Thankyou to NetGalley, Allison and Busby and the author, Peter Laws, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Possessed in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I was so excited to receive a copy of this book. I have read and enjoyed the other books in the Matt Hunter series, so I knew Possessed was going to be an incredible read. I was not disappointed.
The characters, the narrative and the settings were rich in detail and draws you in. I had to read this book in one sitting as it was impossible to put down. 4.5 stars.
Well worth a read.

I LOVED this horror/mystery. Gripped from the first page, I read this at one sitting.

Blinking brilliant book.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review for 'Possessed ' by Peter Laws

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Allison & Busby publishing.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. It most definitely won't be my last and I've already added all his other books to my wishlists. This is the fourth book in the 'Matt Hunter' series but can easily be read as a standalone which is what I did with no problems at all.

Written in 3 parts with 64 chapters. The chapters are approx 3 to 5 pages long, so ideal if you want to read 'just one more chapter' (which turned into 5 in my case in this book).

This book is set in the UK which I always love as I live there and sometimes have visited places mentioned in UK set books.

I must admit I can't remember why I chose to review this book as I picked it a while back. When I get to a book that I chose to review I always reread the blurb and when I did that this time I doubted my choice and remembered one of the reasons I picked it was the main characters surname was Hunter (same as my son), bad I know 😂. I then looked on Amazon for the price to put in my review and realised that Peter Laws is a church minister. Now, I wouldn't class myself as an atheist as I do believe there's something there, but not sure if there is a God, so when I seen this my first thoughts (sorry I know it's judgemental but this is an honest review) were 'Great, this is going to be full of preaching, etc'!! Well, well, well Peter Laws proved me wrong!!! I absolutely LOVED IT!!! Yes, there were some small references but they were completely appropriate to the plot as they were from the pastor.

What an explosive book from start to beginning!! The plot was unique and hugely compelling and filled with horror, mystery, murder, crime, suspense, humour and wit. A MASSIVE congratulations to Peter Laws for being able to put horror and humour together in such a fantastic way!!! I also found the book very thought provoking so another well done there!!

The descriptions were fantastic and made the storyline very atmospheric. I was completely lost in the plot and felt myself next to Matt Hunter on many occasions. Many times I told myself one more chapter just to then read another 4 or 5 as the chapters kept ending on cliffhangers.

THE characters themselves were very strong and well rounded. I absolutely loved Matt Hunter and his wit and dark humour. I cannot wait to read more about him and his adventures! He will definitely stay with me a while after this book.

I loved the ending which really made me think and I even read the acknowledgements which I NEVER do but I was intrigued to read more about Peter Laws. I'm glad I did as even they made me laugh. Well done Peter Laws FANTASTIC WORK!!

The cover is very attractive and works very well with the storyline. It was another reason I decided to read this book.

I honestly cannot recommend this brilliant book and author enough!! If you are looking for a macabre, heart stopping, page turner which is chilling, exciting, intriguing, compelling and unpredictable then what are you waiting for!! Grab your copy now!! Fans of horror, crime, psychological thrillers and all the above will love this!!

416 pages

£6.02 to purchase on kindle. I think this is a great price for this book!

Rated 5/5 ( I LOVED IT ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Co.uk and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads for more reviews

#Possessed #PeterLaws #Allison&Busby #NetGalley #BookReview
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

