Customer Reviews

Nailed by the Heart

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Clark is a phenomenal writer with a distinct, eerie style to his prose. This novel is set in a small English sea town filled with odd characters and buried secrets. A family of three buys an old sea fort and moves in to discover that the fort is far more than it seems. What they soon realize is that the town was once a sacred site for an Old Religion that never truly disappeared. As old Gods are awakened the family is plunged in to terror. Trapped and cut off from civilization they must rely on each other and the towns people to survive.

Clark's writing is a quieter brand of horror that fills the reader with an incredible sense of unease. The setting of the novel is dank and foggy. The kind of place where you know that evil is lurking right around the corner but there is nothing you can do to avoid. The monsters that arise from the sea are so vividly described that it chills you to the bone. The characters, both main and secondary, are very vivid and well developed. The book weaves together several storylines and contains an intriguing mix of superstition, mythology and modern day fear. Clark builds a momentum of fear from page one that grips the reader and does not let go, even after the book is over.I originally read this novel as a British paperback and became and instant fan of Clark. I highly recommend this book, especially for a dark and stormy night. As an additional recommendation try to get your hands on Clark's other novels which are some of the best examples of modern horror fiction on the market.

The Stainforth family moves to a small town on the coast after buying an ancient fort that they plan to turn into a hotel. They soon discover that all is not right with the little town and the fort by the sea (of course, because this is a horror novel, after all), and find that they, and especially the young child David, are in mortal danger when these creepy, red, warrior, zombiesque creatures rise out of the sea and plant themselves outside the walls of the fort. The inhabitants of the town also take refuge within the walls of the fort, and then actual zombies show up, adding to the intensity of the confrontation.
I enjoyed this one. Clark is very good at evoking a strong sense of atmosphere in his tales and at describing images that are frightening on an almost primal level. He brings to life the coastal fort and the creatures that pop up out of the water and fog to threaten it. I give the book 4 instead of 5 stars because it reads a little choppily in parts, as if it were perhaps edited badly, and because the underlyting theme of sacrifice comes across as a bit forced in places. It is still quite a creepy book.

"Nailed By the Heart" is the first Simon Clark's novel published in the States. It most certainly won't be his last!
His tight, well-crafted plot is fueled by terrific characters with which the reader can sympathize.

The plot revolves around an ancient curse that hangs over the English seacoast village of Out-Butterwick. The locals speak of an ancient god who periodically demands a sacrifice from the townsfolk in order to leave them and their village intact.

When the villagers become concerned that the Stainforth family coming into the community to repair and revive an old coastal "hotel" will anger the god with their plan, the plot really takes off. Soon, strange zombie-like creatures are spotted in the surf along the seafort and the family and villages must band together against the assault that ensues.

Without giving away too much plot let me just say that the rest of the novel deals with the townfolk's attempt to survive the onslaught. The Stainforth family is presented with the ultimate sacrifice with their lives and those of the villagers hanging in the balance.

Fans of Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Robert McCammon will certainly find a new star in Simon Clark. His novels are becoming more prolific here in the US, so enjoy!

The Stainforth family has moved to the small coastal English village to renovate an old sea fort into an inn. However, the site is also home to an 'Ancient Evil' which can resurrect drowned sailors.Reminiscent of Robert R. McCammon's 'The Night Boat' and John Carpenter's 'The Fog' this gorefest is a cut above much of the competition thanks to well developed characters and the vivid writing style of Simon Clark.This salty horror tale is strongly recommended for fans of Douglas Clegg and Clive Barker

excellent horror writers. Clark is the latest in a long line of brilliant english horror writers. James Herbert, Clive Barker, and now Mr Clark has made it to the US of A.

Clark's style is a cross between Herbert and Barker. Herbert's style is darker and not as violent as Barker's early books. Barker was an in your face, no holds barred attack on the senses. Clark is somewhere in between the two; although he is darker than Herbert.

This novel is a parent's worse nightmare. The couple moves to an english village by the seaside and the town is full of mysterious going-ons. I don't want to give away too much, but this novel is GREAT!

