By M J Johnson

Odd Dog Press (and on Kindle), out now

The particularly grisly suicide of a former colleague brings photographer Jim Latimer to the attention of fine porcelain dealers Niedermayer & Hart – but how does this link to events in Acre centuries before?

Martin Johnson’s name may be familiar to SFB readers in a rather different context – he was one of those who appeared opposite Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and Paul Darrow in the 1985 Doctor Who serial, Timelash – but based on his debut novel, he’s got a parallel career to his acting set through his writing. It’s a gripping tale, told in two time frames (“contemporary” – which is actually 1996 – and medieval), that charts the rise and fall of a great evil.

Unlike some genre writers, who can sometimes maybe be a little lax in their depiction of the historical details of the backstory, Johnson has done his homework, and Hugh’s story stands as a tale in its own right. Interspersing it with the 20th century material means that sometimes the reader is considerably ahead of the modern characters, and there’s a sense of dread when you realise that they may well be underestimating the situation that they’re in.

Johnson also raises the stakes (pardon the pun) when the police become involved – some of the book’s most dramatic sequences centre around them. Johnson doesn’t recoil from describing the gory moments or utilising four-letter words where appropriate, emphasising the shock value of each by not overusing them.

Although there are a few places where it feels overwritten – we sometimes are given extensive but not totally necessary descriptions – Johnson has created a fine addition to the genre with some interesting characters (the depiction of someone who’s chosen to give up drinking just in time to save himself from destroying all around him in particular rings true). Sure, it owes a debt to a wide variety of sources (everything from Indiana Jones to Salem’s Lot, although oddly enough there’s no sign of a glove puppet masquerading as an alien ambassador), but it’s how the various elements are put together that counts – and it’s a highly enjoyable read.

Verdict: You’ll find it well worth making the acquaintance of Messrs. Niedermayer & Hart – you’ll have a bloody good time. Or they will… 8/10

Paul Simpson