A dark mystery resides upon the isle of New Hope. Xlibris reviews the supernatural thriller The Colony by F.G. Cottam.
Among the Hebrides, the chain of isles west of Scotland, sits New Hope. What was two hundred years ago a thriving colony has long since been the site of a mystery. Two hundred years ago all the residents of New Hope Colony disappeared, seemingly overnight. Much like the disappearances of the Roanoke colonist in the Americas and the crew of the Mary Celeste, the mystery of New Hope has been a source of intrigue and speculation. Media mogul Alexander McIntyre seeks to solve the mystery of the New Hope disappearances, and at the same time increase the acclaim of his newspapers. McIntyre gathers together an expedition of some of the brightest minds in their various fields: a forensic archaeologist, a doctor of virology, a cosmologist, and even a psychic. Whether the truth proves to be a cult mass suicide, a plague, alien abduction, or something more… esoteric, McIntyre wants it and wants his paper to share that truth with the world.
The novel features a cast of colorful yet human characters, some dislikeable for their flaws and some likeable despite them. From the classist yet ultimately noble McIntyre, to the struggling alcoholic private eye Lassitier who still clings to his humanity and empathy. All characters have recognizable goals and motivations.
The ultimate strength of The Colony is its atmosphere. As the story goes along, the sense of dread and unease permeates the pages, both for the reader and the characters. Strange occurrences, seeing people who are long dead, and the awful presence of some terrible thing watching, all assail the characters with ever increasing intensity. It is this atmosphere of dread, and how various characters react to it that ultimately humanizes said characters, helping the readers more readily humanize with them.
Unfortunately the novel is not without its shortcomings. Though it is an enjoyable read, the novel still struggles with pacing and structure. While well written and legitimately chilling, the build-up to the expedition actually arriving upon New Hope takes up over half the novel. The expedition of colorful characters barely has any time to exercise all their specialties before the plot kicks into high gear and things start happening. There is little build-up to the climax, or rather little to differentiate the climax from the rest of the novel.
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