Peter Laws introduced us to Matt Hunter in Purged (2017) and we learned that he is a former priest whose total loss of faith coincided with tragic personal events. Now, he lectures in the sociology of religion and belief systems, and has a reputation (one which does not sit lightly with him) for being the go-to guy when the police have a case which is ‘not dream’t of in our philosophy’.
When a good old fashioned milkman, driving his ecological sound electric milk float, makes an horrific discovery in a suburban greenhouse, the result is that the police have an apparently raving madman on their hands. He is emaciated, disheveled and both frightened and frightening. This creature from hell does, however, have a day job. Tom Riley is the chef at a local pub and has, apparently, a Shepherds’ Pie to die for. When the baffled police summon Matt Hunter to talk to this fellow he finds him manacled to a chair and spitting out Exorcist-style obscenities.
Hunter discovers that Riley is a devotee of a local church, one which, depending on your view might be termed either ‘charismatic’ or ‘a bunch of eyeball-rollers’. Things take a dramatic turn for the worse when Riley’s wife is discovered, horribly mutilated, in one of the customer chairs of her home hairdressing salon.
As the case begins to attract lurid national interest, Hunter is roped into a no-holds-barred reality TV show, to be one of the talking heads in an investigation into demonic possession. While stoutly sticking to his sceptical opinions Hunter is swept along in the flood-tide of the media frenzy, and comes face to face with an infamous American evangelist who makes a living from casting out demons. The TV company, cameras eagerly devouring every second of the interplay between the apparently tormented victims of demonic possession and their potential saviour, book a rural retreat for a blockbuster special which will see Good and Evil come face to face, interrupted only with tasteful ads from the show’s sponsors.
What happens next is violent, bloody, improbable - but totally gripping. Of course, Matt Hunter survives to return to his delightful wife and children, but not before he is forced to question his firmly-held disbelief in ‘ghoulies and ghosties, and long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night.’
There are two interlinked paradoxes in Possessed. The first is that Matt Hunter is a disbeliever in all things paranormal and in any possibility that there are any beings or forces outside man’s own imagination and mental state. He is, however,the creation of an ordained church minister whose own sense of the spiritual life is, I assume, central to his faith. Secondly – and do read the afterword to Possessed which is separate from the usual authorial Oscars speech thanking all and sundry – behind all the comic book gore and satirical swipes at the grossness of TV reality shows, Laws makes a serious point about troubled people searching desperately for supernatural answers to problems which come from within themselves.
Laws (right) doesn’t exactly play it for laughs, but amid the knockabout spookery and Hunter’s own predilection for making wisecracks, there is serious stuff going on. It is worth comparing Matt Hunter with another fictional investigator of strange things – Phil Rickman’s Merrily Watkins. Like the real life Peter Laws, Merrily Watkins is a priest. Like Matt Hunter, merrily doesn’t necessarily believe in the supernatural, but she is totally convinced that some folk do.
Possessed is evidence that Peter Laws goes from strength to strength as a story teller, and that his tales of Matt Hunter’s encounters with possible demons are cast iron certainties to be good reads. Possessed is published by Allison & Busby and is out now.

A very interesting book which is hard to define, is it a horror book or just a simple thriller? After finishing reading still not sure but it is still a good read and obviously this must be one of a series looking forward to next instalment

It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last as I found it excellent.
It's scary, gripping, enthralling and it makes you feel scared and curious about what will come next.
I loved the style of writing, the amazing world building and the well thought cast of characters.
it was an excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

For many years I thought I was a weirdo. You see, I have been a Christian since I was 12 years old but I have also been a fan of horror for much longer than that - and traditionally the two are not compatible at all.

For years, at the Pathfinders youth club, my university's Christian Union and the church I was on the leadership team at, I would hear people say "Oh you shouldn't really be watching/reading that!" and the same bible passage would be quoted at me. Philippians 4:8 says:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things."

Excellent advice for anyone, really. Those two loveable time-travelling dimwits, Bill & Ted, all but paraphrased this passage when trying to say something meaningful to the Future Dudes who worshipped them as saviours.

And party on dudes!

However, my problem was that I did think that a lot of the horror content I was consuming WAS admirable, excellent, praiseworthy etc. but I could never find anyone who saw things my way. That was until one day in October 201o when I sat down on the train to work and took out my freshly delivered copy of Fortean Times (another thing I shouldn't be reading) issue 268. In a tiny box at the top left corner of the cover was a picture from The Exorcist (a film I had been repeatedly warned away from, but when I first saw it, found it to be a profoundly spiritual experience) with the strapline HOLY TERRORS: Should Christians Embrace The Horror Film?

And that was how I first heard about the author of today's featured book review - Peter Laws. I won't go into the details of the arguments put forward in that excellent article, but needless to say, I had finally found someone who, like me, had apparently conflicting interests. However, unlike me, he had reconciled them, arguing quite eloquently the spiritual benefits to be reaped from an interest in all things horror. By the time I got to work, I was, to use an appropriate phrase, a convert. No longer would I be ashamed of my dirty little hobby - and I have since then used elements, clips, texts and ideas from horror content in the context of a church service quite successfully.

At the bottom of that article, it stated that Reverend Peter Laws - yes' that's right, he's an ordained Baptist minister - was working on his first novel. And in 2017 it was published. Purged is the first part of a crime series about a detective (of sorts) called Matt Hunter. I wrote a review of it on my blog a couple of years ago.

Matt Hunter was once a Church of England vicar who resigned from the priesthood following a traumatic event caused, in his mind, by the very church and God he professed to serve. Now, as an atheist, he uses his extensive knowledge of religious culture and symbology to lecture on the sociology (and dangers) of religion at a local university while moonlighting as a consultant expert for the police on religiously motivated crimes. And it's this latter role which tends to land him in some fairly sticky situations! In past adventures, we've seen him get mixed up with a "Christian" serial killer, a notorious supposed haunting, and an apocalyptic cult.

