Beast by Matt Wesolowski

Summary:

Elusive online journalist Scott King examines the chilling case of a young vlogger found frozen to death in the legendary local ‘vampire tower’, in another explosive episode of Six Stories… In the wake of the ‘Beast from the East’ cold snap that ravaged the UK in 2018, a grisly discovery was made in a ruin on the Northumbrian coast. Twenty-four-year-old Vlogger, Elizabeth Barton, had been barricaded inside what locals refer to as ‘The Vampire Tower’, where she was later found frozen to death. Three young men, part of an alleged ‘cult’, were convicted of this terrible crime, which they described as a ‘prank gone wrong.’ However, in the small town of Ergarth, questions have been raised about the nature of Elizabeth Barton’s death and whether the three convicted youths were even responsible. Elusive online journalist Scott King speaks to six witnesses people who knew both the victim and the three killers to peer beneath the surface of the case. He uncovers whispers of a shocking online craze that held the young of Ergarth in its thrall and drove them to escalate a series of pranks in the name of internet fame. He hears of an abattoir on the edge of town, which held more than simple slaughter behind its walls, the tragic and chilling legend of the ‘Ergarth Vampire’… Both a compulsive, taut and terrifying thriller, and a bleak and distressing look at modern society’s desperation for attention, Beast will unveil a darkness from which you may never return…

My Review:

It only seemed a short time that I read book one of Matt Wesolowski’s Six Stories. Now Matt is back with Beast (Orenda Books) the fourth in the series. If you have not discovered any of the books in the series, it is a fantastic gripping series based on a series of six podcasts as online journalist Scott King investigates true-life crimes. And the fourth in the series is not to be missed.

The winter of 2018 saw a bitterly cold period with snow and ice as the Beast from the East held the country in its icy grip, at the same time a successful Vlogger Elizabeth Barton was taking part in a social media challenge and she has been found dead in the ruin on part of the Northumbrian Coast and in what the locals call the Vampire Tower. It was a shocking discovery for those who found her.

Is the case against three young men who were part of a cult as rock solid as many believe? They were convicted and are now behind bars. But for journalist Scott King this is the perfect case for his true-life crime podcast series. Scott now talks to six people as part of the six podcast series to try and get behind what really happened to Elizabeth Barton the bitterly cold night.

Is there really a vampire stalking this part of the coastline just waiting for her next victim or is this really a case of cold blooded murder? The podcast interviews are gripping. The Beast from the East does not just refer to the snow storms but the Ergarth Vampire who many locals say came from Siberia. So this really is a spooky crime investigation for Scott King.

As the six podcast carry on more and more is known and revealed but then just wait until the final podcast. My mind was blown. For Elizabeth Barton who was taking part in the social media challenge ‘Dead in Six Days’ (except your do not really die) but something sinister happened to Elizabeth and the truth is out there. Beast is chilling and sinister and a novel you cannot leave alone. Brilliantly written with a storyline that will make you want to choke on your coffee. Dare you leave this one alone. Perfect as a standalone but you must read the others after. You will be hooked.

If reading about the Six Podcasts is gripping imagine what the audio book would sound like? One I am going to have to look into.

320 Pages.

Matt Wesolowski: @concretekraken

Orenda Books: @OrendaBooks

Thank you to Karen Sullivan (Orenda Books) for the review copy of Beast by Matt Wesolowski

Beast by Matt Wesolowski was published by Orenda Books and will be published on 6^th February 2020 and is available to pre-order through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop.