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The Magdalena Curse

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The Magdalena Curse

By: F. G. Cottam
Narrated by: David Rintoul
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It only takes a couple of visits to convince Dr Elizabeth Bancroft that Adam Hunter is not just having bad dreams. He's a child possessed.His father is desperate: adamant that his son's affliction is the result of a curse he incurred in the depths of the Amazon, where a badly misguided military operation ended in a terrifying and macabre encounter. There he met two women - one more bad than good, who placed the curse - and the other more good than bad, with whom any hope of saving his son resides.

Mark Hunter leaves the Scottish Highlands to beg help from the mysterious woman, leaving his son in the care of Elizabeth - who is about to discover there are equally dark secrets on their own doorstep.

And in her blood...

©2009 F.G. Cottam (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Horror Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Scary Highlander Exciting
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F. G. Cottam has become one of my favourite authors, and The Magdalena Curse is a perfect example of why. It is intelligent, beautifully paced supernatural fiction that creates a growing sense of unease without ever relying on cheap shocks.

What I particularly enjoyed was the way the story gradually reveals itself. Details that might initially seem insignificant take on greater meaning as the story develops, and Cottam gives the reader enough to make connections for themselves without feeling the need to explain everything. I particularly enjoy that about his writing. The supernatural remains mysterious, but it never feels random or unsatisfying.

The characters are another great strength. They feel believable and human, which makes the increasingly unsettling events around them all the more effective. I became genuinely invested in what happened to them rather than simply wanting to discover the explanation behind the mystery.

Cottam is exceptionally good at atmosphere. There is a sense throughout that something ancient and deeply unpleasant is moving beneath otherwise ordinary events, and the tension builds steadily towards a genuinely satisfying conclusion.

What did I dislike? Honestly, nothing. I wouldn’t change the ambiguity that Cottam allows to remain because explaining everything would diminish what makes his stories so effective.

I finished the book completely satisfied and sorry that it was over. An easy five stars, and another reminder of why I enjoy F. G. Cottam’s writing so much.

Atmospheric, intelligent and utterly compelling

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Once again, F G Cottam has come up with a fantastic ghost story with a gripping plot and believable characters, those that are more good than bad and those that are more bad than good, to paraphrase Cottam from the book.

Fantastic book

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Bought after being fully gripped by 'The Waiting Room' don't think this was in the same league but still an enjoyable listen.

Good

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I tried this book because I enjoyed "the Waiting Room" immensely. This was not quite as good and I was a little irritated at some of the military "assumptions" (I nit-pick!) but once it got going, it did take my attention. David Rintoul is a brilliant narrator, picking voices up and giving it just the right atmospheric touch at the right times. He, I think, brings the "extra touch" to this book. The suspense kept up right to the end, and even though it stretches the imagination in many areas, it seems believable. And the description of the boy's room could have been applied to my son's room at his age - right down to the books on the shelf!

A Good listen

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If you are a completist and want to hear all of Cottam's work, this not a bad story. This is one of Cottam's earlier novels and, in later novels, he has a learned to omit great chunks of narrative that bog-down the narrative. I suspect that if Cottam had tackled this story later, he'd have made a leaner story and limited much of the military expedition stuff, for example. There is a good second strand to the story that I hadn't expected but liked very much - I'm being vague to avoid revealing anything.

Good but not one of Cottam's best works

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