The Undertaker's Cabinet by David Haynes
I have previously read a number of David Haynes' interconnected Victorian Gothic horror short stories, a period and style that he handles with a fine balance of atmosphere and fear. The Undertaker's Cabinet, a full length novel draws in part on this era again, but is largely set in modern times, perhaps a little less successfully. I found it quite difficult to place Littleoak; it read like small town America but the characters seemed British. Or it may just because I was constantly being put in mind of the magnificent TV series Six Feet Under?
The novel takes plenty of time to develop thoughtful characters, a complex plot and some real atmosphere and I particularly loved the black cat in the funeral parlour scenes which were a subtle mix of gruesomeness and black comedy. However the final chapters are played out at a frenetic pace and for me, the quality of the story telling did dip here, becoming a little confused and suspending my belief just too far.
Overall a good read which disturbed my sleep just enough to confirm the effectiveness of the writing!
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