Nailed by the Heart

"Nailed By the Heart" is the first Simon Clark's novel published in the States. It most certainly won't be his last!His tight, well-crafted plot is fueled by terrific characters with which the reader can sympathize. The plot revolves around an ancient curse that hangs over the English seacoast village of Out-Butterwick. The locals speak of an ancient god who periodically demands a sacrifice from the townsfolk in order to leave them and their village intact.When the villagers become concerned that the Stainforth family coming into the community to repair and revive an old coastal "hotel" will anger the god with their plan, the plot really takes off. Soon, strange zombie-like creatures are spotted in the surf along the seafort and the family and villages must band together against the assault that ensues.Without giving away too much plot let me just say that the rest of the novel deals with the townfolk's attempt to survive the onslaught. The Stainforth family is presented with the ultimate sacrifice with their lives and those of the villagers hanging in the balance.Fans of Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Robert McCammon will certainly find a new star in Simon Clark. His novels are becoming more prolific here in the US, so enjoy!

So far, I've read three of Simon Clark's other books and enjoyed them immensely. "Nailed by the Heart" is the most recent of his books and one of the most frightening. Its the story of a family who moves to a small coastal town to live in an old sea-fort they planned to remodel into a hotel. The Stainforth's, however, have no clue that their new home is shared with an ancient god demanding sacrifice. And they have no idea that there is something else in the water ready to try to seize the old god's power.This one is terrifying and atmospheric. I always enjoy books by the sea and this has all the eerie effects of such a setting. There are animated corpses and the frightening Saf Dar that makes this one very suspenseful. Good characters, interesting story and all the chills makes this a superb book. So far, I've read all of his books that have been released in the states and I await his next one.A great horror novel as well as suspense novel. A+

Simon Clark who? I'd never heard of him but I'm glad I picked this one.A hard-hitting horror debut that kept me up half the night turning the pages. Brilliant, eerie and genuinely scarey!!!

Clark is a phenomenal writer with a distinct, eerie style to his prose. This novel is set in a small English sea town filled with odd characters and buried secrets. A family of three buys an old sea fort and moves in to discover that the fort is far more than it seems. What they soon realize is that the town was once a sacred site for an Old Religion that never truly disappeared. As old Gods are awakened the family is plunged in to terror. Trapped and cut off from civilization they must rely on each other and the towns people to survive.Clark's writing is a quieter brand of horror that fills the reader with an incredible sense of unease. The setting of the novel is dank and foggy. The kind of place where you know that evil is lurking right around the corner but there is nothing you can do to avoid. The monsters that arise from the sea are so vividly described that it chills you to the bone. The characters, both main and secondary, are very vivid and well developed. The book weaves together several storylines and contains an intriguing mix of superstition, mythology and modern day fear. Clark builds a momentum of fear from page one that grips the reader and does not let go, even after the book is over.I originally read this novel as a British paperback and became and instant fan of Clark. I highly recommend this book, especially for a dark and stormy night. As an additional recommendation try to get your hands on Clark's other novels which are some of the best examples of modern horror fiction on the market.

until you're finished reading.Nailed by the Heart is one of the best books I've read all year. Simon Clark has a gift for language and an even greater gift for setting. This book pulled me in from the beginning and kept me there, with a high tension level throughout. And, although there were elements of suspense, it was essentially a horror story. Simon Clark digs deep into human emotions when faced with something utterly beyond the norm.This was my first opportunity to read a novel by Mr. Clark, but definitely not my last.If you enjoy his writing, be sure to pick up his short story collection, Salt Snake and Other Bloody Cuts, from Silver Salamander Press.