A young girl, Julia, trapped in a snowbound chalet in a mountainous area of Switzerland, is under attack by ghostly apparitions. Her brother, Sam, rushing to save her, is struggling through unnatural levels of snow on roads closed to all traffic but a snow plough. Her brother’s boyfriend, Nick, horrifically scarred after an ‘accident’ on a mountaineering expedition is missing and believed to be a danger to himself and others. This sounds like a fairly classical format for a psychological thriller or a horror story, but in this instance it appears to be both. Nick has becomes obsessed with climbing The Maurit, a peak deep in the Swiss Alps about which there is little information other than allusions to suspicious and secretive villagers’ tales that no one who has tried to climb it has ever returned. During the climb, strange delusions affect him and his partner, Antoine. The latter disappears, presumed dead, and Nick returns with a massive wound across his face. I said this was a combination of psychological thriller and horror, this is why: Both Nick and Sam had traumatic experiences of mountains at an early age, which led Nick to become a risk-taking climber and Sam to have an abiding fear of climbing. These different psychologies colour the way the story evolves. When Nick returns he is supernaturally possessed by the mountain and, when his attempts at control fail and the Maudit breaks through, he become a monster and mass murderer. The horror elements are well written, though somewhat formulaic, and the mountain climbing sequences are clearly written by someone with experience. It is a cross between ‘Touching the Void’ and a Lovecraftian Cthulhu tale, with the mountain as an elder cosmic god. The book is written as a series of first person narratives, mostly by Nick and Sam, interspersed with quotations from Horror stories from the past, particularly by H. P. Lovecraft, who was obviously a major influence. In the past I have read all of HP’s oeuvre and can feel little touches throughout. I think the translator, Moshe Gilula, deserves applause for what must have been a challenging effort to turn Dutch horror based language into English/American horror based language. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read- but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Echo follows the lives of Sam and Nick after Nick is injured during a mountain climbing expedition. But Nick doesn’t just bring physical scars with him. Something is wrong the with the Maudit, and it seems to have changed something in Nick, triggering something dangerous. I want to start by praising the structure of this book. Each chapter is linked to a book that the author loves, and starts with a quote from that book. The book uses various styles of writing in the different chapters, such as diary entries, emails and letters. It follows the points of view of Sam and Nick, with some input from other characters too. Each chapter made it very clear whose point of view was being used which I loved! I never struggled to keep up and really enjoyed this format, despite it jumping around in time a little. This may be one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read. It takes a lot to scare me, but this book managed to make the hairs on my arms stand on end! I’m still not completely sure what I read, I feel you do have to suspend reality a little for this one. You just have to accept what is happening instead of trying to question it too much. My biggest complaint was that I struggled to follow some of the mountain climbing lingo sometimes. I ended up skimming it because I had no idea what was happening! I also felt the book dragged a little it times, it could have been slightly shorter. But I really enjoyed the last paragraph or two of the book. I found it really moving! This is a story of possession and horror, but it’s also a story of love! I would recommend this to any thriller/horror fans but be prepared for a bit of an unusual and long ride at times! I want to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Thomas Olde Heuvelt for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.

4.5* Echo stars with a bang. The first pages make you hold your breath and you don't know what's going on. Cryptic, creepy and fascinating. I knew it'll be a book I'll enjoy. Nick loves the mountains. He goes on a risky expedition with his friend Augustin who never comes back and whose body has never been found. Nick's face is destroyed. And his soul. Sam, Nick's boyfriend decides to stay and support him, but it's not easy when there's a demon inside of your loved one. The story explores their past, what happened in the mountains and what's happening today. Horror that can't be explained is pouring over the pages... A slow paced book that takes you through the mysterious journey, told from the perspectives of people involved. I loved that the action takes place around Lausanne which is my favourite place in the world.

