The Singular Affair of Skarn Head

Great fun, what more can I say?

The dogs bollocks, just as one would expect from Pat.

Pat,

You made a fan of me long ago. And even more so this time around. Congrats on an even better second act. This is pitch perfect.

E

Pat,

You made a fan of me long ago. And even more so this time around. Congrats on an even better second act. This is pitch perfect.

E

Pat,

You made a fan of me long ago. And even more so this time around. Congrats on an even better second act. This is pitch perfect.

E

Pat,

I really enjoyed reading your work. I confess I did not read it all, but managed about half, having only intended to read the 1st chapter. I applaud the way you caught the reader with the battle at sea, and then calmed them with the scene at the lighthouse before enticing them with the mystery of the letter and the visit ffrom the doctor - clearly intending to keep the reader interested.

Your style is also very enjoyable, and I could not detect a single error in the work. This will be on my bookshelf very soon, and I hope it does well, it is very deserving.

Regards
Warrick

Great story. Excellently written. You are a natural writer.
Interesting characters. Dialogue works. and storyline is good.
There was just one thing I would change myself , mainly because I know a few people who find it difficult to read small writing. The letter - instead of writing it smaller, I would write it in italics. Its just a thought. Comfortable reading is important.
I read the first two chapters, and based on those I give it 6 stars.
Junetee(Four Corners)

I was so excited to see you had a new book up. I enjoyed snarl so much (unfortunately came across it after it had already made it to the desk) and I had such high expectations for Skarn Head; I definitely was not disappointed.

I had a bit of a Dr. Who moment in the prologue (that’s a good thing) and I like the wee subtitles at the start of each chapter – they remind me of old sitcoms or Carry On films or something (can’t quite put my finger on it).

You have such an elegant and eccentric writing style, it’s beautiful. The whole thing has a very classic feel to it. And your dialogue is pristine; it was like a conversation I was overhearing rather than reading. I love the characters and I’m fully hooked on the plot. Pat Black, you are NO one trick pony.

Nothing to criticize. Interesting story and fun to read.

Title and cover art: retro and stylish.

Short pitch: lighthouse stories are good. Death cult stories combined with lighthouses are unusual. Mysterious men of action are mysterious. This is sounding promising.

Long pitch: not too long and doesn't give the plot away. I like it.

Prologue: I like the italicised subtitle. Lets me know about the style of the book; that it's the sort of story where I can curl up in a big old leather armchair next to the fire and lose myself in a jolly good yarn. I like the way you've effectively paraphrased 'It was a dark and stormy night...' without using the actual words. Typo: should be keep YOUR fingers off the trigger. Avoid using 'seemed'. 'The sweat... glowed across his forehead' is better than 'The sweat... seemed to glow across his forehead' in my opinion. You've used 'seemed' again a few lines later. Might be worth going into the complete document and doing a search for 'seemed' to make sure you haven't really used it twice on every page throughout the entire novel. Watch out for repetition: 'A sudden flare of light... a tall man's face suddenly flared...'. I'm glad Phinn has a widow's peak. Perfect for the period/character. And I love the way he keeps a grip on his pipe, only to lose it later. Perfect detail.

Chapter One: 'Kitty placed a hand on her back.' That's an odd thing to do. Quite hard to picture. The dialogue between Kitty and Edgar is suitably charming. The hook at the end of the chapter is spot on. I'd read on if I had the time. As I don't at the moment, I'll put this on my watchlist as a reminder.

General impression is that this is an absolutely spiffing story. Best of luck with it.