Monthly Archives: September 2020

Phantom Audition: Why I wanted to mess with your head

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When submitting my manuscript for Phantom Audition, I told my editor at Dragon Soul Press that this one wasn’t as scary as my previous gothic mysteries. However, her response was, to paraphrase, “maybe less scary, but it messed with my head a lot more”. I was pleased with that reaction, because with this novel, I absolutely wanted to mess with the reader’s head. Unlike the comparatively clear-cut plot twists in The Irresistible Summons or Spectre of Springwell Forest, I felt Phantom Audition became less satisfying the more I tried to spell out answers. Therefore, despite considering several different endings, I ultimately stuck with what I had written in my original outline, which allows for a wide range of interpretation.

Some of my favourite novels (and also films) have a vital ingredient missing: the reader (or viewer). What they bring to the story essentially completes it, although that may make the story different for every reader. The protagonist in Phantom Audition, Mia Yardley, is a small-time actress recently widowed from much more famous actor Steven Yardley, who committed suicide in mysterious circumstances. Her subsequent investigations into his death, wherein she discovers he only took acting roles on advice from a psychic medium, lead her not only deep into a sinister mystery, but also deeper into herself. However, in a sense, the novel is also meant to delve deeper into the reader, and what they bring to the text.

To achieve this, I added a hefty dose of the A-word: ambiguity. However, ambiguity is a dangerous tool that needs to be deployed sparingly, and only in the right context. For example, an Agatha Christie whodunnit would not benefit from an ambiguous ending where Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple never discover the killer. I tested an early draft of Phantom Audition on my wife, who isn’t a big fan of ambiguous endings. To my surprise and delight, she thought the ambiguity in Phantom Audition worked well because to her mind, by the time you get to the ending, the answer to the original mystery is essentially irrelevant, as it has been superceded by deeper questions.

This view is reflected in many of the rave reviews I’ve received. Here are a sample:

“A novel that stole my sleep for two nights. I know I’ll be thinking about so many of the characters, twists and turns, and emotions I came across on this reading adventure… I can’t say that I’ve ever read anything remotely similar to this plot. Originality, being captivating to the reader, and giving me moments of goosebumps and multiple frightened starts, earned all 5 stars.” – Kelli Pizarro, Goodreads.

“I love this story with all of its puzzles and strong emotion. Mia is a complex main character lost in grief after her husband’s death. She is searching not only for answers, but also to be able to own her own skin again. She feels lost in her husband’s shadow, and is determined to come into her own… One of the best mysteries I have read in a long time.” – Rowan Thalia, Amazon.

“Grief does strange things to the mind. Mia mourns the loss of her husband Steven, a renowned actor whose drug-overdose death is out of character for him. But not out of character for the role he’s most recently undertaken. Could it be that the chillingly realistic embodiment Steven gave, an Oscar-worthy portrayal of a famous artist, was so realistic because he received help from beyond the grave? Mia wants answers. But each answer only raises new questions… Some questions are, as she was warned, better left unanswered… A compelling read with an unexpected conclusion. It left me wanting to re-read it right away.” – Sara, Goodreads.

“An extremely well-written mystery thriller novel that kept you guessing at what was going on. After the death of her husband young Mia is left alone and feeling that nothing is truly as it seems. Was her husband’s death an accident or was it something more sinister? The search for answers is haunting and might even come close to being deadly.” – Arien/Sloan, Goodreads.

“Simon Dillon has done it again with this intriguing mystery. You will find yourself caught up in this page turner trying to figure out if the mysterious death of Steven was a murder or a suicide. I had no idea how it was going to end, and I like a mystery that isn’t easily figured out early on in the novel. An excellent read!” – PD Dennison, Goodreads.

“A beautifully written thriller about grief and how it affects the mind.” – Jennifer J, Goodreads.

“A thrilling supernatural mystery that will have you guessing until the very end. Filled with page-turning suspense, jaw-dropping visuals, and spine-tingling events, Phantom Audition grips you from start to finish… I also loved the last chapter, the epilogue of sorts. It was beautifully written, with wonderful detail, and left me thinking.” – RA Rivera, Amazon.

