Ravens Gathering- Graeme Cumming

Martin has returned home. Home to a place that is now very different. We don’t know
why he left but get the feeling that it was under rather a cloud. On his return his father
sends his brother over to the pub to make sure that they don’t give him a room for the
night- they have told him that their house is already full. He comes across Tanya who has
guest accommodation. They take a walk into the woods and see the ravens gathering-
the name of the village. What does it mean? Peter working on the land saw a few ravens
and before he know it despite him being so very careful the tractor he had been driving
 a few minutes ago literally ploughs over him. This has the feel of a dark read from the
outset. Hitchcock’s The Birds easily comes to mind for those who remember it(the book
even mentions this) A slightly horror, dark, sci-fi read with a touch of mystery and crime
- a book that truly crosses the genres. A village that you get the feeling everyone knows
everyone else’s business and nothing but nothing goes unnoticed. The descriptions from
the outset put you well into the scenes, this is very well written and exceptionally so for
a first novel- I was stunned that it is Graeme’s first novel. A very different read, one that
I think would suit more people than one genre alone. I didn’t see where this was going
and once into it , I really enjoyed it and wanted to know more. A very different read,
a very interesting one.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

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Ravens Gathering – Blurb As she let her gaze drift around her, she saw that there were more birds. Perhaps a dozen or so, perched among the trees that stood on the edge of the clearing. And yet more were arriving, swooping down through the gap overhead and landing on branches that overlooked them. The birds weren’t threatening, yet the sight of them all coming together in this dark and isolated spot was unnerving. Tanya reached a hand out towards Martin, and was relieved to feel him take it. She felt him move in behind her. After the uncertainty she’d experienced with him in a similar position only a few moments ago, she recognised the irony of her reaction. His closeness offered security. “You know what they are, don’t you?” A stranger’s arrival in a small village coincides with a tragic accident. For the Gates family in particular it’s more than a coincidence, but unease increases following a brutal attack. As tensions rise, a dark past returns to haunt them and others, while newcomers to the village are drawn into a mystery with terrifying consequences. And only a select few know why the ravens are gathering.

Graeme Cumming lives in Robin Hood country. He has wide and varied tastes when it comes to fiction so he’s conscious that his thrillers can cross into territories including horror, fantasy and science fiction as well as more traditional arenas. When not writing, Graeme is an enthusiastic sailor (and, by default, swimmer), and enjoys off-road cycling and walking. He is currently Education Director at Sheffield Speakers Club. Oh yes, and he reads (a lot) and loves the cinema.