IAN DOWNUNDER VS. THE DINER

Ian steps into John Lynch’s The Diner and finds a story where grief, rage, and revenge are all served bloody.

TITLE: The Diner

AUTHOR: John Lynch

GENRE: Horror

PAGES: 223

FORMAT: eBook

PRICE: eBook $4.99, Paperback $9.99

G’day all, it’s your ARC reader here from Australia, having lunch at a diner while writing up the review for The Diner by John Lynch. Well, not really. It’s past lunchtime here and we don’t have diners in Australia, only restaurants, café’s and pubs. To be honest, this book didn’t really make me want to visit one in the US either, because of the killing and stuff. Anyway, on to the review!

Let me start off by saying John Lynch is a fantastic writer and doesn’t get nearly as much props as he should. I’ve enjoyed everything he’s written, and The Diner may just be his best yet.

The story begins with the brutal murder of an intellectually disabled boy, Teddy, who works at the local diner in a small town. Josephine, his mother, is understandably devastated. Trapped in an abusive marriage, she has no support system in place, and she lives on in misery.

Jumping ahead three years, the diner has changed hands, now being run by Gordon, a middle-aged alcoholic. His business is failing, and he’s lost access to see his daughter because of his drinking problem. He auditions for a reality show where struggling businesses are transformed into successes, at least, that’s what the show wants viewers to believe. His application is successful, and he pins all his hopes on the show for a turnaround to his fortunes.

Back to Josephine, and now she is so desperate that she’s exploring occult avenues to try to contact her son. She finds a man who promises her far more and witnesses him perform a miracle. He leaves her with the secret and tries to bring Teddy back, but what comes back is most definitely not the Teddy she remembers.

Josephine and Gordon’s stories then collide, and together they have to put a stop to what Josephine has unleashed.

It’s a brutal story, one that conveys the heartache and pain of its characters perfectly as they struggle through lives that seem to have little hope in them. Not only that, but Teddy’s story is tragic, and you can’t help but cheer for him when he begins his supernaturally led revenge tour.

It’s also a great homage to the supernatural slashers of the 80s, with a seemingly unkillable force wreaking havoc. The atmospheric writing, strong pacing, heartstring-tugging moments, and fantastic character development make it so much more, however.

This is a book no horror fan should miss. It’s another strong contender for book of the year for me and deserves a slot on every shelf.

I give it 5 stabby knives out of 5.

Ian Gielen is a writer of all things spooky and a horror fanatic. Ian embraces his inner geek with pride, his dedication on display in the intimidating collection of horror novels and video games that threaten to take over his living space. He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats; his furry companions are always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas. With the sheer number of furry and human companions in his life, it’s a wonder he isn’t a little crazier than he already is.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.