"...[Between A Rock and a Hard Place] is a remarkable tightly threaded threnody of staccato surrogate stalking. The prose is pitch perfect. And its ending also strangely relates to the 'aquarium' in the previous story. More dead loss bottom-fishing in the urban storm. It's Ramsey Campbell but with Garrison Church bells on. I loved it!!!!"
© D.F. Lewis
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March '10: Dead Loss Review:
'"Dead Loss" by Carole Johnstone is an exquisitely detailed account of a commercial fishing expedition. This marvelous, spooky tale has now been added to the long list of reasons why I do not swim in the ocean. Never. Not under any circumstances. Don't even ask. Carole Johnstone knows why.'
© S.P. Miskowski
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January '10: Frenzy Review:
'Eight men are stranded on a raft in the middle of a vast ocean. These men have no idea how they got there, and no idea where the current will be taking them. They have little food and water, and, haunted by their past experiences, they pray for a miracle. Beneath them, an all-consuming shadow seems to be drifting along with them. The men are frightened and paranoid. These eight men are all alone in a black, terrifying abyss. But, as they soon come to realise, the only thing more terrifying than being alone, are the shadows lurking beneath them, watching, waiting to engulf them. Will these eight men survive, or will they be sucked down into the blackness below...?
I read somewhere that when asked to make Jaws 2, Steven Spielberg wanted to recreate the story of the USS Indianapolis, in which 900 men were stranded in the ocean. Starvation, dehydration, and sharks slowly picked these men off, and finally, only 317 of them were rescued. The movie producers quickly quashed Spielberg’s idea, as they deemed it too depressing for the mass audience. I always thought this was a shame, because a story like that promised to be truly terrifying. Can you imagine what those men went through, hoping for rescue and yet secretly knowing that most of them would die? This is an eerie premise and great meat for a horror tale. For years, I have waited for an author to give this concept, real teeth. And, now, Carole Johnstone has delivered.
Let me be clear. Johnstone’s Frenzy is not the story of the USS Indianapolis. But, it is how I imagined a tale about the doomed ship would be, if it were to be written.
I was absolutely thrilled when I read this book. Frenzy eerily encapsulates all the elements required from a tale such as this. These eight men go through all the emotions that this situation demands--paranoia, treachery, hope, longing, realisation, and most grippingly of all, fear.
In short, Frenzy is an intense thriller with a supernatural twist, and if like me, you were disappointed with the story of the USS Indianapolis, because it was never realised in a book or film, then read Frenzy, because the author, Carole Johnstone, brings to life this situation with her own unique style.
In fact, Frenzy is a transcendent horror tale that will take hold of your imagination and not let you go until the very last page!'
© Spinetinglers.co.uk
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January '10: Frenzy Review:
'Frenzy was essentially a powerful psychological horror about a random assortment of eight guys who wake up on a life raft together floating over the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean with no memory of how or why they got there. Writing it out like that may not sound like much, but when you get into the story it has an ever growing feel of desperation and foreboding that leads to a tension filled climax.
The characters and their interactions are top notch, and the scenes are presented to the reader crystal clear so that you can really see it in your mind. It’s fast paced, with no speed bumps slowing down the momentum, and leaves you wanting more. Many writers who put out a lot of books haven’t been able to pull off these things I’ve mentioned nearly so well as Carole has done with this one, and I’d say she has a lot of good books in her future.'
© Colin Hersh
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October '09: Dead Loss Review (Black Static #13):
'And the story-winners keep coming, no mistake! Hugely impressed by this tale of the North Sea near Scotland and Norway...here Creation's pecking-order takes on a new dimension, and you won't know exactly what I mean till you read this literally reverberating story.
Giantism-in-action. Shock and awe. But I've only skimmed the surface.'
© D.F. Lewis
Read the full review here
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October '09: Dead Loss Review (Black Static #13):
'Johnstone's grim portrayal of the men working in a fishing industry that itself is a ghost of its former grandeur is finely detailed rings utterly true. Highly Recommended.'
© Colin Harvey @ Suite 101
See the full review here.
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October '09: Frenzy Review:
'There are echoes in this story, of an episode of the TV show Outer Limits and also of the old joke about different nationalities stranded together in a life raft, reflected here in the dramatis personae of the novella. Hints too of Jaws, and just about every other Hollywood slice of shark fare, of the sea stories of William Hope Hodgson, and of Lost and reality TV in the resolution that is eventually provided. But Johnstone is her own woman and takes this familiar material in a new and unexpected direction.
'[Frenzy] is a bravura performance, and one that is absolutely gripping, as the layers of Pete's psyche are stripped away…and everything revealed is tainted with the curse of the unreliable narrator, the one who hides not only from the reader but from himself.
