From Booklist*Starred * Hannah is on the run, her young daughter and her grievously wounded husband depending on her for their own survival. Her destination: a remote farmhouse in Wales, a place where she hopes no one will think to look for her. But, rather than a safe haven, the farmhouse could be her last stand against an evil that has pursued her family for nearly 200 years, an evil that can change its shape and take on the appearance of anyone it chooses . . . like someone Hannah might trust with her life. Told in alternating chapters set in the present day, in the late 1970s (when Hannahs father met her mother), and in the late 1870s, this is a scary and exciting horror novel that keeps us off-kilter, as we try to figure out whats going on until were so involved in the story that we couldnt look away even if we tried. Rather than tell us everything we need to know about the history of Hannahs family at the very beginning of the book, as many writers might have, Jones doles out information a bit at a time, asking us to glean knowledge from dialogue and subtext. This is Jones first novel, and you dont see many debuts more ambitious and memorable than this one. --David Pitt "The String Diaries is terrifying, and deliciously so . . . A sophisticated horror story that induces elemental terror. It's perfect for the beach, particularly since you don't want to be alone with it in the dark."Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News"This is a book of authorial wizardry, as Jones hopscotches among three time periods and locales (late 1800s Hungary; 1970s France and England; and present-day Snowdonia, in northern Wales) with grace, wit and dexterity."Joy Tipping, Dallas Morning News"Jones doles out his narrative revelations with patience, turning over his cards deliberately like a well-trained casino dealer."Entertainment Weekly"A scary and exciting horror novel that keeps us off kilter, trying to figure out what's going on until we're so involved in the story that we couldn't look away even if we tried. . . . This is Jones' first novel, and you don't see many debuts more ambitious and memorable than this one."Booklist (starred)"The String Diaries is an engrossing, mind-bending supernatural tale, and Stephen Lloyd Jones is as exciting a new voice as I've come across in some time, a writer who understands what makes the pulse race."Michael Koryta, author of Those Who Wish Me Dead"I have never read a book with such frenzied impatience. The String Diaries is unputdownable. Stephen Lloyd Jones has written a debut novel as frightening and layered as Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian and as clever and riveting as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code."Benjamin Percy, author of Red Moon, The Wilding and Refresh, Refresh"Reading The String Diaries made me feel, in the best sense, like a child again. Nothing was more important than the fate of Stephen Lloyd Jones's courageous and very human heroine Hannah Wilde. Meals went uncooked, bills went unpaid, as I waited to find out if she would win freedom for herself and her daughter against the forces of darkness. I was scared, enthralled and amazed by this stunning debut."Margot Livesey, author of the New York Times bestselling The Flight of Gemma Hardy"A marvel, a new take on a genre that one would have thought completely bled dry of new ideas by now,"Joy Tipping, The Dallas Morning News"[A] vividly written tale."Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"An elegant and exotic neo-Gothic horror story....This globe-trotting, time-traveling page-turner continues with both passages of great beauty and buckets of blood... [T]hose who are willing to let Mr. Jones string them along, are in for an exciting ride."Margie Romero, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"I loved this book."Marcus Sakey, author of Brilliance"With The String Diaries, Stephen Lloyd Jones has created a new mythology of the monstrous to rival Stoker's or Shelley's. Grounded in the real world and populated by characters we believe in, this is a book of magic for the doubtful, a fantastic tale for skeptics, at once transporting and convincing."Andrew Pyper, author of The Demonologist"This novel is a breakneck chase down a long and winding road with the devil sitting beside you in the car."Ben Loory, author of Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day"At once chilling and soulful, this hauntingly powerful tale weaves together the best elements of the psychological thriller, fantasy horror, and historical fiction. Stephen Lloyd Jones has penned a deeply inventive, dazzling debut novel."Eliot Pattison, author of Edgar Award-winning The Skull Mantra and Ashes of the EarthAbout the AuthorStephen Jones studied at Royal Holloway College, University of London and is the director of a major London media agency. This is his first novel. what do you talk about in a book club The String Diaries
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A new very evil breed of monsterBy Shannon L. GardnerI enjoyed this book. I thought the building of a whole new mythology was really amazing. A new breed of monster is refreshing. Not the same old vampire, zombie or werewolf. It is interesting because it is a mix of monster, villain, sociopath, cold blooded killer, evil personified and scary as hell, all rolled into one. The authors character building was fantastic, you really get to know these people, their back grounds and how they are connected to one another. He also writes very strong women characters who are the backbone of these families. The women are the hero's, they try to keep their families safe. His writing reminds me of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. If you liked that book you will like this one. The sequel to this book is also out now.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. What a wonderful, intenseBy GorilichisWhat a wonderful, intense, suspenseful novel. It is what the Shining Girls (which I liked but didn't love) should have been. A mystery that unfolds through history, told in several timelines that intersect, a legend come to life and a truly very scary concept... what if your worst enemy could literally turn into your loved ones? How would you know you were safe with your husband, or in mortal peril? With a pulse-quickening last part, and realistic, fleshed out characters (despite this being a fantasy). I am so happy to hear that there is another book coming up, I can't wait to read it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fantastic!!!By Mrs T. LeeI'm not going to get into the technicalities that others do regarding plots or continuity etc. I don't think this book deserves that. I was drawn into the story from the first. I really enjoyed how the book followed the present and the past simultaneously, keeping you up to date with all the various players. The feeling of loss throughout this book is astounding and certainly bought a lump to my throat many times. I feel the author must have suffered some loss in the past to be able to draw so keenly on its affect. And the twist at the end is surprising!! I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. It's one of the best 'shape shifter' novels that I've had the pleasure to indulge in. I'll be looking up this author for more!!