PS Publishing have a second website PS2 where they sell off bargain stock. They frequently sell bundles of 10 mystery books for dirt cheap prices - and that was where I got hold of this little gem of a cheat read.
First off - check out that cover. It's gorgeous. The book itself is signed and limited edition so culd well prove to be a good investment one day.
The story follows a Reparateur in the city of Strasbourg up to and during the French revolution. A reparateur is a painter who repairs other people's art.
One day, a beautiful woman visits his workshop and requests a portrait, not as she is at that moment, but as she will be in 20 years. Although his work strictly speaking prevents him legally from taking commissions for original artwork, he takes her up on the deal. Thus begins a tale of love, obsession and the supernatural, spannning several decades of his life.
The prose is very formal but this suits the story perfectly. It's thoroughly engaging and, even though the ending was a tad predictable, engrossing and enjoyable throughout. At only 44 pages it manages to pack in a hell of a lot of detail and a fair sized supporting cast outside of the artist and his occasional model.
The brutality of the period is very well done and lends the book a superbly doom laden atmosphere. When violence kicks in it's gruesome and well rendered - just enough decription to provide the mental picture, not so much description that it feels superfluous.
All in all this is an interesting take on one of the hoariest old tropes in horror fiction. One that manages to feel fresh and new, whilst the prose style feels appropriate for the french revolutionary setting. A difficult feat to pull off.
I will definitely be seeking out more books by this writer. I may even pay full price for the next one.
7.5/10
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