The Colony

By: F.G. Cottam

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

For over a century, the New Hope Island vanishing has tantalized the world. How did 150 people disappear from a lonely Hebridean island, leaving no trace and no clues? Media magnate Alexander McIntyre decides to solve the mystery, and gathers a team of experts to mount an expedition to the island. He hopes running the story as a rolling exclusive will revive the fortunes of his flagship news-stand title. He hopes to find conclusive answers to questions that have teased a curious world for decades. And he wants his own secret theory triumphantly vindicated.

But all is not as it should be on the island. A 1930s cinefilm reveals something as terrifying as it is inexplicable. An Afghan war veteran, sent to secure the island before the experts arrive, witnesses a nightmare far beyond battle trauma. And as expedition members gather, they discover to their gruesome cost that there are some mysteries far safer left unsolved...

©2013 F. G. Cottam (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

More Ghost Story than I was Expecting

What did you like best about The Colony? What did you like least?

I liked the premise of solving a ghost story, I thought it was interesting to see the setup through the eyes of a magazine working on the story and all the experts they called in; however, I was disappointed in the way the author resolved the story, I was expecting something a little more believable.

Would you recommend The Colony to your friends? Why or why not?

No, it wasn't believable in the end.

Was The Colony worth the listening time?

I am still debating. There were parts that provided me with some interesting material to ponder, but when I finished I felt very frustrated with the outcome.

What a Page Turner!!

What did you love best about The Colony?

Expertly rendered ghost story thriller. I got burned out on ghost stories many years ago. However, this is not your typical ghost story. It is kind of a cross between a Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child novel and and an Ira Levin tale.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Colony?

The writer kept the suspense going right up to an awesome finale. It is difficult for a writer to create this kind of suspense and pull off a finale that is not anti climatic but F. G. Cottam pulled it off.

Which scene was your favorite?

It was evenly successful.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I am looking forward to listening to more books by this author. I am hoping Audible will offer all of his books in this genre.

detailed page turner.

looking for new author up to a high standard. found it. ending leaves plenty of room for sequels of which there are 2. can't wait.

Just OK

The Colony was just OK. Author weaves an interesting story that sometimes seemed to get bogged down in details in the 1st half of book. Took 2/3 of book building characters before the team even arrived at colony. Most disappointing was the performance. Sound quality was poor. The sound would vary from quiet to loud & I found myself constantly adjusting sound which was annoying. Performance was fair to weak. Some character voices seemed to vary throughout & though he tried to convey drama it fell flat. Usually audiobooks keep my interest but 1st book in 40 that I kept falling asleep from both monotone performance & slow paced story. Overall good attempt but fell flat.

Solid atmospheric horror

I have slowly become a fan of this author. I started with "The House of Lost Souls" which, honestly, I could take or leave due to the meandering plot and slow pace. I gave him another chance with "Magdalena's Curse" and "The Waiting Room." I have since read/listened to all the author's other works, and, in my opinion, this is his best.

I was snagged right away by the opening chapter. It gave just enough information to keep a horror addict like myself engaged. While the story had a simple enough Roanoke-style premise, the story itself wasn't the hook that kept me engaged. Mr. Cottam seems to have a gift for fleshing out characters to the point of either loving or hating them. Either way, you are interested in what happens to them. I found myself annoyed at times with the attention given to character over plot, but I can chalk that up to my own impatience at wanting to see how characters at another location were behaving or getting along or dying. While I appreciated this development by the end of the book, fair warning, it can be a little slow for those looking for "'popcorn horror." There is an element of romance, but it is not the center element of the story and doesn't detract from appreciation for the creepy, doomed atmosphere.

The ending was supremely satisfying and heroic, especially for a horror novel. I found myself smiling despite the death toll. Again, I can attribute this to character development and the care the author puts into each. The narrator was exceptional, and read so well that the story shined through. I would recommend this to anyone who like horror or adventure. Maybe even romance novels.

5-Star Story and Telling Performance

I didn't realize the simplicity of the basic story until I began telling my partner about the premise. Thus, I myself was amazed at how brilliantly this story was developed and the narration is indeed its equal. It was full of suspense, good character development, and best of all, an ending that wasn't chapters and chapters of "the final battle". I am now a Cottam fan and I am also fond of Rintoul's expert narration. Great combination!

Fabulous Storytelling Very Engaging

I enjoyed the narrator. His exuberance enhanced the story. The story was good -- it seemed a bit like a combination of Jurassic Park and Roanoke's historical "lost colony."

I wish I could give it more stars!

If you could sum up The Colony in three words, what would they be?

Satisfying Ghost Story!!!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Colony?

Amazing job of presenting the EVIL presence(s). A wonderful modernization of Lovecraftian suspense and satisfaction of morbid curiosity.

Have you listened to any of David Rintoul’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He's perfect. He does wonderful, subtle accents and his pacing is perfect accompaniment to the tightly crafted story

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Could hardly put it down.

Any additional comments?

It's so incredibly rare to read a ghost story that both scares and satisfies. I write very few reviews but this book is so good I guarantee that anyone who likes the suspense genre will be glad they found this one!

Too much info dump

The story started good and would've ended good, but the author written too much exposition, back story, and going into the past where it isn't needed. I struggled to finish, couldn't grasp what was going on 90% of the time. Next time, the author should spend less time on exposition, and more time on the story itself. I liked the narrator, but his talent is wasted on this bible story. Recommend, rewrite and try again.

Excellent Spooky Story with Great Narration!

This is my first listen to a book by both Cottam and Rintoul. Cottam has a great writing style, with an old-style feel to it. David Rintoul's UK accent is easy on the ears and does a fantastic job with the voices, especially the spooky ones! I won't spoil it, but one voice near the end really creeped me out! Looking back, the story is fairly simple, but the way the author teases it out really draws out the suspense. He does great character development, which seemed a bit long to me, but by the time they reached the island I had no problem knowing who was who and wasn't confused by too many characters (even though there are quite a few). If you like a good supernatural mystery with a historical bent, check this one out! Highly recommended!