“This is a highly entertaining blood fest of severed heads, ripped intestines and gushing aortas, and enough to keep any horror fan bleeding for more. History weaves a sorry tale when archaeological shipwrecks offer up a sealed sarcophagus lodged in the hull of a WW2 naval trawler. And it’s only a matter of hours before a re-animated shapeshifting over-sized wolfdog gets into the ‘Predator’ groove and starts munching on government agents. Having opened the Pandora’s box, heads roll along a zippy plotline, threaded with razor sharp humour, delivered in dollops of coastal savagery. There are gender specific victims, researcher hero’s, mad scientist villains, luckless agents and military abominations galore, as Coppel delves into the history of Deal and re-purposes it into a contemporary horror that has a chilling message - if you happen to develop well-intentioned weaponry don’t be surprised if it morphs into fatal WMD. It’s a gnawing claw of a nightmare tale, that spurts blood, coughs up terror and leaves something lurking in the dark below. Yikes!”

“Those who opened the box were the first to die. It may not have been Pandora’s box, but it released an evil abomination, a chimera, a freak, but one that was neither of nature nor supernatural. A beast unleashed on the inhabitants of the historic coastal town of Deal. Once the busiest port in England, now a quiet seaside resort, a place where the Lusus knew it could satiate its inbuilt ravenous desire for fresh flesh - human flesh. Despite being no great fan of the supernatural horror genre this is the fifth of Coppel’s novels that I have read. To put that into perspective, I never felt the urge to read a second book by Stephen King.

Works of fiction have two extremes. The supernatural horror genre, often populated by almost superhuman superheroes, and the realistic day to day dramas that engulf believable characters to whom the reader can relate. What Coppel has done in Lusus Naturae, and done well, is to blend the two. Pedants would argue that the plot is unbelievable even with the state of technology today, let alone in the mid twentieth century. But why bother to read supernatural horror fiction if you cannot suspend belief? Despite that, Coppel’s characters are far from superhuman, they are ordinary people, warts and all. If you were to ask yourself, ‘How might people I know behave in such extraordinary circumstances?’, the answer might be quite close to Coppel’s plot.

‘Lusus Naturae’ had a particular appeal to me as the action is set only a few mile from where I live, I know the town of Deal reasonably well. Coppel blends fictional and real locations together so convincingly that I found myself looking up one of his fictitious places as somewhere I might take my grandchildren. The blend between real and imagined is seamless and locations are so well identified that following the action on a map adds an extra bonus for those who know the town. I would not be surprised if one of the featured properties was Coppel’s own home.

The writing is well paced. Just as you begin to think the start is a little slow, Coppel smoothly, gradually and imperceptibly increases the tempo until it is difficult to put the book down and you find yourself thinking, ‘I’ll just read one more chapter’. It may well keep you awake at night just for that reason. Along the way Coppel drops subtle hints as to where the plot might lead, yet in equal measure introduces unexpected twists that catch the reader unawares.

Recommended? Certainly”