Review - The Stairwell by Dean Bryant

Synopsis -

Frightful visions. An unknown manipulator. A force from beyond reason.

Brandon Chapman arrives home to a horrific scene. His wife, Stephanie, is exhibiting behaviour that he can only describe as that of someone possessed – yet he doesn’t even believe in the supernatural. He soon realises that it was nothing other than a frightful, haunting vision.

After discovering a dark secret about Stephanie, Brandon meets a strange figure with knowledge about his own life that no one could possibly know. As his visions become more frequent and terrifying, he begins to question his sanity.

Brandon must either side with this figure or his wife before his daughter comes to harm.

Alice Hamilton, a shy and quiet university student, meets handsome Niel Curtis whilst on a night out with friends. They very quickly fall for one another, but their happiness is short-lived when Niel ends up in a coma after a traffic accident.

Alice fears he may never wake up again and, unaware of the consequences, strikes a deal with a strange voice. When Niel awakes, his behaviour changes drastically, and Alice – like Brandon – becomes subject to nightmarish, violent visions.

Are Brandon and Alice caught in a never-ending nightmare?

Review -

Told from the perspectives of two different characters, the mystery starts right from the off, with Alice and Brandon suffering from horrific visions that might or might not be real.

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that both are suffering from similar issues, but how is it all connected. The answer to that question makes for one of the best moments in what is a very entertaining book.

There are some solid horror set pieces in The Stairwell, a few of which are tough to take, especially those with Brandon's daughter.

I enjoyed this one, and look forward to more from Dean Bryant.

4 stars out of 5