User blog comment:Creepy Thomas O./Book Review - Kind Nepenthe by Matthew Brockmeyer/@comment-26030957-20170730172943

Check out this review from Media Bitch: Matthew V Brockmeyer’s debut novel looks at life through an alternative lifestyle lens and has accomplished an ultramodern horror thriller that has something for everyone. Lending itself to new fiction genre, Brockmeyer has done something within his novel that seldom new writers do today. He lets his characters breathe, live and be nurtured within the confines of the story. His characters are fully realised within their settings but never fall into the stereotypes that most new writers fall into. He has overcome the traps to provide the reader with characters who are fleshed out through their compromises, dreams, weaknesses and strengths. The background history of the area is slightly hinted at but never really fully realised which adds mood and atmosphere to the piece. We only know what each of the characters knows which adds an essence to the proceedings as the story unfolds. Using this device really enhances the book as we are dealing with untrustworthy narrators telling us either an urban myth or a ghost story. The truth can be embellished or maybe it can be taken at face value, it is up to the reader to decide. The slow burn for over half of the book really carries your interests and drives you forward to start to care for these characters. Even the secondary characters are well written within their own idiosyncrasies. There is a low life element to the story but it does deal with the human heart and people who are always trying hard to succeed but always doing down the wrong road to achieve it. As the story unfolds, we find ourselves going through the labyrinthine of paranoia, distrustfulness and life’s realities smacking each of the characters firmly in the face. This starts the descent into madness which may do with the ghostly occurrences or each of the characters personal demons manifesting through bad decisions and their recreational vices. Matthew V Brockmeyer has really masterfully handled all the strands of his story with an artistic and professional hand. He involves the reader into his world and actually makes you care for the outcome. The same material through another writer would have come off as pulp fiction or novel you read and get on to the next one. Kind Nepenthe sticks with you long after the last page is turned. He is a writer to take note of because if this book is anything to go by, there is some fantastic stuff coming our way. His writing style is very precise but artfully crafted and has given the world an ultramodern ghost story with archetypical characters in a dramatic thriller. This is an author to take note of because we haven’t seen the best of him yet. Fantastic read and one that is highly recommended. This is a definite 5 out of 5 read.