'Frenzy is Johnstone's first novella and it is an impressive debut at this length, one that speaks of a bright future.'
© Peter Tennant, Case Notes column and blog, Black Static
Black Static #13, TTA Press
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October '09: Frenzy Review:
'Frenzy by Carole Johnstone kept me on the edge from beginning to end. The constant rush of adrenaline injected into my brain while I read was an unusual experience for me. I found myself side by side with these characters going through the same terror and feeling the same uncertainty for my survival. If you love horror, and suspense then this is an absolute must for your collection.'
***** 5 Stars
© Author/Reviewer Marilyn Thompson
Mind Fog Reviews
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August '09: Frenzy Review:
'Carole Johnstone’s novella Frenzy is a tense, horrifying, and very well-written foray into a world of terror. This is the kind of horror story that makes you hold your breath, turn the pages quicker, hope desperately for a glimmer of light, and fear that there will be none.
Frenzy progresses through the experiences of one man, Peter Sherlock. We watch the events unfold before his eyes and delve into his mind during his nightmares and recollections. We experience his horror and his agony as he watches what happens with his fellow castaways, and when answers come to light towards the harrowing conclusion, we share in his disbelief and resignation.
One wouldn’t think that a story about eight men floating in the middle of nowhere in a life raft would be all that interesting. One would be dead wrong. This story gripped me soundly by the throat from the very first page, shook me around a little bit just to make sure I was good and rattled, and held me tight until the bitter end. It left me stirred up, shocked, and not just a little saddened. And all I can say is …wow. Excellent job, Ms. Johnstone. I look forward to whatever you have to offer us next. If it is anywhere close to as well-done as Frenzy is, we’ll be in for a treat.'
Rating 5/5
© BD Whitney {and link to website}
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August '09: Frenzy Review:
'Eight men wake up alone in a life raft, in the middle of the ocean, with no idea how they got there. That’s the premise in Carole Johnstone’s thought-provoking debut novella, Frenzy.
The story is true horror, but anyone looking at the cover and expecting to see the thrust of the story being the characters bloodied and devoured by sharks and other marine nasties is going to be disappointed. Or perhaps pleased, because although big fish add to the effect, this story takes you into the true fears lurking in the recesses of the characters. At one stage I was really inside the mind of the hero, Pete, as he looks down into an almost bottomless depth of water beneath him. I could feel his frustration, surrounded by sea, but unable to drink. In the almost exquisite characterisation, as we see what makes each of the characters tick, and the personal demons driving them.
Johnstone has put together a mishmash of people, cleverly using characters who play off each other to increase the tension. Some get on, some don’t, but all serve their purpose. The story pulls no punches in playing on the character’s relationships. It is very raw and maybe near to the knuckle in places, a feeling helped by the stark writing style and the decent pacing. It had me questioning myself, asking, ‘would I behave like that?’ given the stress of the situation. The author has obviously done her research on the effects of exposure at sea, and the deterioration in mind and spirit comes over excellently.
I have – rightly, I think - enthused over the book; but was there anything that didn’t work for me? Well, I always felt slightly in the dark about the ‘why’ of the men’s captivity – I would have liked to have the hints thrown at me earlier to avoid the nagging feeling of not quite knowing everything I wanted to.
The novel includes a lot of flashbacks. These are notoriously difficult to incorporate into any work, and to a large extent Johnstone skilfully pulls them off. In one or two places, though, I did feel the flashbacks butted in when the now was more important.
My criticisms are only minor nits, though. All in all, this doesn’t read like a first stand-alone release. Frenzy is a mature-looking work from a writer who clearly enjoys the craft and who hits the keyboard with confidence.'
© Andrew Richardson {and link to personal website}
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May '09: Another Grants Pass Review:
'I believe this to be a worthwhile gathering of post-apocalyptic tales by some wonderfully talented writers...well worth the read.'
© BT. Full review @ Horrorscope
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May '09: Grants Pass Review:
'It's rare that I get to read an anthology in which virtually every story is a standout piece, but Morrigan Books have delivered exactly that with Grants Pass...a remarkable, disturbing, and worthwhile read that is likely to stay with the reader for some time to come. I'm predicting that this anthology will be up for a swag of awards come the next round of Aurealis, Ditmar, and Australian Shadows nominations.'
© Chuck McKenzie. Full review @ Horrorscope
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'Carole Johnstone’s ‘The Morning After’ is a debut story that reeks of location, and has a nice twist that’s so subtle it has to be read carefully. It’s a first sale that bodes well for Johnstone.'
Black Static Issue 3 by TTA Press
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