Beckett's Wood is sinister and secret, the kind of place where the curse of past events spreads like brambles in the undergrowth. In part one the unsettling tale of a cyclist's arrival in a village bordering an eerie wood sets in motion consequences that have far reaching effects on one person's life and, like an anaesthetic, the village devours his will so that the curse can become all consuming.Seemingly disconnected, the second part depicts the life of David Harper as he dares to confront the abuse he receives as a boy at the hand of his mother, the kind of abuse that develops as he reaches puberty. Terrifying dreams misshape his mental health yet more, dreams that have a strange echo of a village far away.As the reader you are given to know why, you are always one step ahead of him. Layer by layer the truth seeps out into the open. Then it is anybody's guess how he will deal with what terrible things he eventually discovers, as part three unlocks the truth a boy the curse of Beckett's Wood.The story is a complex mix of dangerouys relationships and personal crisis. Beautifully written, this novel keeps pace throughout. The twists and turns of the storyline keep you guessing long after you have finished reading and you soon find that, like the curse of Beckett's Wood, David Harper has etched a little place in your life.