The Reaping by Bernard Taylor

A very English horror thriller

The Reaping, by Bernard Taylor, is a tantalizing mystery of a horror book. It purposefully obfuscates what’s really going on, instead drawing you into the story and the central character, planting many seeds of potential things so come, but keeping its cards firmly to its chest until the final third at which point it lurches undeniably into horror territory.

The story — at its most basic — concerns a London-based artist, Tom Rigby, who is asked to stay at a house in Bath to paint a portrait of a young woman. But during his sojourn there, he encounters a motley group of eccentric characters — and it is very clear that rather than the story they feed him, something else, something very strange, is going on…

Of course, as I’ve already alluded, the story is much more complex and richly detailed than that brief blurb suggests.

To expand on the setup: Tom is something of a failed artist. He still paints, but nowhere near as much as he used to. Why? Life got in the way. He got married and had children. He started a shop in order to support them.

The shop became successful, which was a good thing. But the shop’s success not only outshone his triumphs as an artist in his own right, it also demanded more and more of his time. And when his wife died, he had even less time for his own pursuits, given his dual roles now as a single father of four and the head of a thriving business.

So when his work is displayed at a local gallery, he is thrilled to be offered a commission. And as luck would have it, the stars align so that he has the perfect window to accept the offer. It is, quite literally, an offer he cannot refuse.

Originally published in 1980, The Reaping feels very much of the lineage of cozy British detective shows like Inspector Morse or Midsomer Murders. The world feels small and archaic, the plot is unrushed but treated with appropriate seriousness, characters act as is expected of them in a society where good manners and shared values are paramount.

But none of that is to say the novel is old-fashioned. Rather, it has some very modern ideas and, despite the mostly unrushed pace of the book, once the acrylic really hits the fan, it becomes an unrelenting page-turner of a horror novel. (Be warned: outrageous twists and turns are in store!)

In fact, for all the book’s comfortable, old-school vibe, it doesn’t feel outdated but actually quite contemporary… so much so, in fact, that a late-book reference to having to find a phone box in order to make a call will likely catch you jarringly off-guard, much as it did me.

A comforting, engrossing, and thoroughly entertaining read, The Reaping will keep you guessing at the truth of the horror that is hiding in plain sight.