Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach

Written by Ramsey Campbell

Narrated by Daniel Millar

It’s Ray’s and Sandra’s first family holiday in Greece, on the island of Vasilema. The skies are cloudier than anywhere else in Greece, and they’re intrigued by local eccentricities—the lack of mirrors, the outsize beach umbrellas, the saint’s day celebrated with an odd nocturnal ritual. Why are there islanders who seem to follow the family wherever they go? Why do Sandra and the teenage grandchildren have strangely similar dreams? Has Sandra been granted a wish she didn’t know she made? Before their holiday is over, some of the family may learn too much about the secret that keeps the island alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Flame Tree Publishing
• Release date: Sep 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787580800

Ramsey Campbell

Ramsey Campbell has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild and the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews for Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach

[Neil Carnegie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book had enough to keep me intrigued until about half way through. Thoroughly disappointed by the ending though.

[Daisy Kirby · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So much family drama, and tension, until the last 15 minutes, by which point I couldn't tell if it was just more drama, so the finale left me utterly underwhelmed.
It's hit and miss with this author. Some of his stuff is amazing, and some is like this book. I'd say give this one a miss.

[irenecole · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a long time fan of Ramsey Campbell I was so excited to get a copy of this book just before I left for my own vacation. The subject matter seemed to make it perfect timing. Ray and Sandra are a happily married couple who embark on a family vacation with their adult children, grandchildren and the spouses of their kids. Things get off to a bit of a rocky start and with such a large group of people spending so much time together it's hard for everyone to get along. Ray and Sandra are hoping to make this a vacation to remember while keeping a secret from the rest of the family. The locals also seem to have some secrets, and between their strange customs and unusual folk lore the family is a bit on edge. This was a slow burn, building up to an experience of unbridled weirdness.



I received a complimentary copy for review

[charrlygirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quiet horror is one of my favorite sub-genres and with that in mind I was looking forward to this release from one of the masters. Admittedly, my expectations for this were high and I'm sorry to report that THIRTEEN DAYS BY SUNSET BEACH didn't meet them.

A man, Ray, takes his wife and extended family on vacation to an island in Greece. It's the first time that the entire family has vacationed together and everyone has been looking forward to it. It's not long, however, before they begin to notice strange things. Why are there no mirrors in their hotel rooms? Why are different members of the family having similar dreams each night? Even more intriguing, why are those same family members displaying bite marks on their bodies? You'll have to read this to find out!

First off, I did like the writing style and quality, and I enjoyed the foreshadowing. (At times, I think the foreshadowing was the only thing that kept me reading.) What brought me down quite a bit was the pacing and some of the characters. I didn't feel much for any of them, other than Ray, the elderly protagonist and Jules, whom I couldn't stand. (Really, I couldn't stand him-a more annoying, fussy, controlling man you couldn't find anywhere.) I hated him enough that I considered quitting this book more than once. Between him and the pacing, I came *this* close. But every time I said to myself "This is it! I'm done!" something happened that kept me going.

Overall, I'm sorry to say that this book didn't work well for me. The writing quality is there though, which is why I'm going with 3 out of 5 stars. What doesn't work for me might work exceedingly well for you, so if the synopsis sounds good, go ahead and give it a shot. Ramsey Campbell is a master of the horror genre after all!

*Thanks to Flame Tree Press via NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!

[angelajmaher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is best described as a slow burn horror novel, with a building shadow of menace. The family conflicts and issues are entirely believable, but also give a plausible reason why they don't see the menace as clearly as the reader. The reactions of the characters are true to life, underlying emotions run deep, and denial and secrets rule. This is no cheap thrills horror novel, and is a welcome variation on this trope.Many thanks to Flame Tree Press for the ARC. My review is my honest opinion.