A BookViral Review Of The Bat by Leslie W P Garland

SUMMARY: As a naive Thomas searched for the truth, he found himself, questioning ‘good and evil’, realising that his task is not as simple and straightforward as he would have wished and in so doing loosing his innocence and having to accept that belief may have as much to do with truth as do facts.

The BookViral Review: The best supernatural fiction novels grip us because they play to our innate fears. Far too many tropes in the genre are simply used for shock value, but there’s a mournful quality to Leslie W P Garland’s prose as he explores the line between perception and reality. Where light meets the dark, where excess leads to something demonic and the truth is all but cut and dry. He knows just when to linger and create atmosphere, a sense of place, or sympathy with his characters, instead of falling back on trite clichés and this adds immeasurably to both the quality of his writing and the intricacies of his plot. With a narrative that is erudite, frequently dark and always entertaining there’s a mystery to be expounded but it’s not predictable. There is certainly scope to descend into routine shock and horror but this is something Garland resists. Preferring instead to introduce subtle twists that prove suspenseful and ultimately more chilling as we reach what proves to be a cracking good ending.

Reminiscent of Roald Dahl Tales Of The Unexpected The Bat is one to be read with the lights on and is highly recommended.