One thing is obvious: Matt Shaw is a diverse horror author. One of his endearing - if that's the right word - qualities is his ability to take any horror story and turn it on its head. There are many to choose from, and Shaw isn't afraid to tackle them in an original manner. However, in his latest story, he tackles possibly the most iconic of horror tropes, one that petrifies people to this very day and - surprisingly - is still fresh and scary in modern society. The Clown.
The clown of the narrative is lonely, downtrodden and ignored. People cancel his bookings without telling him because, let's face it, clowns don't matter. They're the scourge of society, a literal walking joke, the modern day jester. However, this particular clown has a sinister side...and it's nothing to do with the make-up. Let's just say his interest in kids goes beyond his bookings...
From memory, I can't remember many horror books about clowns. The most iconic is Pennywise from Stephen King's It...but otherwise my brain fails to conjure another clown that sticks in the memory. However, the sheer thought of clowns and the stigma that follows them, one that haunts us as horror readers, former children and fans, is what gives this book pure horror kudos. Clowns don't scare me, but they have a reputation. The opinion varies but clowns are nasty, evil, paedophiles, mad...the list goes on. The pages of this book drip with menace and evil. Just the fact you are reading about a clown gives this book its atmosphere, one that hangs over the words that pass before your eyes, eyes that are about to bare witness to one of the best horror books of the year.
Clown isn't so much about the clown; it's about the man inside. A tortured man who finds solace in his clown suit. The clown plays a part, yes, but the man inside is pulling the strings. In fact, take away the clown, and you have a great psychological study of a character so well crafted, so maligned by society and so detached, it feels like you're in a shrinks office. Don't get me wrong, it's riveting stuff but it conjures more than the basic horror of the piece. Whether this was intentional by the author or not will remain unknown, but by projecting the slow-burn horrors of one character against the obvious horrors of the people around him is a master-stroke.
5* - A phenomenal book. Matt Shaw said himself that this might be his greatest work to date, and I'm inclined to agree. I'm also honoured to have received this book as a beta read during the writing process. The fact Matt respected my opinion to ask me about the direction of the material is a proud moment for me. He had nothing to worry about. There's no doubt Matt can do gore, shocks, extreme and scary, but the heart of his work is psychological. Clown is a testament to it and is proof that, if you hold on the gore and splatter - to an extent - you can craft a horror story that lingers in the memory long after the final word. Who needs blood and guts when you can traumatise someone? Clown will stay with me for a while...much like Pennywise did in the 80's. This has made my Top Five for the year. Excellent stuff!