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stayshomeandreads's review against another edition
3.25
Would have been great with better pacing and female characters.
readbyashleyd's review against another edition
3.0
If I’m being totally honest I was let down by this one a little. It started off strong but I thought it floundered a bit after that. I wanted to have my socks blown off but all I felt was a strong breeze. It was a passable ghost story but it didn’t really scare me or make me FEEL. I did very much enjoy the setting, I thought it added some extra spookiness to the story where it otherwise lacked. I did also really enjoy our main character and his accomplice as well. This book really was just average, not bad but not great either and still worth a read in my opinion!
cemeterygates's review against another edition
3.0
A 2.5. A solid premise and a very nice slow burn — it even gave me a few nightmares! But, like seemingly every novel, the depiction of women in this novel seems like it was written by an alien trained to study humans by watching 1960s tv shows.
joanie_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
This was a super quick read. It’s atmospheric, engaging, intriguing, and just spooky enough to make me never want to put it down.
books_blackcats's review against another edition
2.0
There were so moments that were very spooky and then some parts that dragged on too long.
aashi123435's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
charshorrorcorner's review
4.0
Feast your eyes upon this super creepy cover! What horror fan wouldn't want to read this book?
A seanachie in ancient Ireland was an historian and storyteller. It's a word mentioned to Jack Quinlan, an American visiting Ireland to research a book he's writing about the Irish potato famine. Jack sets himself up in a rental house for 3 months so he can explore the area and get to writing. The Irish towns he visits are small with old buildings, and the townspeople are all simple folk with simple traditions. However, these towns often have secrets and rituals and Jack is about to stumble onto some of them. Will he survive the encounter? You'll have to read Cast A Cold Eye to find out!
This book drips with atmosphere. A ghost story set in October, on the western shores of Ireland. There's fog, there's moors nearby, there's the sea bashing the rocky land day and night. Alan Ryan's prose when describing the delights of the Irish scenery was rich and vivid. It created a contrast in my mind with the horrible facts about the Irish potato famine: Such natural beauty in the scenery yet many people starved to death in the middle of it.
Unfortunately, I felt that the atmosphere did not deliver in the end. I was somehow expecting more of a bang and when the denouement arrived it somehow felt anti-climactic. However, that does not mean that I didn't enjoy the journey because I did.
Recommended to fans of atmospheric ghost stories and beautiful prose!
*Thanks to Valancourt Books for providing a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*
A seanachie in ancient Ireland was an historian and storyteller. It's a word mentioned to Jack Quinlan, an American visiting Ireland to research a book he's writing about the Irish potato famine. Jack sets himself up in a rental house for 3 months so he can explore the area and get to writing. The Irish towns he visits are small with old buildings, and the townspeople are all simple folk with simple traditions. However, these towns often have secrets and rituals and Jack is about to stumble onto some of them. Will he survive the encounter? You'll have to read Cast A Cold Eye to find out!
This book drips with atmosphere. A ghost story set in October, on the western shores of Ireland. There's fog, there's moors nearby, there's the sea bashing the rocky land day and night. Alan Ryan's prose when describing the delights of the Irish scenery was rich and vivid. It created a contrast in my mind with the horrible facts about the Irish potato famine: Such natural beauty in the scenery yet many people starved to death in the middle of it.
Unfortunately, I felt that the atmosphere did not deliver in the end. I was somehow expecting more of a bang and when the denouement arrived it somehow felt anti-climactic. However, that does not mean that I didn't enjoy the journey because I did.
Recommended to fans of atmospheric ghost stories and beautiful prose!
*Thanks to Valancourt Books for providing a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*
caidyn's review
1.0
This review can also be found here!
DNF at 77%
I really wanted to like this book. I love me some atmospheric horror stories set in a quiet setting. Love it. My favorite horror stories take place in suburbia, honestly. So, with this book taking place in a very, very small Irish town, from the perspective of an outsider, I thought it would be fantastic to read curled up in bed with a glass of red wine.
I was wrong.
It was just boring. I got 77% into the book and nothing had happened. Things had gone on, but I wouldn’t call it weird or interesting. Literally, nothing had gone on. I didn’t even know what strange thing was happening there.
What the book focused on, for me, was Jack Quinlan’s, the main character, relationship with this girl he met at a bookshop. It felt like it was more about them than anything else. I didn’t want to read about him thinking about her or her talking about being a “good Irish girl” or the will-they-won’t-they scenario.
Sure, there were some weird things going on. Odd visions that Jack had while living alone in a strange country (because he’s an American) and the town people taking part in some different tradition with the old who are dying.
But nothing happened. Nothing was explained. Nothing was even that weird.
It just fell apart for me. I found myself not wanting to read it and when I tried to, I’d space out because nothing was going on. So, while this might have been good, it just was one of the dullest horror books I’ve tried to read.
DNF at 77%
I really wanted to like this book. I love me some atmospheric horror stories set in a quiet setting. Love it. My favorite horror stories take place in suburbia, honestly. So, with this book taking place in a very, very small Irish town, from the perspective of an outsider, I thought it would be fantastic to read curled up in bed with a glass of red wine.
I was wrong.
It was just boring. I got 77% into the book and nothing had happened. Things had gone on, but I wouldn’t call it weird or interesting. Literally, nothing had gone on. I didn’t even know what strange thing was happening there.
What the book focused on, for me, was Jack Quinlan’s, the main character, relationship with this girl he met at a bookshop. It felt like it was more about them than anything else. I didn’t want to read about him thinking about her or her talking about being a “good Irish girl” or the will-they-won’t-they scenario.
Sure, there were some weird things going on. Odd visions that Jack had while living alone in a strange country (because he’s an American) and the town people taking part in some different tradition with the old who are dying.
But nothing happened. Nothing was explained. Nothing was even that weird.
It just fell apart for me. I found myself not wanting to read it and when I tried to, I’d space out because nothing was going on. So, while this might have been good, it just was one of the dullest horror books I’ve tried to read.
romireads's review
5.0
In Cast a Cold Eye we follow the American writer Jack Quinlan to Ireland where he wants to do research for his new book about the Irish famine. He ends up in a small village in the quiet western part of Ireland. Here he finds so much more than he thought he would.
Guys, I really loved this book! The atmosphere was perfectly gloomy and although the cover of this book was probably the most creepy part of this book, the story definitely had some creepy moments. I think I'd have found them even creepier if I only read this book at nighttime. Daylight and sunshine doesn't really do justice to this book.
The story contained historical background, romance and mystery. It had it all! Nevertheless, you can notice that this is a book in the 80's. Mainly because all of the characters that are important to the plot line are male and the females are mostly there to cook meals and clean Jack Quinlan's house. But oh well, I still loved this creepy little tale! (4.5/5 stars)
Guys, I really loved this book! The atmosphere was perfectly gloomy and although the cover of this book was probably the most creepy part of this book, the story definitely had some creepy moments. I think I'd have found them even creepier if I only read this book at nighttime. Daylight and sunshine doesn't really do justice to this book.
The story contained historical background, romance and mystery. It had it all! Nevertheless, you can notice that this is a book in the 80's. Mainly because all of the characters that are important to the plot line are male and the females are mostly there to cook meals and clean Jack Quinlan's house. But oh well, I still loved this creepy little tale! (4.5/5 stars)
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