Sleep paralysis is an unusual phenomenon which can be very frightening. Although you are asleep, you think you are awake and there is usually some form of menace approaching yet you are totally incapable of defending yourself or of shouting out, despite a silent scream emanating from your lips. It’s been a while now but the memory never quite leaves you and I know of no explanation. This novel describes extreme versions of such incidents but the menacing form is described in hideous detail and the ‘victim’ can find no explanation. It seems, in this case, evil spirits are at play.

This gothic thriller which begins in 1888 is mesmerising. Is there more to mortal existence?

The prologue reminded me very quickly why doctors in Victorian times were nicknamed ‘sawbones’. There was only one way to get rid of infection, namely, to cut it off and Dr Warren Carter is very energetic in removing the leg of an ailing patient. He is dedicated to his work, helping the poor. It has been a long night at the hospital and a nightcap, when offered, is welcome. The prologue then takes a bizarre twist, however, giving new meaning to the notion of playing ‘Doctors and Nurses’ and by the end, the reader is left uncertain as to what has actually transpired – or at least, as to who or what was responsible.

We are to discover that madness, or whatever the cause, appears as dangerous as it is inexplicable.

The narrative shifts in chapter one and we meet Mitchell Bishop, a wealthy young man who, six months earlier, had been head over heels in love with his fiancée, Laura Carter, the twin sister of Warren. Again, a bizarre twist and the strange behaviour of Sara, Laura’s younger sister, leaves the reader wondering just how things can change so quickly. We are to discover that madness, or whatever the cause, appears as dangerous as it is inexplicable.

So begins a fascinating tale…

Mitchell Bishop has an enquiring mind and is something of an amateur sleuth, a private investigator, solving puzzles to fill his time. His friend, Warren, asks for his help and Mitchell promises to uncover what is going on. Warren’s sister Sara is acting out of character and her behaviour has become lewd, in fact, she appears so troubled that she has to be committed to the local sanatorium, while Warren himself questions his own sanity, in light of recent events. Then come the outlandish, macabre deaths. Violent and self destructive acts, terrifying to hear let alone to see.

Then there is the mysterious Rosie, alluring one minute and demonic the next. Could ‘enchanting’ take on new meaning?

The time-frame shifts backwards and forwards and more characters are introduced. There is Toby, the ‘artistic’ photographer and Gallen, the local ‘thug-cum-loan shark’ always looking for his cut. Artie, the young assistant becomes immured in the twisted tale. That some hideous creature of the supernatural has entered their lives is unbelievable yet they both live with memories of the monstrous images which haunt them. And they are not alone. Inspector Stream is the local police officer tasked with investigating the series of strange deaths and has little time for amateurs. Then there is the mysterious Rosie, alluring one minute and demonic the next. Could ‘enchanting’ take on new meaning? In the background is Neeraj, the Indian servant who has looked after Mitchell and his godfather for many years. He has strange stories to tell and a talisman which he insists on giving to Mitchell to ward off the evil he senses all around.

Set at a time when photography was a new art form, popular (but also occasionally somewhat seedy), the narrative plays on people’s lack of understanding and fears that the camera could somehow steal your soul. A new bride impresses her friends with a new framed photograph of the happy couple but she quickly changes from a pretty and hopeful young thing to a seething mass of destruction. ‘Ancient superstition’ should not, perhaps, be ignored.

With the pieces in play, it seems the game shall begin and Mitchell Bishop has his work cut out. Sherlock Holmes would be jealous of this one. This psychological thriller touches on superstition and the supernatural and might, perhaps, best be read on a sunny day when there are no shadows lurking.


The Soul Thief is published by One More Chapter