Hodder & Stoughton, UK, 1999, ISBN 0-340-73913-4 hardback
New English Library, UK, 2000, ISBN 0-340-73914-2 paperback
Judas Tree is reviewed by Paul Kane
People are drawn to the Greek island of Voros for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps they are running from something, something that happened in the past. Alternatively they might be seeking something out, answers to questions they have not yet asked. Or maybe they just want to see the Judas trees in bloom, a rich pink that covers much of the island like a rash. And it is true that some cannot explain why they must go; they simply leave without a word to anyone. But visitors to Voros should take heed. For as the oracle of the island itself warns: "If you remain on Voros long enough you will never, ever leave..."
Amelia Thomas is just such a person, fleeing not only from the attentions of her stifling family back in England (an overbearing aunt and uncle who run a shop, and her three callous cousins), but also from the memories of a bad 'fall' which left her without confidence or self-respect. She goes to be with her absentee mother on Voros in the hopes of getting to know her a little better and making a fresh start in the process. There she meets a handsome local, Bill Simotas, whose family owns a farm on the island, as well as her mother's two companions, Rachel and Lucy, who welcome her to the villa the three of them share.
At first the island seems like a paradise retreat. Though little more than the top of a mountain rearing up from the sea, she finds peace there and becomes acquainted with some of the other residents – in particular an ex-cabaret singer called Julius King and Bill's peculiar brother, Gregoriou. But the more time she spends on the island the more she is haunted by visions and spectral presences. Lucy insists that Amelia is psychic, just like her. But does it have more to do with the bang on the head she received back home?
Gradually she comes to learn that all is not what it appears on the island. She hears tales of people who have died there and previous inhabitants who went stark staring mad. "Voros is a place where sanity goes to die," Julius tells her. So when Bill shows her the bodies of German soldiers who committed suicide rather than leave the island after the war, Amelia begins to wonder. But before she can do anything about it, the Gregale arrives: a tremendous storm that isolates them from the rest of civilisation, bringing winds which batter the villa with an unnatural tenacity. As if they wanted to kill whoever was inside. And all the while the bare Judas trees whisper to themselves outside...
Thus unfurls the plot for Simon Clark's seventh, and most eagerly awaited novel to date. A departure for the author after writing about hordes of nosferatu in Vampyrrhic and time-travelling tourists in The Fall. But anyone who has read some of his short stories (specifically 'Lifting the Lid', 'The Burning Doorway' and 'Man in Danger – A Video Self-Portrait') will not be at all surprised by the supernatural subject matter. Nor will they be disappointed in the slightest. The blurb at the front says this book follows in the classic tradition of The Haunting of Hill House, Rebecca and The Shining, and once you've read it you'll realise this is no exaggeration. Judas Tree is subtle, eerie and leaves an indelible impression on the reader.
The female characterisation – of vulnerable Amelia, her lady-like mother, Catherine, the austere Rachel and flighty Lucy – is superb; the dialogue natural; and the descriptions of Voros so real you can effortlessly picture the place in your mind – almost as if you were there yourself. The prose is lyrical, building up the tension in an astute, psychological manner, then letting loose with carefully timed shocks towards the end. There are some piquant theories about the nature of psychic powers, and the creepy anthropomorphic nature of the trees (their buds like eyes watching the characters) is handled extremely well. Plus it boasts some amazing set pieces: the – quite literally – breathtaking dive into the seas that surround Voros; Amelia's encounter with the Lynchian Oxford family (should a man and his tractor really be so close?); and finally her desperate battle against the powerful Gregale winds. There is even a plausible way of despatching those troublesome mobile phones (surely the bane of any modern horror writer) in order to ensure the people of Voros are completely cut off.
The terror in Judas Tree is definitely of the "What's that? – Who's there?" variety, and in my opinion this makes it infinitely more frightening than a gore-laden splatter fest. Nothing beats the power of suggestion. It certainly raises more thought-provoking questions than your average horror novel. And the final paragraph is guaranteed to surprise... if your nerves hold out to the very end, that is. A truly contemporary ghost story for the dawn of a new age, Simon Clark's novel is sure to become just as much of a classic as the literary masterpieces it pays homage to. Unlike the Judas Tree itself, this is a book that will never betray you.