People that like happy endings and light horror fare need to take note: DO NOT READ THIS NOVEL!! Clark's writing is crisp and easy to follow, but he is not, I repeat, not to be taken lightly. This guy's writing is DARK!!

until you're finished reading.

Nailed by the Heart is one of the best books I've read all year. Simon Clark has a gift for language and an even greater gift for setting. This book pulled me in from the beginning and kept me there, with a high tension level throughout. And, although there were elements of suspense, it was essentially a horror story. Simon Clark digs deep into human emotions when faced with something utterly beyond the norm.

This was my first opportunity to read a novel by Mr. Clark, but definitely not my last.

If you enjoy his writing, be sure to pick up his short story collection, Salt Snake and Other Bloody Cuts, from Silver Salamander Press.

Take one cup of John Carpenter's film 'The Fog', add 1 quarter cup of Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", toss in a dash of "Fawlty Towers" (gone horribly wrong), and then top it off with some really great prose. Simmer this concoction for 392 pages and ENJOY!

Simon Clark's novel was an absolute treat to read! He takes his time with the main characters and presents us with very honest, three-dimensional people. Chris, Ruth and David are people everyone already knows. I found that to be a wonderful touch.

The supporting cast living in the sea-side town of Out-Butterwick are a fascinating collection of characters. Each with their own unique twist.

Without giving away any spoilers, I thoroughly enjoyed Clark's weaving of the different story lines in the early chapters. This laid down a very firm foundation as the rest of the story evolved. Everything layered nicely!

If this is Clark's first published work in America, I most certainly want to read more!

(My only ever-so teeny-tiny issue deals with our main characters and the townspeople within the sea-fort. Didn't these people ever hear of a cell-phone! )

In comparison to some of the other horror titles that I have recently read and reviewed, it stands head and shoulders above quite a number of them. I recommend this novel highly.

Let's hit the beach! But not the one on Out-Butterwick. At least, not right now.

So far, I've read three of Simon Clark's other books and enjoyed them immensely. "Nailed by the Heart" is the most recent of his books and one of the most frightening. Its the story of a family who moves to a small coastal town to live in an old sea-fort they planned to remodel into a hotel. The Stainforth's, however, have no clue that their new home is shared with an ancient god demanding sacrifice. And they have no idea that there is something else in the water ready to try to seize the old god's power.

This one is terrifying and atmospheric. I always enjoy books by the sea and this has all the eerie effects of such a setting.
There are animated corpses and the frightening Saf Dar that makes this one very suspenseful. Good characters, interesting story and all the chills makes this a superb book. So far, I've read all of his books that have been released in the states and I await his next one.

A great horror novel as well as suspense novel. A+

Simon Clark who? I'd never heard of him but I'm glad I picked this one.

A hard-hitting horror debut that kept me up half the night turning the pages. Brilliant, eerie and genuinely scarey!!!

Simon Clark's 1st novel, published in the States for the first time, is a great debut. Going in, you know that with first novels you will get a bit of overwriting and a too-broad scope that a first time novelist can't handle. If you expect these shortfalls, then NAILED BY THE HEART is going to be a pleasurable experience.

The plot consists of a family who have invested everything they have, monetarily and emotionally, into an island sea fort off the coast of England. The sea fort it turns out, has a long history of mythical beliefs and the town that surrounds it is attracting people with addictions...deep, dark addictions. The family gets bits and pieces of the truth from the townsfolk.

A race of people called the Saf Dar are mythological warriors, they have aided in toppling some of the most famous governments throughout the ages. They disappeared awhile ago...only to be resurrected off the coast of this sea fort. They stand and stare from the ocean at the sea fort and its inhabitants.

Then attack!

Clark maintains the level of suspense by putting believable characters in situations that are interesting and vivid. The hints of what the Saf Dar are and how they can, or can't, be killed are slow in coming but pacing is not Clark's strong point here. He thrives on scenes and this novel is more about action than pace.

This is not Clark's best novel, that would be KING BLOOD, but this is a good introduction to American readers. Be patient with Leisure Books and pick up this one, then wait until they release the next Simon Clark book...you will not be let down.