Evilution [Paperback]

Shaun Jeffrey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

Shrouded by fog for nearly two years, the picturesque village of Paradise harbours more than its share of secrets. Having won a cottage in a competition she can’t remember entering, Chase Black moves to Paradise, only to discover that its beauty is skin deep – murder and madness fester in its shadows. When her travelling companion, Jane mysteriously disappears, she starts asking questions. Why are the villagers behaving so oddly? Who are the strange figures she sees lurking in the fog? As Chase becomes afraid that something terrible has happened, events escalate dangerously out of control. A virtual prisoner; too late she discovers the real reason she’s there ...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A classic chiller from a talented new author" -- Guy N. Smith, Author of Writing Horror Fiction and The Dark One

"Shaun Jeffrey's debut novel is haunting, disturbing and spooky as hell." -- Tim Lebbon, Stoker Award-winning author

A classic chiller from a talented new author -- Guy N. Smith, Author of Writing Horror Fiction and The Dark One

Shaun Jeffrey is a name to look out for. A skilled author who writes eminently readable stories. -- Eternal Night Magazine

Shaun Jeffrey's debut novel is haunting, disturbing and spooky as hell. -- Tim Lebbon, Stoker Award-winning author of Face

a great piece of fiction from the horror genre. Go and buy this book, you won't regret it! -- crowsnest.com

About the Author

Shaun Jeffrey was born in 1965 and lives in Cheshire, England. He grew up in a house in a cemetery, his playground the graveyard - perfect grounding for writing horror!. He has been writing for a number of years, and has had numerous short stories published in genre magazines. He is a member of The British Fantasy Society and The Horror Writers Association.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Invisible College Press, LLC (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931468133
• ISBN-13: 978-1931468138
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,011,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shaun Jeffrey was brought up in a house in a cemetery, so it was only natural for his prose to stray towards the dark side when he started writing. Among his 30-plus writing credits are short stories published in Surreal Magazine, Dark Discoveries, Shadowed Realms, and Cemetery Dance. He has also had one collection published, Voyeurs of Death and five novels, Killers, The Kult, Deadfall, Fangtooth and Evilution. His novel, The Kult has been filmed by Gharial Productions and will hopefully be released soon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrifying thrill ride, August 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Evilution (Paperback)

Our heroine, Chase Black, receives a letter out of the blue telling her that she has won a house in a quaint village called Paradise. But as things start to unravel, Chase realizes she did not win the cottage at all. From this point on, things get stranger and more eerie. In some ways, the story reminded me of John Wyndham's science fiction novel, The Midwich Cuckoos, but it was a lot stranger. Evilution is a classic horror novel that expands the envelope of the genre. Government coverups and paranoia all feature in a story that grips to the last page, and then doesn't let go. Read it if you dare.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent First Novel, September 10, 2007

By 

Gregory Faherty "JG Faherty" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evilution (Paperback)

From the very first chapter, this book draws you in with its dark, gothic atmosphere and the foreshadowing of terrible things to come. Shaun's writing captures the you right away, and places you in the front seat of a roller coaster ride.
Only this ride takes place in the dark.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite creepy from time to time, January 23, 2006

By 

Stefan Isaksson "www.stefanisaksson.se" (Malmoe, Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evilution (Paperback)

Chase Black's life sucks. Her boyfriend has been missing for four months, she's unemployed, the pile of bills grow larger and larger, and she lives in a dangerous part of town. Nothing seems to go her way. The only good thing in her life is her lesbian friend Jane, with whom Black has a tendency to drink more than wine than she perhaps should.

But then one day something strange happens. A letter arrives, telling her that she's won her own house in a cosy little village in the countryside. Great news! However, the crux of the matter is that she cannot remember entering any contest in the first place. Then one early morning - when Chase and Jane have both set a new personal best in being hungover - a chauffeur arrives with a limousine to take them to Paradise, the name of the village. Chase agrees to come along, but only on the condition that Jane can come, too.

Upon arriving things appear nice and dandy, except for a bizarre fog that surrounds the entire village. But Evilution is a horror story, and thus both Chase and Jane soon realize that things are not the way they ought to be. Chase, however, tries to keep her spirit high since she has no intentions of going back to her old life, but the strangeness factor keeps getting higher, and when Jane suddenly disappears without a trace things start to really fall apart. People begin to die all around her, and Chase starts having serious doubts about her own sanity. What has happened to Jane? Why isn't she allowed to leave the village? What's the story about the weird fog that never goes away? And why are the inhabitants acting so irrationally?

Evilution is Shaun Jeffrey's first novel (even if he's had some shorter stories published before), and this is definitely not a bad debut. Jeffrey has learned the art of creating a creepy feeling without using unnecessary long paragraphs or stereotyped tools of horror writing. Chase's attempts to understand what's happening to her make a great read, and the other main character - a teenager called Ratty who becomes lost in the fog and end up facing a seemingly invincible foe - is also interesting and adds additional flavor to the story.

No, it's not the best work of horror I've ever read, but I still found myself appreciating it in many different ways, and especially Jeffrey's ability to let the reader know that something's about to happen, but what? And when?

And oh, I must also add that Evilution has one of the best endings I've ever seen in a novel.