enough! 

I was filled with a creeping dread as Bassoff teases of the horrors to come - slashed tyres, sleepless nights, the three 'witches' gossiping in the corner of the café. These are fabulously bitchy creatures with too much make-up and feather boas. There is a real sense at one point that Hardy could be descending into madness when every single person denies what he is sure he's seen. And the horrors I dreaded came. We stare right at the depravity of the town. The whole town. We are carried along with the mob mentality as things get more and more shocking. But, for me, the denouement eclipsed everything and rendered me speechless. 

I really liked Bassoff's writing. He creates a claustrophobic setting both in Sam's hometown and in Angels and Hope, although they are very different places. I loved his descriptions, for example:

'A small town whore crouched beneath an awning, a cigarette dangling from candy cherry lips. A drunk and an addict and a bum and a child.'

'Here most of the houses were dying little by little.'

'and God was strangled and dead in an alleyway.'

Captain Clive's Dreamworld is not a happy read and it won't be for everyone. It's tense, claustrophobic, dark and depraved. It shows us there are monsters everywhere and how easy it is to become one. It's about secrets and lies and that to live the dream you also have to live with the nightmares. Beautifully written, it was such an interesting read. And although it has some truly awful moments I couldn't tear myself away. I'm really glad I pulled on my big girl pants and took a deep breath, because otherwise I'd have missed an original, entertaining story. But I do worry about what goes on in Jon Bassoff's head - his mind is seriously twisted! 

The Author:

Jon Bassoff was born in 1974 in New York City and currently lives with his family in a ghost town somewhere in Colorado. His mountain gothic novel, Corrosion, has been translated in French and German and was nominated for the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, France’s biggest crime fiction award. Two of his novels, The Drive-Thru Crematorium and The Disassembled Man, have been adapted for the big screen with Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild; Once Upon a Time in America) attached to star in The Disassembled Man. For his day job, Bassoff teaches high school English where he is known by students and faculty alike as the deranged writer guy. He is a connoisseur of tequila, hot sauces, psychobilly music, and flea-bag motels.


Author Social Media Links:

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