Hell Train

An American in the English countryside, Shane has been hired by Hammer films to write a script that would either save the troubled studio, or be a fitting swan song.  Sitting down to write in the company's library, he discovers a strange board game named Hell Train.  The narrative then shifts to a small Carpathian village during World War One.  Four strangers board a mysterious train against the advice of the locals and are faced with a potentially fatal journey.

The cover alone should sell Hell Train.  The smile I had when I first saw it in Waterstones continued to stay put while I was reading.  A romp that stayed true to the influences of Hammer films.  The pacing is great, as are the switches between the narrative of the 'script' and that of Shane's dealings with the film studio.  Characters are stereotypes, but still manage to be interesting, which adds to the books overall feel of pantomime.  A wonderful stand alone book for any fan of the genre.