And that brings me to Peter's latest publication - Possessed.

When a naked man with the name of an ancient Phoenician deity crudely carved into his chest scares the living daylights out of a milkman on his early morning round, Professor Matt Hunter is called in to help the police identify him. Revelations about the man lead to a clash of beliefs between Hunter who wants to get the man professional psychological help and a local priest who is convinced he is the first of an oncoming wave of demonic activity.

As with all the Matt Hunter novels, what you get with Possessed is an interesting dissection of ideas from both sides of the religious fence with Matt representing science and reason and those he butts heads with standing for faith and spirituality. Matt is to some extent the Dana Scully of these books, always questioning, always looking for a scientific explanation, often to the exasperation of the friends and foes he interacts with. However, Matt rarely comes across as the arrogant, smug cartoon-like atheist the media portrays the likes of Philip Pullman or Richard Dawkins as. Through the mouthpiece of a nonbeliever character, Peter Laws is able to criticise some of the more outrageous and controversial matters which concern many Christians and atheists alike.

And, in Christian circles, few topics are as hotly debated as exorcism and demonic possession.

My wife, Mrs C, trained as a lay preacher - a kind of "voluntary, "deputy" minister who is able to perform certain non-sacramental duties to aid the priest in a busy parish; leading services, taking prayers, preaching, that kind of thing. This involved three years of part-time education and one - just one - of those training sessions was dedicated to exorcism - or to give it its correct, Church of England term, Deliverance Ministry.

When she came home from that session I was desperate to know all the gory the details. She was reluctant to talk about it in too much detail, with it being a sensitive topic, but what she would tell me was that it's not all about "THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!" or stabbing the Antichrist with the Daggers of Meggido. No, the main take-home message was that people who profess to be possessed by Satan, or Pazuzu, or the spirit of Elvis od Ba'al Berith (the "real" demon in this novel, taken from The Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire outlining the hierarchy of demons) ought to be regarded with compassion and an aim to identifying the most appropriate mental health treatment for them.

It's Matt Hunter who falls on this side of the argument, but when the media latches onto the ideas of possession and exorcism and an unscrupulous documentary maker proposes a TV special with a live exorcism, things spiral wildly out of control. This introduces us to a variety of interesting characters, all with their own motivations which are slowly revealed throughout the novel, such as American celebrity evangelist Bernie Kissell (a kind of conglomeration of Billy Graham, Derek Prince, Joel Osteen and Rick Warren), TV producer Nupa and Abby, one of the supposed "possessed" who just wants it to stop so she can live her life.

As with his previous books, Peter tackles issues both religious and secular, not being afraid to call out behaviours of both his peers in the church and those who sit on the other side of the fence. The appalling treatment of LGBTQ+ Christians by their supposed "Brothers and sisters in Christ", the exploitation and spiritual abuse of parishioners seeking help and advice from their trusted pastors who should know better and the sensationalisation of sensitive topics by an uncaring, ratings-chasing media are three such matters touch upon. However, in Possessed, one issue sits head and shoulders above the rest, and it's one that affects us all; believers, agnostics and nonbelievers alike.

With mental health being such a hot talking point right now, in the hands of a lesser author I would have been concerned that the potentially inflammatory nature of the story might be handled without sensitivity, but, largely thanks to his priestly training (and also because he's a decent guy) Peter never sensationalises mental health, nor does he use it as a stepping stone or plot point to move the story forward. Nurture and understanding for, and the consequences of misdiagnosis and exploitation of sufferers,  are very much central tenets to this story - and it's all the better for it.

Hunter himself wrestles with quite a few inner demons, and when we join him he is still suffering from PTSD brought on by the horrific events he was witness to in the earlier books in the series. It's great to see a heroic character presented as imperfect as everyone else. And, while Matt, like the aforementioned Scully, is almost always able to provide a perfectly reasonable explanation for what's going on, the author expertly injects a small element of doubt in both his hero and reader. Professor Hunter repeatedly disproves the existence of The Supernatural. And that's just the way The Supernatural likes it. All the better to stay hidden until the time is right to strike fear and doubt into the heart of the unwary.

Yes, that demon Matt saw in the corner of his eye was really just a shadow cast when the curtain blew in the window. Of course, it was. That's the only logical explanation.

"But what if it wasn't? What if it really was the creature under the bed, the wardrobe monster, the vampire at the window, the thing you fear the most?" Peter as good as whispers in your ear.

