Books

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Synopsis

In the parliament square of a country listlessly crumbling under the immovable yoke of a malign administration, baked in poverty and a relentless tropical sun, a young woman, exiled from the land of her birth, climbs onto a gilded statue of the benighted country’s immovable dictator to make a futile protest.  She is immediately arrested and the only reason she isn’t shot, is due to the intervention of a minister in the dictator’s government.

The young woman is Ella, ejected from the beloved country of her birth when her families land was seized.  Her saviour is Amina, the mother of her closest childhood friend.  Amina’s instinctive intervention places her in considerable personal danger though, when guided by filial love she appeals for clemency from the ever paranoid President, an elderly man, isolated from his people in a grand palace and haunted by the ghost of a former political partner he is widely believed to have had killed.

An increasingly surreal and satirical dialogue ensues, between Ella, the President and the foul mouthed and remorselessly disparaging spectre that only he can see and hear, which as it touches on power, corruption and lost morality, inexorably destroys all involved.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

Reviews

These reviews have been published by readers on the Amazon website.

‘When I started reading this, I thought it was going to be a straightforward tale about post-colonial political unrest and corruption but, not far into the book, the plot took an unexpected twist and several more followed that kept me gripped. This would make a great play — the story is intense but not overwhelming and the characters are carefully and cleverly drawn. This is the author’s first book — I’ve seen and enjoyed some of his TV work (as a Director), which ranges from award-winning children’s television to costume drama — so I hope he seriously considers writing more books.’

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‘This is a brilliant novel with wonderfully written characters. You quickly get whisked away into the crazy world of a dictatorship. I love a book where you start reading and lose yourself in the pages – this is one of those books.  A well-written, entertaining and insightful little slice of magic realism!’

Available at Amazon

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”538″ img_size=”large”][vc_single_image image=”550″ img_size=”medium” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Glass-David-Skynner-ebook/dp/B00YQ4VG6I/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=O5pTf&content-id=amzn1.sym.4894e669-125c-4a90-a2cc-9002e7df2d59&pf_rd_p=4894e669-125c-4a90-a2cc-9002e7df2d59&pf_rd_r=P5RWBS9MFTZNKXX8RC20&pd_rd_wg=ryVOJ&pd_rd_r=a487258d-773b-4799-ab70-e0f3767a6844&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Synopsis

TV director Cameron and crew arrive at a deserted old people’s home to film the final episode of his once popular but now discredited ‘Ghost Hunter’ series. With his marriage and career collapsing he is contemplating suicide, but happens upon the idea of creating a spectacular final show, a lie so great people will think it must be the truth, where he will actually die at the hands of the fictitious spectre.

This plan is put on hold though when it becomes apparent that for the first time they have found a genuine haunting, an entity that appears only in reflections and takes a different shape to all who see it. Reinvigorated, Cameron wants to capture this on film. The crew are terrified, but he manages to coerce them back into the building. Once inside though the crew seeking to capture the ghost becomes the prey. Trapped inside, with no mobile phone signals and all exits suddenly sealed, the ancient and sprawling building becomes a labyrinth and one by one the crew come face to face with the wraith, a presence of great power that can see deeply inside them and knows what fear is so profound that they simply cannot bear to countenance it. It uses this knowledge to pursue and corner them, whereupon their only choice is to face their terror or be destroyed by it.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Reviewed By Melinda Hills for Readers’ Favorite

Many people have trouble seeing who they really are until some type of reflection exposes their weaknesses and limitations. In Dark Glass by David Skynner, the characters find their reflections in shiny surfaces in the heart of a supposedly haunted property and come to look upon themselves in a completely different way. Losing his job, his wife, and his sense of self-worth, Cameron goes through the motions filming what will be the last show of his TV ghost hunting series. Because of allegations of staging his program, the show will be cancelled, making him feel ashamed and his wife angry at the loss of her lifestyle. Feeling totally alone, Cameron plans to make this episode reflect the ultimate truth. What that turns out to be is something none of the crew could have anticipated. As each of them experience the spotlight of deep reflection into their very souls through the appearance of spirits, will they be able to complete the show or will their fear of their buried darkness swallow them whole?

Intense psychological probing uncovers the hidden feelings and memories of the characters in Dark Glass as they face demons in reflections in a haunted property and terror becomes all too real as they fight to survive. David Skynner reveals the inner workings of the human spirit through his characters in a masterful portrayal of individual quirks and emotional burdens as each confronts his or her reflected image. As he uncovers the force that propels each character’s destiny, you realize that fear can be liberating or imprisoning and the true message is one that may surprise you. An excellent story that puts the ‘real’ into reality, you will probably want to avoid mirrors for a long while!

 

Available at Amazon

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