Motorcycle and Hiking Travel Writingand now Fiction and Audio
Recent Reviews
An historic trader’s cabin has been found in the woods in northern Ontario and archaeologist Steve Dawson has been asked to investigate. Disturbed by the unpleasantness he and his co-worker Theo experience there, they quickly finish their work and move on, camping at Shekarkistergoan Lake, where they encounter the deeply unsettlingly, vigorous ghost of Charles Janvier, an eighteenth century voyageur with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. Charles’s tale of starvation, violence and cannibalism does nothing to ease Steve and Theo’s minds. This is no ephemeral spirit - he has substance, and altogether too much interest in the smell of their food.
Meanwhile, a little girl, separated from her school canoeing party has been lost in the woods for days. With a self-confessed cannibal hunting for her, things are starting to look desperate. Can Steve and Theo, aided by the ghosts of two of Charles’s victims, find the lost girl before Charles? And just how do you kill a two-hundred year old malevolent, flesh-eating ghoul before he goes on another rampage? They have to find a way.
Avaliable on your national Amazon site
Now also avaliable on Amazon and Audible as an audiobook,
narrated by the author. Here's a brief sample:
5.0 out of 5 stars Spooky Fun!
Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2021
In 'The Ghosts of Holleford Lake', author Nick Adams’ initial foray into his 'Friends of the Dead' series, we were first introduced to archaeologists Steve and Theo. They return in 'Evil at Lac La Mort', where he has once again interwoven history and archaeology with the supernatural, all in the context of Ontario’s great wilderness. However, this time out Adams’ storytelling takes a darker turn, as the title presages.
The writing is tight and the pace is brisk and the spooky storyline is one that could easily cause sleepless nights if related around a campfire. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Evil at Lac La Mort' and hope we might anticipate further entries into the series. More, please!
5.0 out of 5 stars Nicholas Adams is a Criminally Underexposed Author!
Reviewed in Canada on September 15, 2021
Far too few of us read. And when we do happen to feel inclined to pick up a book, far too many of us head straight to Google for a quick and dirty "Best Of" search! If you happen to have found yourself on this page, reading this review, I urge you to let your search end here. Grab yourself a copy of Evil at Lac la Mort! Brew up a cup of coffee, settle in under a warm blanket, and prepare yourself to turn the pages at a breakneck pace. I read it in two sittings, myself.
Adams has a wonderful sense of pace, mystery and adventure. There are moments of serenity, peace and analysis, expertly handled, and I do believe this man is at his best when he's writing about things he clearly has first-hand experience with. It is such a rare thing to find an author who writes with such clarity, and attention to detail, yet never allows himself to become bogged down, or lost in it. The pacing is never affected by it.
But I'd be remiss if I did not mention the tension! Man, does this author ever know how to ratchet it up! Sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes eerily foreshadowed, and always entertaining.
I'm personally very glad I stumbled upon this title. I needed a break from the Kings and the Koontzs and the E.L. James's of the world (was that last one just me?..) And Nicholas Adams gave me that dash of good, grizzly, Northern fun I didn't even know I was craving.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Bold and Excellent Departure
Nick Adams traditionally writes about motorcycles, archaeology and travels in Britain, but this novel, the second of a series (Friends of the Dead) sees him continuing the excellent departure he began in "The Ghosts of Holleford Lake." This work of fiction sees the return of his two protagonists, Steve and Theo, from "Ghosts" back in the wilderness and once again encountering the spectres they are investigating through their archaeological work. Except this time things get darker. MUCH darker!
This is a fascinating examination of what might be on the other side of life on earth and draws some of its storyline from true events and a good deal of its appeal from Adams's own experience and expertise with the wilderness of Ontario, archaeology and life in a canoe. The paranormal elements are deftly and convincingly handled and the characters and story lines will keep you flipping pages to the dramatic conclusion.
Nick is clearly as at home in the fiction world as he has proven to be when dealing with reality in his prior works. I was enthralled by the tale and found the writing smooth and effortless, carrying me along with the characters as the road we travelled got stranger and stranger. This new landscape is one I am looking forward to exploring with future works in the 'Friends of the Dead' series. I highly recommend these books (and particularly this one) to fans both familiar and new to Adams's work.
5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner! Highly recommended!!
Reviewed in Canada on 17 August 2021
Verified Purchase
To begin with, I must confess that, as an archaeologist, I have a weakness for any books and movies in which archaeologists are the heroes. That said, this is the sort of rousing adventure story that anyone (ie. even those unfortunate souls who are not archaeologists) will enjoy. The historical narrative at the heart of the story is gripping - and cleverly integrated into the 21st Century plot-line. I typically only manage two or three pages of reading before I drift off to sleep at night but I consumed this story in two (rather late) sittings. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series - preferably before some mainstream publisher scoops the rights up and starts charging more!