Litherland is back and better than ever. Except in this story he’s not only serving up his usual feast of crime thriller delicacies, he’s layered it into a ghost story so spooky, so rich in history, you would think he’s been writing ghost tales for centuries! So many things I loved about this novel, apart from the wonderful paranormal elements, tight plotting, and delightful prose. I LOVED the multiple viewpoints. Sure it’s “experimental,” but I’d say a supremely successful experiment. Each voice is distinctly drawn, the characters so real, and the plot so well constructed that it’s easy to know who is speaking and their viewpoint. It adds to the richness of the story. Also, besides beautifully descriptive prose, the setting, especially the sea and the weather, become living, breathing creatures in this story. You will feel as if you are right there in the storm or on the beach. Fantastic! And the ending. So enjoyably dramatic. Just wow! I ask how the heck am I reading this for free? Read this book and enjoy immensely. Bravo! Loved it!
Waiting for the next novel by Barry Litherland is starting to rival awaiting the next Star Wars or Avengers movie, waiting in line for Bruce Springsteen tickets or anxiously anticipating the next iPhone. His latest, BREAKERS, delivers the same elation, excitement and gratification as all his works have in the past - and then some.
In fact, this piece - with it's fascinating paranormal ghost story interwoven with one of his classic crime thrillers, multiple points of view, each more engaging and authentic than the last, and the most vivid and visceral locale of any novel on the market - offers so much tense uniqueness, visual impact and quality story-telling, that it should be stocked on the shelves of every major bookstore across the world tomorrow.
The first, most striking element of the story, is the rapid descent it takes into the creepy occult, featuring dark, murky sea creatures, two-hundred-year old ghosts and a haunted cottage on a desolate crag jutting into the rough and violent sea.
Secondly, the setting of the novel takes on a life of its own, leaving the reader with the dark grey and salty taste of the pervasive blackish sea as it slams the windy, rocky beach and drives the course of the narrative from the opening scene through the wet, violent, stormy, heart-pounding climax.
Once the pattern of multiple points of view takes root, it drives the pace and variety of exposition in a positive, engaging manner, giving the reader numerous characters to observe and appreciate, each with their own memorable personalities and perspectives. Like in his previous novels, Litherland depicts the brazen but downtrodden hero and the rotten, but lovable rapscallion protagonist with the greatest of aplomb. But, he layers in an even more deft treatment in BREAKERS of motherly characters and children in a way not previously seen in his past works - welcome additions to his repertoire of innovative and memorable members of his cast.
As always, Litherland thrills with his tight, dramatic presentment of crime, fear and unnerving tension. But, the beauty and enjoyment of this work stems from the bonus ghost story that floats about the periphery and swoops in at all the best moments to overtake the narrative at just the right, unexpected times.
Litherland, about the most talented writer on the Inkitt platform, has surely done it again. In fact, he's outdone himself by a grand margin. This is the absolute best story I have read on this site to date, hands down.
Get a good agent to help sort through the publishing offers, They're out there like Hattie's ghost at the top of the cliff. And, they're coming like the storm that drives BREAKERS to its conclusion.
I was worried, going into this, that I'd be the guy yelling "Judas!" when Dylan went electric - that's how ardent a fan I am of the Phil Tyler books. Barry Litherland, in all his wisdom, must have foreseen this backlash and precluded it by vaunting enough of his trademark crime-drama flair to appease the cantankerous zealots out there.
Breakers brings the charm, mystery, and cutting banter that make the Tyler books so special, then layers ambitious new dimensions on top, namely paranormal horror and multiple POVs. He also steps up his game in terms of natural description. The landscape here, as in all great horror, is a character in itself. Think the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, or the Arctic tundra in John Carpenter's The Thing. Every cliff, mountain, and moor contains an ancient Lovecraftian omniscience.
Fate, without giving anything away, is a major theme in this book, and it lends an undercurrent of mad desperation. The characters are fighting tooth and nail to alter the course of events, but Litherland has a way of zooming in and out, turning all their earnest intent, all their endearing passion, into the futile dizziness of tiny insects. I was very much caught up in the mythos of this world, and I would recommend Breakers to anyone with a sense of wonder, or a sense that we are not entirely in charge of our destinies.
Breakers is another Litherland triumph. Multiple first person point of views whet the appetite with a creepy, occult ghost story in the background and a thrilling crime story that is Litherland’s specialty. Deep and dark, descriptive and detailed, full of visuals and drama, you couldn’t want more. The characterization is masterfully drawn and unique, each realistic and natural. The reader is kept in suspense waiting for a psychopath to emerge and for intrigues to play themselves out, whether ghostly or dramatic. The conflict in this story, a combination of paranormal and thriller, is a joy to read. The pacing was perfect and the setting, a turbulent sea with an old, 200-year-old home, was wonderful for a ghost story. All in all, a stunning story. I couldn’t ask for more, except… another one?
The characters draw you in immediately. This book is well written: unique descriptions and sharp dialogue. The eerie, Stephen Kingesque elements keep you on edge, and the crime story is fast paced with a great villain and hard nosed, old school detective. A ghostly revenge story that kept me turning the pages and extending my bedtime in order to read just one more chapter. No regrets when the alarm went off in the morning. I have not been long on Inkitt, but I would have to say this is easily a must read.