Stranded by Stuart James
A family trapped. A psychopath on the loose. Let the game begin…
What could be more innocent than going on holiday?
As a family drive along a quiet country lane on their way to the airport, they meet a stranger standing alone in the middle of the road.
Steering them along another path, he tells the driver, Ben, that a tree has fallen and there’s no way through.
But as they make their way along the diverted route, they come across a coach blocking the road.
Getting out of the car Ben goes to investigate and is horrified to find the passengers tied to their seats.
Then a discarded phone starts to ring…
If Ben calls the police, everyone on board will die.
Let the horrific game begin…
Author Bio:
I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep.
There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breathe away.
I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns.
My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right.
This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.
I started writing three years ago, penning The House On Rectory Lane which has just won The International Book Award in horror fiction. I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement.
To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness. That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.
My second thriller is called Turn The Other Way, which was a world wide number 1 best seller and stayed at number 1 for 19 weeks in the US.
I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death. A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party. A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them. A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.
I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.
My third thriller, Apartment Six, was published in January of this year and was a number 1 hot new release on Amazon for 4 weeks.
Stranded goes on pre-order Monday October 12th on Amazon and is released October 19th.
I’m 47, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing. I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.
Review
Woweee now this book was a belter of a thriller, it hooked me in from the beginning and didn’t let go until the final page. It also freaked me the f out. I don’t think a book has done that since the last Stuart James book I reviewed. So it proves he is a master at his craft. It was just so damn good with ‘wtf’ moments from the start to literally the last page! I loved it.
The book begins with a family going on holiday when they are diverted onto a secluded road and happen to come across a bus that is full of people that have been tied up and gagged. Whilst Ben and his family are trying to get their heads around this a phone rings and the games begin. Are all the passengers known to each other or are they strangers? Will they all make it out alive and will Ben and his family help them out? Let’s just say I couldn’t be as brave as Ben was that night. All the way through the book I kept thinking that Ben, Laura and Milly had to be involved somehow with the passengers. Not going to spoil this book though as the twists and turns are what makes this book amazing. That ending!
I really did enjoy the characters in this book. You get to see all the passengers failings and sins and it’s the characterisation that makes them stand out. Each and every one of them though should how complicated a persons personality is. They are a combination of good and bad. But which side wins, that is the question. Argh I can’t say too much or otherwise I will spoil the book!
This is the type of book that you can feel the chills running down the back of your neck as the tension builds up. The ‘caller’ and bad guy just radiates an ability to freak you out. The conversations between him and Ben were harrowing to read in a way. This book shows what one action or event can do to someone’s mind. It’s that psychological aspect that scares me as it happens all the time. Obviously, this is a form of entertainment reading books like this but surely minds break all the time and that is terrifying.
All I can say it read this flipping amazing thriller or you will regret it!
