Review: Malevolent Nevers by Tom Rimer

Malevolent Nevers

by Tom Rimer

Release Date:December 3, 2021

2021 Independently Published

Ebook Edition; 345 Pages

ISBN: 9798775728113

ASIN: B09K389W8R

Genre: Fiction / Horror

Source: Review copy from author

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Abel Ward just wants to reconnect with his son.
Simi Ward wants his dad to leave him alone.Sometimes you really can't make up for lost time.

And when a mysterious midnight call summons them both to an old family estate in New England, neither could have expected what would be lying in wait. An ancient evil so rooted in the story of their ancestors, it'd be impossible to dig up.

Will the secret remain buried, or will Simi and Abel finally learn the truth?

My Thoughts

Malevolent Nevers was a really fun book to read, once I got over the fact that I wasn't necessarily reading a ghost story, but a haunted house story. The mix-up is entirely mine as I read the blurb incorrectly and thought the dad was a ghost who was coming back to make things right with his son when his son moves into the house he haunts. Not quite sure how I got there, but it definitely took a few chapters to get this sorted in my head. Once I did though, I enjoyed the story quite a bit.

Abel and Simi are the two main characters in the story, and we learn about them through their alternating POV. I like the fact the relationship was difficult, and I didn't mind that Simi was quite difficult at the beginning because someone can't just return after a 17 year absence in someone's life and expect the relationship to be perfect. I probably would not have continued reading if that was the case. I wasn't crazy about the girlfriend showing up out of the blue, without discussion between the parents, considering it was a 1000 mile travel destination for her. She was a nice addition to the story, but it definitely didn't ring true as a parent to a daughter.  I would have been on the phone, wanting all the details, and I probably would have driven her there myself.  

As far as horror plots go, this one was quite enjoyable, but it definitely is on the milder side. I don't mind that however, as I don't need every book I read to be blood and guts; in fact, I often prefer the milder ones as they are different and a palate cleanser. The story was quite gripping, and the author definitely knows how to create tension and suspense; I read the second half of the novel so quickly because I couldn't put it down. The atmosphere of the house and the town was eerie, and I always enjoy a good atmospheric novel. 

There were a couple of things however, that didn't quite resonate once I finished reading. First of all, despite the people Abel met in town and the ominous warnings he got about his house and that it was his responsibility to fix things, no one stopped to tell him how or why, not even the sheriff.  Why not? This always bothers me when this happens as you can give people information without reducing tension. Instead the author chose to make Abel stubborn and seem incapable of reasoning to create tension instead of him just knowing the truth. He did grow up in that house after all, so he must have suspected something was off. And it would have been nice to learn something about the curse: Why the Wards? What was the bargain? Why didn't the family benefit from it as there is usually a bargain involved? I think more of the background could have enriched the overall story. 

Verdict

Malevolent Nevers was a fun read and overall, I did enjoy it. I liked Simi's character development, but thought Abel's was a bit uneven where he would be portrayed as stubborn to moved along the story. While the plot was slower at the beginning, it picked up quite a bit and the last quarter zipped along to the point I couldn't put it down. The tension and suspense were really good and I thought the author's writing style was gripping. I will definitely be reading another book by this author.