What Festers Within
The Glennison Darkisle Cases, # 3
by Mark N Drake
It’s December 1922. Josine Young – the woman who introduced Jack Glennison to the otherworldly mysteries of Darkisle – is back in Manchester, on the run from the cult known as the Church of the Celestial Shadow. Christmas might be nearing, but the feeling is far from festive as it becomes evident that someone is out to kill the pair of them. With Manchester suddenly too dangerous, it’s time to attend to some unfinished business on Darkisle….
The third book in the Glennison Darkisle Cases series takes us deeper into the world of ancient gods, deadly magic and terrifying monsters that we were introduced to in ‘The Gathering of Shadows’ and learned more of in ‘Those Under The Hill’. Returning to Darkisle to help a former client, Jack is soon meeting with both friends and foes from his last trip to the island. And just what is behind the mysterious disease that is spreading across the town of Carnven?
An atmospheric slice of 1920s detective noir with a British take on Lovecraftian horror, ‘What Festers Within’ sees Jack and Josine fighting for their lives as Darkisle is swept by blizzards, public unrest and a growing tide of fear – a fear that proves to be contagious….
5 out of 5 fairies
If you enjoy dark stories, noir detective vibes, and things that can slither into your nightmares, you’ll want to grab this one. Darkisle is creepy, unique, and intriguing. Although you don’t need to read the earlier books in the series, I highly recommend it. There’s a lot of world and character building, but Drake does an amazing job of filling the reader in as the story unfolds. The descriptions are very vivid – so if you’re not crazy about gore or things that make your skin crawl, this might not be up your alley. I found myself hooked from the start, and I couldn’t wait to see how things would turn out. The ending wrapped things up well, but I can’t wait for another Darkisle adventure!
Hi! Thanks for dropping by. I’m a new British author of Lovecraftian Horror fiction. Pleased to meet you!
I suppose you could say I’ve come to writing by an indirect route. I originally trained as a physicist before doing defence research for the RAF. After a few years of blowing things up, I changed career and went into Higher Education management. I took some time out to be a management consultant for a while before returning to Higher Education in a new role. And, finally, I found the time to start writing properly.
I’ve always harboured a dream to be a writer, but study, role playing games, rugby league and career always conspired to distract me. But at last, after a number of false starts and failed attempts (boy, I hope my early sci-fi efforts never see the light of day…) I am now in a place where I can bottle up a few decades of ideas and get them down on the page.
For the moment, I’m developing my fictional location of Darkisle, an overlooked island in the Irish Sea. It’s a place that outsiders generally avoid, where the locals mutter darkly in their own language and where ancient cosmic horror is never far below the surface. If you like Lovecraftian fiction, I really think you will enjoy my take on it as you explore 1920s Darkisle with me.
Originally from Derbyshire, I now live in County Durham with my family. When not working, I can usually be found in my shed, perusing my collections of Lovecraft and Iain (M) Banks books while trying out ideas for new stories and/or games.
Read Lily’s interview with Mark
The Glennison Darkisle Cases
The Gathering of Shadows (The Glennison Darkisle Cases, #1)
Those Under The Hill (The Glennison Darkisle Cases Book #2)
What Festers Within (The Glennison Darkisle Cases, #3)
Falls the Darkness (The Glennison Darkisle Cases, # 4)
Bogganmor (The Glennison Darkisle Cases, #5)
The Collioure Coincidence (The Glennison Darkisle Cases, #6)