The Mourner’s Cradle by Tommy B. Smith – A Book Review

Blurb:

The tale of a widow’s harrowing journey through grief and peril into the cold remnants of a dead world.

Damon Sharpe had in part found victory, he believed, in his battle to unearth a truth obscured by time. By autumn, he was dead, leaving to his wife Anne a house of unfulfilled wishes, remnants, and the key to the enigma of his obsession, the Mourner’s Cradle.

A journey through grief and peril delivers Anne Sharpe from her home in St. Charles to the faraway skeletons of a long-dead civilization where she will find the desperate answers she seeks…or die trying.

Author: Tommy B. Smith

Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing

Pages: 140

Release Date: 14/09/2018

Genre: Horror

My chosen Format: Kindle

My Rating of the Mourner’s Cradle: 2 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon UK, Amazon US

 

Review:

I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

When I received a copy of The Mourner’s Cradle it ticked all of the boxes I wanted it to tick at a first glance. It had archaeological discovery and a race to unearth something thought lost to time by some and purely a myth by others. It has the horror element to it and sounded like a bit of a thriller/page-turner. That, and the fact that it’s published by Crystal Lake. I haven’t read anything of theirs yet that I did not enjoy.

Sadly, as with all things, there is a first time for everything. This was my first time reading something from Crystal Lake that I did not enjoy.  Judging by the reviews and ratings The Mourner’s Cradle has gotten so far, I am in the minority as the reviews seem overwhelmingly positive.

The Mourner’s Cradle started as it meant to carry on. Unbelievable. I am aware that where fantasy/sci-fi/horror are concerned, suspending disbelief is required … but to have a mourning widow get the better of a trained hitman/hired muscle in a fight just had me shaking my head in pure disbelief. Sadly, our heroine continued to do the impossible on many occasions. I won’t list those many feats that she manages or how many times she cheated death in unbelievable situations due to spoiling it for those wanting to read.

The writing itself is very strong and you can tell the author has a lot of talent for the craft. It just read like I was reading the sort of thing a videogame character might do/accomplish sometimes and it really soured my enjoyment. In fact, at times, it felt like Tomb Raider was on the page rather than on the screen.

The ending seemed to just happen without making too much sense and, after all is said and done, I came away really disliking the protagonist. That is something I hate feeling like after reading a book, especially after the author has tried to make you get on her side.

This, for me, felt like a chore despite its length. I can only hope others have more enjoyment than I did with it.