Book Review: SYCAMORE

by | Jan 14, 2025 | Book Reviews, Reviews, The Horror Review News | 0 comments

Sycamore
Ian Rogers
Cemetery Dance Publications (September 29, 2012)
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham

For those of you who haven’t read anything by Ian Rogers, you need to remedy that situation with a quickness. He is one of the premier horror authors of our day, ranking right up there with Robert Shearman and Christopher Golden, and…dare I say it…the great Richard Laymon.

Portals to a place called the Black Lands are opening up all over the world, the latest one discovered in Sycamore, a little east-nowhere town about two hours from Toronto. It is here that we meet Felix Renn, a private detective who seems to specialize in occult crime. He doesn’t mean to, it just seems to find him. The Black Lands is a horrific place from which those who venture through a portal to explore scarcely ever return, and the rare few who do are…well, changed.

There is a missing person in Sycamore that Felix has been hired to find. There have also been a number of murders that seem to be linked to this missing person. But nothing and no one is as they seem in this town.

Sycamore is a blend of the supernatural and noir genres, creating something wonderfully new. Think Humphery Bogart hanging out with Shirley Jackson and you’ve got the idea. The author aptly refers to this melding as “supernoirtural.” It is also a funny book. Felix has a dry wit that kept me laughing when it appeared; but was not overdone.  All the characters are well-drawn, the story is beautifully written, and the pacing is flawless. I read it in a single sitting—it was impossible to put down.

Felix Renn has popped up in some of Ian Rogers’ short stories, too; but I am hoping for a series of novels featuring this character. Here’s looking forward to future trips to the Black Lands!

5 out of 5 stars. You’ll love this book!

About Carson Buckingham

Professionally, Carson Buckingham has made her way in life doing all manner of things, most of which involve arson. She is currently employed as a freelance writer on a work release program. In her spare time, she studies forensics, in hopes of applying her new knowledge to eluding the authorities more effectively the next time. She is originally from Connecticut, but now resides in Kentucky—and Connecticut is glad to be rid of her.

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