AFTER a strange first few chapters of scene setting, Hawley author Alison Buck's Abiding Evil grips you and makes you read on to find out how everything will turn out, writes Sarah Miles.

It's a dark tale, full of menace and spooky situations which, if you are easily scared, could have you turning all the lights on before dark.

It's set in a rustic hotel in the middle of a forest and you are given the sense of beautiful but daunting surroundings with a forest which closes in on those within it and hides many secrets.

It has some gory moments where the author goes into enough detail to chill but not so much you feel you are in some Little Shop of Horrors movie scene.

And even though you don't learn a huge amount about any of the characters, the author quickly builds affinity with them and you find yourself following each one's adventures.

The author's style flows and is easy to read but can be a little heavy on the adjectives.

Overall, it's a cracking read and I would certainly pick up another Alison Buck novel with interest.

Abiding Evil by Alison Buck is out now, published by Alnpete Press.