I had an incredibly hard time getting into this one, in large part due to the sheer number of characters. The first chapter sucked me in with the elderly couple at the center of the book, but then seven new characters (their newly arrived family) all arrive on the page at once. It was, to be honest, near the halfway point of the book when I was absolutely clear on who everyone was in relation to the others (who was whose father/mother/wife/husband/son/daughter), and while some few of the additional family members had distinct personalities, they were for the most part only defined by age and relationships. This made it tough to get a handle on any of them and keep track or engage with the story at large as it moved forward since, in most scenes, a majority of the main characters were on the page. The elderly couple stayed distinct throughout, although the woman and the other women in the book got very little attention by way of development. Thus, it was left to the plot to pull me along...and by the halfway point, it did, but when I think about the book as a whole, the end result is that this work just wasn't as engaging as the other works I've read for Campbell. I think it could have done with a lot more editing and/or a smaller cast of characters.

Not a bad book, but definitely not one I'd recommend to readers who aren't already fans of Campbell unless they're looking for a very specific sort of read. ( )

As a long time fan of Ramsey Campbell I was so excited to get a copy of this book just before I left for my own vacation. The subject matter seemed to make it perfect timing. Ray and Sandra are a happily married couple who embark on a family vacation with their adult children, grandchildren and the spouses of their kids. Things get off to a bit of a rocky start and with such a large group of people spending so much time together it's hard for everyone to get along. Ray and Sandra are hoping to make this a vacation to remember while keeping a secret from the rest of the family. The locals also seem to have some secrets, and between their strange customs and unusual folk lore the family is a bit on edge. This was a slow burn, building up to an experience of unbridled weirdness.



I received a complimentary copy for review ( )

Quiet horror is one of my favorite sub-genres and with that in mind I was looking forward to this release from one of the masters. Admittedly, my expectations for this were high and I'm sorry to report that THIRTEEN DAYS BY SUNSET BEACH didn't meet them.

A man, Ray, takes his wife and extended family on vacation to an island in Greece. It's the first time that the entire family has vacationed together and everyone has been looking forward to it. It's not long, however, before they begin to notice strange things. Why are there no mirrors in their hotel rooms? Why are different members of the family having similar dreams each night? Even more intriguing, why are those same family members displaying bite marks on their bodies? You'll have to read this to find out!

First off, I did like the writing style and quality, and I enjoyed the foreshadowing. (At times, I think the foreshadowing was the only thing that kept me reading.) What brought me down quite a bit was the pacing and some of the characters. I didn't feel much for any of them, other than Ray, the elderly protagonist and Jules, whom I couldn't stand. (Really, I couldn't stand him-a more annoying, fussy, controlling man you couldn't find anywhere.) I hated him enough that I considered quitting this book more than once. Between him and the pacing, I came *this* close. But every time I said to myself "This is it! I'm done!" something happened that kept me going.

Overall, I'm sorry to say that this book didn't work well for me. The writing quality is there though, which is why I'm going with 3 out of 5 stars. What doesn't work for me might work exceedingly well for you, so if the synopsis sounds good, go ahead and give it a shot. Ramsey Campbell is a master of the horror genre after all!

*Thanks to Flame Tree Press via NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it! ( )

This is best described as a slow burn horror novel, with a building shadow of menace. The family conflicts and issues are entirely believable, but also give a plausible reason why they don't see the menace as clearly as the reader. The reactions of the characters are true to life, underlying emotions run deep, and denial and secrets rule. This is no cheap thrills horror novel, and is a welcome variation on this trope.
Many thanks to Flame Tree Press for the ARC. My review is my honest opinion. ( )