“Do you want to play the Dark Game?”
Nemo Raglan must return home and confront the thing that brutally killed his father if he is to have any hope of reclaiming his life.
TITLE:
THE HOUR BEFORE DARK
WRITER:
by Douglas Clegg
PUBLISHER:
Leisure Books (September 2002)
LENGTH:
Book: 370pp.
GENRE:
Horror,
DESCRIPTORS:
Horror Fiction, The Dark Game, Family, Prisoner of War, Failed Writer, Lost Memory, Ghosts, Burnley Island, Massachusetts, Insanity, Murder,
CHARACTERS:
Fergus “Nemo” Raglan, The oldest son who relunctantly returns when his father is killed.
Gordie Raglan, The father of Nemo, Brooke and Bruno. He taught them the Dark Game.
Brooke Raglan, Nemo’s sister who stayed to take care of her father and who is slowly losing her mind.
Bruno Raglan, A young man who doesn’t fit in even more than his brother Nemo.
Pola Croder, A young woman who remained on Burnley Island, Massachusetts.
Zack Croder, Paula’s son.
SUMMARY:
Fergus “Nemo” Raglan is summoned back to Burnley Island Massachusetts and Hawthorn — the Raglan family estate after his father, Gordie Raglan, is found butchered in the smoke house.
Once home he rejoins his younger sister Brooke and brother Bruno who have become strangers to him. As they begin to pick up the pieces of their own shattered lives, the three try to figure out who killed their father . . . and why.
The pieces, however, aren’t so easily picked up. The “brain fart” (referring to a memory loss of one week) still haunts all three of them. The Dark Game is still an uncomfortable subject.
Then there is the knowledge that whatever killed their father is still out there waiting for them — wanting them to play the Dark Game once more so it can be free again.
Brooke’s mind begins to crumble while Nemo and Bruno count the minutes until they can leave and get back to their individual lives . . . that is until Nemo meets an old girlfriend, Pola Croder and her son Zack.
In no time at all, Nemo realizes his life as a failed writer was a dead end while a life with Pola could be a new beginning — but first he must put the ghost of the Dark Game behind him and confront his father’s murderer.
APPEAL:
Douglass Clegg has a wonderful gem in The Hour Before Dark which relies on atmosphere to build up its suspense and not mindless shocks. His pacing however, is rapid using short chapters and short sentences. He employs a lot of dialog, allowing his characters to reveal themselves through their words and actions.
Nemo narrates the story (1st person point of view, past tense). Brook remains mysterious and unstable, Bruno continues to be withdrawn but we get to know Nemo, a broken but endearing character. This was a dynamic story. It read as easily and quickly as Stephen King’s best work.
Descriptive detail is minimal but well placed. You get a feel for how these New Englanders think and how it may be so very different from your own way of thinking. The tone is surprisingly light and airy but gets darker and more oppressive as the horror descends upon the Raglan household.
NOTES:
If you go to Douglas Clegg’s website at www.douglasclegg.com/ and sign up to receive his newsletter, you’ll gain access to the members section where you can score some free novels and short stories by Mr. Clegg including a story called The Dark Game — a great story to read after you’ve read The Hour Before Dark.
READALIKES:
If you like The Hour Before Dark, you would like Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot
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