WL's Mainstream Gay Book Reviews - 43. Halloween Month Special Reviews: Once Upon A Haunted More (Book 1 of Tyack and Frayne Mysteries) by Harper Fox

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18744000-once-upon-a-haunted-moor

Harper Fox is an amazing British author, she’s well known in the gay fiction world for many of her tales, including this series of contemporary urban horror fantasy mysteries involving the redoubtable hard-nosed Constable Gideon Frayne and Psychic Lee Tyack. I freely admit that this story got me into her writing, which is an intriguing mix of old-fashioned narrative and modern sensitivities with gay relationships. I appreciate how she writes, but I will warn readers that if you follow this series, it raises more questions than are answered. I think this is a classic English horror story with gay characters and a good concept worth exploring.

Length-wise, it is 91 pages long and 2 hours 57 minutes on audible. It is a short read for people, who just want a simple story with a little frill and horror added in. It doesn’t answer all the questions and the romance was very straightforward Happy-For-Now ending.

Plot: Gideon Frayne is a police constable in the village of Dark within the area of Cornwall, England known for its hilly terrain, known as the Bodmin Moor. One of the many legends of this area is the infamous Beast of Bodmin, an unidentified monster said to be haunting and hunting in this area. Gideon does not believe in the supernatural or spirituality, partially due to his acrimonious relationship with his religious leader father. However, in the midst of investigating missing child, Lorma Kemp, Gideon is challenged by Lee Tyack, a renown Psychic, who leads him on a search across the hills with his gift. Due to the lack of housing in Dark, Lee is forced to room with Gideon, both mutually discovering they’re gay over a series of exchanges. Lee connects with Gideon's dog, who he renamed Isolde. They start a relationship as they continue investigating the whereabouts of Lorma Kemp. Gideon learns certain things regarding Lorma Kemp’s father, Al Kemp disappearance from years ago that may hold a dangerous clue to why she was taken. At the same time, the Beast of Bodmin appears to be calling for Gideon in several chilling dreams and near encounters. While the mystery is solving and the victim is rescued, the actual suspect is never caught or more precisely, his body is never found by police again as something seemingly just as impossible as psychic readings happen at the end of the book. Personally, despite its short length, I think Harper Fox did a better job crafting a psychic-horror story than Alice Winter did with Within the Mind

. This story has a far more unique atmosphere and the character chemistry feels very organic, causing readers to want more of their interactions.

Review: This is a simple horror and mystery book. I’m not going to spoil the storyline for you all, because we only learn what the Beast of Bodmin truly is in book 7 of this series. Without that knowledge though, there’s a lot of psychological suspense and creepy atmosphere to be found in the book.

However with that knowledge, here's my thoughts in a spoiler section for readers of this series:

Gideon Frayne is a standard skeptical character, who’s belief system has been uprooted over the years. His relationship with his father is fascinating reason for why he doesn’t believe in the paranormal or supernatural. Religion and the paranormal concepts like psychics are intertwined even though Christianity may paint what Lee Tyack does as witchcraft. It’s fascinating.

Lee Tyack as a psychic reminds me a little of Johnny Smith from The Dead Zone TV series, played by Anthony Michael Hall. I think the concept is solid that he’s a complex character able to see the world differently than others, but he’s also limited in a way from seeing the entire truth. Psychics are a staple in horror fiction for a reason, they are creepy for the forbidden knowledge they hold, along with the potential they have to unearth our personal sins. His romantic overtures with Gideon are charming; though, I know they develop far more chemistry as the series goes along up to the point of marriage and a child.

Now the subject matter, it’s a dark and gloomy. The idea of a kidnapped child and a monster stalking the wilds isn’t new in horror fairy tales, but I love the concept in this series that the monster actually is a protector and the actual evil is someone close to the child. It’s the most obvious suspect in plain sight, being obscured by a horror atmosphere. That's not to say the entire story is dark and gloomy, there's some horror to be found in the antics of Kai/Isolde. An interesting fact I've learned Kai means dog in Cornish, who knew that fact before reading this book

A major negative aspect of this book I think is the short length. I want more out of these characters and I do get it across 12 miniature books like this one for short reads. It’s a different kind of writing style and reading style than I am used to.

My Review: 4 out 5, it is worth reading and quite fun as a horror story. I’d recommend readers continue the entire series from Book 1 to 12, it’s a fun and exciting ride.