Just in time to delight a whole new generation of horror readers!īernard Taylor's work is surprisingly well written. Somehow I missed Bernard Taylors' works back in the day, but thanks to Valancourt Books and the phenomenon of a book written by Grady Hendrix and Will Erickson, PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, many of these older books are coming back into print. Will he finish the portrait and collect his generous fee? Will he happily return home afterward and resume life as he previously knew it? You'll have to read this to find out!īooks like these are the reason I got into the horror genre in the first place. Young Catherine, his model for the portrait seems a bit.off as well. Upon his arrival, though, his surroundings, the family and the servants all begin to unnerve him.

Thomas is offered quite a bit of money to leave his family and business to come do this and his every need will be met while he is there. ( )īernard Taylor-I LOVE the guy! SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART is still my favorite from him, (and one of my favorite quiet horror tales of all time), but THE REAPING is another fine example of horror at its best!Īn artist and father is invited out to a country manor to paint a portrait. I would like to thank Valancourt Books for providing a free audio download of THE REAPING in exchange for a fair and honest review. Hannibal Hills narration is excellent and easy to understand. Another excellent addition to Valancourt Books' Paperbacks From Hell series. The horror is a very slow build, but once all the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, the story takes a rapid chase to its chilling and unexpected end. Some plot points seem too contrived for necessity, but the twists and turns will keep the reader guessing. Whether of wealth, the flesh, or youth, seduction is at the core of this book. Soon, to his horror, Rigby discovers that the commission for the portrait and all that he observed at the manor were all part of a diabolical plot, and that his was a small but integral part in a much larger, more sinister scheme. However, during his stay at the mansion, Rigby observes more and more distressing goings-on, and is more than happy to have his leave of the mansion at the completion of the portrait. Rigby soon finds himself romantically involved with the subject of the portrait, a young relative of the owner of Woolvercombe House. At first reticent, the money offered is too lucrative for Rigby to turn down. Tom Rigby, former artist-turned-shop owner, is commissioned to paint a portrait in a secluded country mansion.

Bernard Taylor's THE REAPING is an unsettling Gothic tale of seduction, and the myriad ways that seduction can be used against a person.

The reaping bernard taylor