Matt Hilton quit his career as a police officer to pursue his love of writing tight, cinematic American-style thrillers. He is the author of the high-octane Joe Hunter thriller series. Worst Fear, from the Tess Grey thriller series, is his latest novel to hit the US.Recently I asked Hilton about what he was reading. His reply:
I’m best known as a writer of thrillers and mysteries, but there’s nothing more I like to read (and occasionally write) than a creepy horror or ghost story. Recently I was recommended to read Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel. Now, twice Man Booker Prize-winner Dame Mantel (author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies) would never have been my natural choice to reach for when thinking about a good horror story, but with Beyond Black I’ve been happily surprised. In fact, more than happy. Albeit the word ‘happy’ is probably a poor choice concerning the emotions the narrative stirred in me. The book concerns an obese psychic medium, Alison Heart, and her severe assistant/business partner Colette, and is as much a taleVisit Matt Hilton's website.regarding their awkward relationship as it is a tale of the supernatural. It’s anything but a ‘happy’ book, and often I was left feeling uncomfortable, annoyed (on Alison’s behalf) and even a little dirty, but also amused and bemused. I was warned the book would leave me with mixed feelings, but isn’t that good? Mantel has done a terrific job of evoking a gamut of visceral and emotional responses through the narrative, and her masterful use of dialogue has left me green-eyed with envy. Beyond Black is not a horror book, except maybe it is. As contradictory as that sounds, one definition of good horror writing is where the story induces feelings that unsettle the reader, and having now just finished Beyond Black, I’m unsettled.
--Marshal Zeringue
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