Mark Morris, Stitch

Synopsis : Mark Morris, Stitch

"Autumn term at Maybury university, and as the nights draw in, so does an atmosphere of menace. Dan Latcher, a previously quiet and withdrawn student, blossoms overnight into the forceful illusion-working leader of a charismatic student movement, The Crack - an organisation with the power to shape and alter its followers' personalities, pushing them on to mindless heights of pleasure and pain.

With hitherto bright, vivacious fresher Stephanie Peele becomes one of his converts, her worried room-mate Annie enlists the support of fellow student Ian. While the campus is further beset by an unknown knife-wielding psychopath, Annie and Ian pit their strength against the forces of evil, as personified by Latcher and his infinitely more potent puppet master, Peregrine Stitch, voraciously sucking in new converts body and soul..."

Back in 1991 the author Mark Morris released his forth novel 'Stitch' through Piatkus Books (his first two novels were released under the pseudo name J. M. Morris; 'Fiddleback' and 'The Lonely Places'). Drawing upon his dark imagination, Morris' novel 'Stitch' delivers a nasty tale of a bizarre magical force that empowers its victims that become part of it's cult. From the start of the novel, Morris weaves a graphic, and at times disturbing tale that keeps a fast pace throughout. From the outset, the reader explores the lives of various characters who's stories will all eventually come together to create this harrowing adventure into the depraved world of this powerful force.

The novel is well written, with scenes that will feed your imagination with the horrific nature that is described in great detail. Morris has managed to encapsulate the mental torment and the desperate atmosphere that the individuals undergo within the novel. Based predominantly within the student halls of residence for the first years studying at a university, the book dwells on the uncertainty and nervous feelings that surround the characters.

As the novel builds towards the dramatic climax, Morris' imagination delivers vivid and bizarre turns of events that make up this creepy tale. Shocking in places, the book is not for the faint hearted or easily offended, but will be enjoyed by fans of the modern horror genre. If you like Clive Barker's early horror work, then you'll love this book.

Highly recommended!

The book runs for a total of 423 pages.