When Tom McRae was six, he saw something horrible that left
him an orphan. Now that he's in his mid-thirties, Tom still
has recurring nightmares from the childhood incidence. Tom
is sent, by his employer, to the remote Scottish village of
Douglass to negotiate a land grab. He sees this as an
opportunity to start fresh, but when he gets there, he can't
shake the feeling that he's been there before, and the
nightmares are bleeding over into daylight. With murder and
nightmares escalating, he will find out the truth behind the
ritual of The Jack in the Green.
As I've never been to Scotland before, I thoroughly enjoyed
the setting and atmosphere. The details were written so that
I felt like I was there, in the forest, with the characters.
Author Frazer Lee has a strength in this area, but that's
not all. The writing overall is strong, and the characters
are well developed and a diversified lot. There's an
environmental message in the tale, but not an overwhelming
or blatant peg over the head.
The main character, Tom, is
both likeable and relatable with flaws and strengths. There
are enough moments of gore mixed with action to appease the
horror fans. I really enjoyed the ending; it hit hard and
fast. Supernatural horror readers should check THE JACK IN
THE GREEN out.
On Christmas Eve, six year-old Tom McRae witnessed an
unspeakable atrocity that left him orphaned, his childhood
in tatters. Now in his mid-thirties, Tom still has
terrifying nightmares of that night. When Tom is sent to the
remote Scottish village of Douglass to negotiate a land grab
for his employer it seems like a golden opportunity for him
to start over. But Tom can’t help feeling he’s been to
Douglass before, and the terrible dreams from his childhood
have begun to spill over into his waking life. As murderous
events unfold and Tom’s feverish nightmares escalate, he
will discover the hideous truth behind the villagers’
strange pagan ritual of The Jack in the Green.