The Midnight Man

ISBN: 0727866370

Author: Clark, Simon

Condition: New

Product DescriptionVan Gogh paints works of transcendent genius, while in London a killer launches a reign of terror . . . - Nidabi is attacked by her master but is rescued just in time by Pastor Hux, a man who befriended Van Gogh many years ago. A decade later the men live different lives. But soon a deadly momentum will draw the two old friends together into a withering storm painted in madness and death.From BooklistClark, the author of Lucifers Ark (2008) and several novels about vampires (London under Midnight, 2006), offers up an eerie period piece set in England and France in the late 1880s. In London, a killer preys on young women; meanwhile, the mysterious Pastor Hux rescues a servant girl from her violent master. In Provence, Vincent van Gogh makes the acquaintance of a soldiers daughter, and she dedicates herself to rescuing the tortured genius from his own self-destructive nature. Both men, Hux and Van Gogh (who knew each other once), are wracked with self-doubts and contradictory natures, and both are-or so it seems-somehow connected to the series of murders. The novel is less successful than Clarks other books: the story is less cohesive, the characters less compelling. On the other hand, the atmosphere is genuinely spooky and threatening; clearly, Clark is a talented writer, even when his material is less than ideal. Is the book a misfire? No, because it delivers on its promise of chills and excitement. But readers familiar with his works may feel it could have been better. --David PittAbout the AuthorSimon Clark, described as ""one of the most exciting British horror writers around,"" is the author of numerous novels, including The Fall, Darker and Blood Crazy. He was awarded the British Fantasy Award for his short story ""Goblin City Lights"" and for his novel Night of the Triffids, which continued where John Wyndham's original novel left off.