Shadow Black by Tom Arden

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Shadow Black by Tom Arden

pub: Big Engine. 298 page enlarged paperback. Price: £ 8.99 (UK). ISBN: 1-913468-05-1.

Check out website: www.bigengine.co.uk

Harriet Locke is summoned by the film star Yardley Urban to join her boyfriend, Mark, who is painting the definitive portrait of her husband, Lord Harrowblest.

The location is Shadow Black, the 'gothic' mansion on top of a cliff overlooking the sea and derelict seaside resort, Lightletter Bay.

Mrs Van Voyd, the elderly, outrageous and much married companion of Yardley, actually sent the invitation. And this is not the only mischief afoot. In a mystery more reminiscent of Agatha Christie than Conan Doyle, 'Shadow Black' meanders like a compelling genre movie to find a resolution that will marry together its intriguing disparate parts.

Fortunately, the writing is accomplished enough to not require the tension of an Agatha Christie plot. Here, the construction and characters make up a mysteriously unfolding whole leading into realms Miss Marple never trod.

Lord Harrowblest inherited the estate of his profligate brother, including the seaside resort complete with pier, which had been allowed to fall into dereliction.
The climax, in true Agatha Christie style, is the confrontation of the main players by Mr Vox, a sort of the supernatural Poirot and aptly related as a theatre dialogue.

For all its ingenious devices, serpentine ploys and keenly drawn characters, it is a little difficult to care any more about them than those in a Fifties novel about the upper classes, though this might be intentional.

Despite this, 'Shadow Black' is inexplicably a good read. It may be more to do with how these outrageous characters are moved about the archaic set of a cliff top mansion, private beach and derelict seaside town. Having created the main players the author cannot resist adding the odd pawn, from Aldous, Mrs Van Voyd's dog, to a philosophical Mr Punch who ends up minus a nose (probably not before time).

The self-centred retired film star, 'butler' (with an unhealthy and downright peculiar obsession with his master), innocent young woman pitched into a nest of seriously strange vipers, rebellious and disillusioned young nephew, balding and bouncy composer of popular songs, etc, are all stock characters.

One quibble is Lord Harrowblest. Although having one side of his face disfigured and eyeless and a high domed bald head, he is unaccountably represented on the cover of the book by an Ian Richardson lookalike.

Despite its meanderings, multitude of threads and unlikely setting, 'Shadow Black' is an entertaining read with a slight and virtually superfluous supernatural twist. SF or fantasy it ain't. It may be difficult to visualise in mainstream fiction, especially the literary sort - it's far too entertaining for that.

In the case of Tom Arden's novel, one genre slot is as good as any other in a place where categories rein. Make the most of it, not many authors could get away with this.

Jane Palmer

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