Plot:

The storm of ’87 had been the greatest, most ferocious storm to have hit Britain in centuries. The suffering that ensued was plentiful, but none more so than that of little Matthew Mason, whose parents were brutally murdered in the midst of the storm by a homeless man desperate to find shelter.
After 25 years of torment, Matthew is released from a mental institute under the watchful eye and care of Tammy Atkins, a care worker with a secret history of alcohol abuse and self-harm.
As Matthew struggles to adapt to his new found liberty, he finds himself continuously plagued by the demons of his past. Haunted by strange and ghastly images and urges, Matthew sets himself upon a path of vengeance; determined to seek out his parents’ killer and put his demons to rest once and for all.

Criminally unheard of Simon David Law is a young British author who has already had a book published, the 2009 post-apocalyptic horror novel ‘Bringing Forth The End Of Days’. Now six years later he is back with a different book altogether called ‘Damaged’ a psychological thriller that will stay with you for days after reading it. The pacing is gradual and intense giving you heart pulpitations as you anticipate what the characters might do or come across next. Add to this that he doesn’t hold back when he describes the mental anguish of our lead character Matthew Mason, a tough subject matter to cover for some, but brilliantly executed. It takes a lot to make a character believable in a book, after all if you don’t believe in them the whole book falls apart but the author has created living breathing characters that you want to read about. Overall a great book to pick up and a British author that should be more widely recognised for his works.

Review by Peter ‘Witchfinder’ Hopkins