By Christopher Golden

Headline, out April 18

After an incredible discovery on Mount Ararat, a team of scholars, archaeologists and filmmakers learn that some things should have stayed hidden…

One of Chris Golden’s unparalleled talents is his ability to make you almost physically feel his characters’ surroundings when you’re reading one of his novels – particularly when snow is involved. His recent novel Snowblind gave me shivers on a warm autumnal day; I finished Ararat on the hottest day so far in the UK this year – and still felt numb from the cold… or was it dread? Hands down, this is his tautest novel yet, ratcheting the screws tighter on the reader as the situation escalates out of control, blindsiding you with developments that you realise afterwards you should have seen coming but simply don’t.

Beneath the trappings of this very well told claustrophobic horror story, there are also some very interesting insights into the nature of evil, and how the definition of that differs from person to person. The horned creature that’s found inside the Ark is, perhaps, only one of the demons that haunt the characters, with the clashes between sexes and religions (both in many ways human-made constraints) helping to fracture a group that’s only held together by the lightest of glues.

Back in the mists of time, prior to the explanation of the title, many people believed that Raiders of the Lost Ark would feature Noah’s species-saving ship rather than the Ark of the Covenant. It’s a title that would fit this dark tale just as well.

Verdict: Stylish, dark, haunting – and one of Christopher Golden’s best tales to date. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order Ararat from Amazon.co.uk