The Godsend

Bernard Taylor is one of the masters of horror and certainly the greatest writer at creating characters who are pure evil. Godsend is his debut novel, written in 1976 this classic thriller is just as terrifying today as it was back in the 70's. Whilst Taylor hasn't written a large number of books, rest assured whenever you pick one up, you won't be able to put it down, or forget about it for quite some time. Godsend is a masterpiece as is his novel Mother's Boys which has an equally evil character. It is such as shame many of his novels are so hard to find. Bernard Taylor certainly has not got the recognition he deserves as one of the modern era's best writers of this terrifying genre. In The Godsend, Alan a successful children's book illustrator has everything he could ever want from life, an enjoyable life, Kate his beautiful wife, three sons, a daughter and the respect an admiration of everyone in the small town he grew up in. It is when his son Sam innocently decides to harass a pregnant lady named Jane by the lake with scraps of bread meant to feed ducks, that Alan's life as he knows it will never be the same again. Jane is in his lounge room the next night as he returns from work, even though he and Kate give her many hints that she's overstayed her welcome she drags the night out so long so that before Alan knows what's happening, she's giving birth in their spare room. The next day she's gone without the baby, which Kate has seemed to have gotten quite attached to and later so has he, so when it is obvious Jane is not coming back they decided to adopt her and name her Bonnie. One by one accidents start to occur, the town turns on them and Alan works out Bonnie is not the Godsend Kate and himself thought she was but is in fact an evil human version of a cuckoo chick. Alan must make the painful decision as to what is most important in his life. If you like the happy family life turned upside down by their child's brush with a stranger also check out Taylor's great novel Evil Intent. Whatever you do though, definitely read this book and his masterpiece Mother's Boys as well!

I started reading this book in the afternoon and by night I had finished the whole thing (even though it was really short). The story picks you up and doesn't let you go until the end. The whole book is beautifully written and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Horror novels or just Literature itself. The storyline is simple but yet horrifying. A couple with four children welcome a pregnant woman into their home and within hours of her mysterious visit, she has a baby girl. That night she takes off and the couple are left with the baby. They decide to adopt it and take it in for their own. But then their 7-week-old son dies struggling in his bedding. Soon more of the couple's children start dying mysteriously. I don't want to give away too much of the plot. Once you pick up the book, it's hard to put it down. The downside is that it's extremly hard to find because it's out of print. This book shouldn't be missed so I encourage you to try to find it on ebay or at your local library if you can't get a hold of it. It's a shame that such a classic story as this should be missed. The mix bettween love and evil is tested to the ultimate limits and asks if you will do anything for love or for evil.

How can this great book be out of print! It came out in 1978, riding the exorcist/rosemary's baby/omen horror craze of that era. The story is about a family who adopt a beautiful little girl...But then strange things start happening and people start dying. Told in an arresting first person style, the horror gradually mounts as the father begins to believe the worst. This tragic story is moving, exciting, and sure to freak you out. You'll love it if you enjoy 70s horror.

This is the only book I have ever read that made me cry. It was not scary so much as it is was grief stricken. It touched my deepest darkest emotions. In my opinion this was the greatest Horror/Sorrow novel ever published. Words are not enough, you'll have to read it for your selves. Trust me, you've never read anything like this!

LIKE WHAT I SAID I REALLY ENJOYED THE BOOK BY BERNARD TAYLOR " THE GODSEND" IT WAS THE BEST BOOK EVER.