“An excellent thriller that leaves you questioning everything.” – Amazon reader.

Intrigued as to what you might bring to Phantom Audition? Pick up a copy here (in the UK) or here (in the US). It is also available in other regional Amazon sites. To further whet your appetite, here’s a little trailer my publisher put together for the novel.

The Irresistible Summons: My scariest novel?

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“Naomi believes she wants to see what is on the other side, but doesn’t realise it’s the other side that wants to see what is inside of her…” – Aaron Channel, Warhol Publishing Reviews.

Feedback for my supernatural horror/thriller novel The Irresistible Summons has 1) been consistently great, and 2) consistently told me it is the scariest, most disturbing novel I have released. I am surprised, as I personally think Spectre of Springwell Forest is a lot more unsettling. However, reviews suggest otherwise. Here are a sample from around the internet, including a couple from fellow authors Claus Holm and Galina Trefil.

“A wonderful mix of old-fashioned ghost story, religious horror, drama, and a dash of sci-fi. We follow a young woman who, after suffering a devastating loss as a teenager, grew up to become a film producer making documentaries debunking supernatural stories. After an incredibly scary event, she’s re-assigned to a new project – a haunted high-rise in central London. But it’s not just ghosts that haunts the building… Simon Dillon has a wonderful way of describing environments. The Dartmoor landscape, Central London, and the scary underground tunnels of abandoned tube stations are described in such detail that I could almost see them, and at the same time he does very well with action scenes. There are some very cinematic fight scenes, but most importantly, the book is genuinely scary. I loved Naomi, the main character, but I was even more enamoured with Raven, the wonderful cameraperson on her team. I pray she gets a spin-off in her own book, because she was one of the highlights. I can’t recommend this book highly enough – if you’re into horror and spooky stories, you should definitely pick this one up.” – Claus Holm, Goodreads.

“Dillon’s talent for somehow making already-creepy settings, (abandoned tube stations, tunnels, moonlit moors,) even creepier, dirtier, more decrepit, and claustrophobic presents itself proudly in this poignant story of innocent, young love gone a very gory wrong. Demons, ghosts, witches, high-powered businessmen… this book has almost every possible form of monster, (not to mention some gnarly mutilations) to make the hair prickle on the back of the audience’s neck. The only question is, of all the multiple baddies to choose from, which one will ultimately wind up being the biggest threat, and will they be formidable enough to take down Dillon’s badass, axe-wielding heroine? Evil may be powerful, but it’s in for one hell of a fight.” – Galina Trefil, Amazon.

“Regarding horror aspects, the book starts surprisingly slow, sprinkling in a few particularly unsettling scenes here and there, but not pushing the macabre envelope overly. Then… boom! Suddenly, the pace picks up, and picks up fast. Dillon incorporates some of the classic elements that catapulted films like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby into horror history, but he does so with a series of modern, technological twists. With surprising ease, when the complete set-up of the plot finally reveals itself, Dillon’s take on these beloved scream queen tropes turns them into something wholly original.” – Aaron Channel, Warhol Publishing Reviews.

“Fabulous creepiness and building feelings of discomfort reaching a delightful peak.” – Daniel, Amazon.

“Legitimately terrifying read, with the great elements to make a scary story.” – Amazon reader.

Curious? Here’s the blurb from the back of the novel:

Television producer Naomi Levinson makes documentaries debunking the supernatural.

When asked to film a promotional video for computer game company Persephone, she considers the task beneath her talents. But as production gets underway at the Persephone office block on London’s Canary Wharf, a mysterious disappearance, ghostly sightings, and lingering tragedy from Naomi’s past lead her to believe she might have stumbled into a genuine haunting.

As Naomi continues to investigate, past and present collide in a horrifying conspiracy. Cutting edge technology and ancient evil meet, leading to the discovery of a shocking and terrifying secret that could change the nature of life and death as we know it.

How far would you go to bring the one you love back from the dead?

Still curious? Pick up your copy of The Irresistible Summons here (in the UK) and here (in the US).