Headlines: Just get past the prologue Shivers, fear and birds This couple were goals, strange ones, but still goals I am a no-time horror reader but the climbing element of this book made me sign up. I read the prologue and quite frankly, I was petrified. It plunged the reader into a kind of relatable nightmare but I can say that post-prologue it relented on that level of adrenaline scare. The plot of this story was exceptional in my opinion. The sinister feels, the unthinkable being real had the ability to really capture my attention. What you get with Echo is a consistent feeling of tension, a background of looking over your shoulder (was that something in your side vision?) and strange happenings following one of the protagonists around. Nick had been involved in a climbing accident that had caused a major injury and his partner Sam found himself plunged into a test of the strength of their relationship. I really admired Sam, this story was a representation of how we might behave if we found our partner changed by injury. Sam was definitely not sure if he could be up to the task but he tried really hard. I loved how Sam believed Nick, even if he wasn't sure if this was delusion, psychosis or something more sinister. Nick was difficult to fathom as a person after the Maudit, but he was such an interesting character. I was cheering for them, even though I didn't have much hope. I have to make a serious nod to the author for the authenticity of the climbing in this book. An amateur climber myself and as someone who has devoured endless climbing expedition non-fiction, the detail and accuracy made this read something extra. Non-climbers might have to look up some technical words occasionally but google is your friend. "As I look at the Maudit, I realize this mountain's soul is old and dangerous. I see it as an evil, dark blot. A cancer spreading over the valley. I suddenly become dead scared." Overall, I will sleep tonight after finishing, which is more than I did after reading that prologue but please do remember I am a 10 on the wuss-scale so this was a read out of my comfort zone. I enjoyed this so much that I might dip my toe into another of Heuvelt's books, which is something when I never seek out horror. Thank you to Hodder Books and Pride Book Tours for the review copy.

One of the most memorable books I have ever read is HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvert. I remember the storyline and the characters so clearly, despite reading it six years ago, and I recommend it to everyone and anyone who is looking for a creepy, unsettling horror novel. So you can imagine my delight when I received an advanced copy of Echo, the latest book by Olde Heuvelt to be translated into English. So much so, my planned Christmas reading was pushed aside to make room for this superbly written chilling tale. Nick Grevers, an experienced mountaineer, is lucky to be alive following an accident which saw the death of his climbing buddy, Augustin. Nick is in a bad way, wrapped in bandages, unable to communicate verbally and horribly disfigured. Nick’s boyfriend, Sam, is horrified by the news and despite his love for Nick, feels unsure about their future together. But when a terrorist attack is carried out on the hospital Nick is in, Sam realises that his life is with Nick. But Nick’s experience on the mountain went beyond the horror to his face, near death and losing his climbing partner… I am a huge fan of books set in an inhospitable environment, particularly those set in a mountain range. I also love books where we humans have to fight for survival against nature and everything it throws at us. Which made Echo a perfect choice for me. Echo is a rich and vivid tale of love, loss and supernatural horror which I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in. Chilling, creepy and everything you want in a spooky read, this emotional tale drew this reader in from the incredibly eerie start to the devastating finale. Reading Echo truly was an experience and one I will remember for some time to come. It took me a while to warm to Sam. His dialogue is written very much as he would speak – ‘coulda’, ‘hadda’ – which took a little getting used to but before long, Sam’s dialogue felt very normal and very natural and I began to feel great affection for him. To the point where, by the end of the novel, I was sad to say goodbye. Nick intrigued me no end. I wanted to know what happened to him and Augustin on Maudit, and why. Nick’s take on things is provided via his manuscript which he sends to Sam whilst he’s away in the US. Throughout the novel sections of the manuscript are provided to the reader so the gaps can be filled. The truth is slowly, gradually revealed and it made for gripping reading. The love between Nick and Sam, despite the devastation caused by the accident, is what shone through the strongest for me. It almost broke me. Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Echo is a beautifully written, eerie tale of all-consuming love and heart wrenching loss. It is a slow burn of a novel which I savoured over the course of several sittings. It’s not a quick read but worth every single moment you spend within its pages. I loved the way the author builds up the suspense, increasing the tension as the story moves to its climax. Olde Heuvelt has once again crafted a novel that has wormed its way under my skin. One that will stay with me for some time to come. Recommended.