'The Waiting Room' by F.G. Cottam follows the story of a retired rock star, Martin Stride, who seeks the help of a fraudulent ghost hunter, Julian Creed, to investigate paranormal activities on his estate involving an old abandoned railway station. As the plot unfolds, mysterious occurrences plague the Stride family, leading to a chilling investigation into the dark past of the railway station and its former occupants. The narrative is described as eerie and convincing, with elements of horror and supernatural suspense reminiscent of classic ghost stories, intertwined with a unique twist on time travel and historical mysteries.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed and complex, grappling with their personal demons while confronting external supernatural threats.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is atmospheric and engaging, utilizing rich descriptions to evoke suspense and deep character exploration.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot intertwines the lives of a retired rock star and a fraudulent ghost hunter as they confront haunting occurrences related to a disused train station, revealing dark historical connections.

Setting:

The setting, an abandoned railway station on a rural estate, enhances the story's unsettling aura with its historical significance.

Pacing:

The pacing is well-balanced, starting slow but effectively ramping up to maintain intrigue and tension.

Notes:

The Waiting Room is a standalone novel by F.G. Cottam.

It features a retired rock star named Martin Stride and his haunted family.

The story revolves around an abandoned train waiting room linked to a dark past.

A celebrity ghost hunter named Julian Creed is called to help the Stride family.

Julian Creed is portrayed as a fraudulent ghost hunter, adding complexity to his character.

The book draws parallels with classic ghost stories like The Woman in Black.

Cottam skillfully develops multi-dimensional characters throughout his books.

The novel includes supernatural elements like ghosts and revenants, as well as themes of historical mistakes.

Cottam's writing creates an eerie atmosphere that engages readers deeply.

The plot contains intriguing twists and mystery elements that appeal to fans of the supernatural genre.

While the beginning is gripping, some critics mentioned the ending felt a bit abrupt or confusing.

The story hints at the horrors of the Great War, giving it historical depth.

Readers appreciated the intelligent twists and character dynamics, especially how they misread each other.

The narrative builds tension gradually, leading to a more intense latter half of the book.

Some reviews compare aspects of the book to the old TV series Sapphire and Steel.

Several commenters noted that the characters and plot elements have originality and depth that set it apart from other ghost stories.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of trauma, death, haunting, and psychological horror.

From The Publisher:

Martin Stride is a retired rock star, enjoying the quiet life with his young family on their beautiful estate. On the edge of his grounds lies a derelict Edwardian railway station waiting room once used to transport troops in The Great War. Silent for many years, it has become a playground for Martin's children but now they won't go near it. Strange occurrences in the waiting room lead Martin to seek the help of TV's favourite ghost-hunter Julian Creed. But Creed's psychic ability is a fabrication to gain viewers. He doesn't believe in the paranormal. Until he spends a night in The Waiting Room.

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The Waiting Room

F.G. Cottam