"It isn't," you say, unsure of yourself.

"Yes... but What If?"

Overall, an exciting, thought-provoking, gory rollercoaster-ride which walks a thin, uneasy line between psychological crime thriller and supernatural drama.

One last note for the author...

Peter - I didn't spot the references to The Love Boat you said the book is peppered with (what with never having seen it - but eagle-eyed readers who know the show may fair better than me) but did I spy a sly wink to your oft-mentioned Brutalist Architecture Calendar?

I think I did!

Well played sir!

Possessed is published today (Thursday 20th February) by Allison & Busby and is available to buy from all good book stores (and probably some of the rubbish ones too).

Follow @RevPeterLaws on Twitter where he shares lots of horror-based fun & frolics. He also has a YouTube channel full of podcasts, movie reviews, music and the occasional strange happening. You can also visit his website for details on his previous books, music, Fortean Times articles, reviews and more.

Not my cup of tea. Too gory,muddled and unrealistic. A murder triangle wrapped up in demon mumbo jumbo.

I'll start by saying that I love the books by Peter Laws, and this one was not an exception. I've read all four in the Matt Hunter series and raced through them.

Each book has been a page-turner, but this one is a real thrill ride. The first chapter starts with what appears to be a pretty typical early morning village scene and then turns into something quite horrific. It reminded me very much of some of the Horror movies I've watched where evil turns up in the most routine and mundane places unexpectedly. The whole book felt like it could be turned into a film and if it was, it's one I'd watch.

The theme of the book is demonic possession and exorcism, and it also features a so-called expert in this field who flys in from America to help out us poor folk in the UK where demonic possession is a growing and problematic issue. The one voice of reason throughout is Matt Hunter, an ex-member of the church and now a University Lecturer. He brings an interesting and rational perspective around mental health issues to the exorcism party, but of course, no-one wants to listen to him. Possession and exorcism are all far more glamorous. Matt's character also brings a welcome sense of humour - something again that I enjoy in good horror movies. It lightens the mood and shifts our perspectives, so the monsters don't seem quite so scary.

I loved the setting of The Reed, so remote, so isolated and so hard to get away from should things go wrong. It has a real Brutalist concrete urban architecture feel which very much adds to the story.

I think this is the goriest and most horrifying book in the series, but that didn't stop me reading. In my opinion, I still believe book 2 is the creepiest but read them all and make up your own mind. You can read this as a standalone novel if you choose. Peter Laws kindly fills in some of the backgrounds just in case you haven't read the others, but if you have, some things will make a lot more sense.

As someone who enjoys horror writing and the crime genre, I give this five stars and can't wait to find out what Matt Hunter will be up against in the next book.

Many thanks to Rev Peter Laws, Allison & Busby and Netgalley for enabling me to read an early release of this book.

A new author for me and Wow what a book.
Gripping,scary, atmospheric and utterly bloody brilliant. This is the fourth in the Mat Hunter series and I have enjoyed this book so much I have purchased the others in the series. A MUST READ and so highly recommended.

When I first started this book, I did not think I would like the story or plot, but I kept reading. And, I was wrong about my preview opinion! It is a very interesting view into human understanding of the human mind, and pre-expectations of solutions to problems of the mind by diverse groups. It was well researched, and well written in my opinion. Well worth the read!

You know how you yell at the fool in the horror movie going to investigate the strange noise?

Yeah, you might find yourself yelling at characters in this book for the same reason. When a catatonic man covered in blood is brought in to a police station, they are baffled by an odd name carved into his stomach. So they call in expert Matt Hunter to help them determine what on earth is going on. What begins as a John Doe case quickly turns into a murder investigation further fueled by the belief that the murderer in question is in fact possessed. Matt Hunter, with his wry Scully like wit is not so sure, even as he wrestles with demons of his own.

This is the fourth book in the Matt Hunter series and full disclosure I have not read the previous 3. While I was not familiar with the character or his previous cases I found that I had no issues as Rev. Laws reached out with his literary talons and dragged me along on this creepy trip into psychology, possession, greed, religion, and sin. Matt Hunter is skeptical but humorous and the mystery is well written and full of tension and fear. It will appeal to those that prefer to broach matters like this with logic, even if they wake up wary at 3 am due to the skilled psychological suggestions weaved in the story.

Laws does an excellent job with descriptions, pop culture references, genuine creepiness, and well placed humor. "You can be Chief Brody and I'll be the Mayor of Amity." Possessed is an intriguing look into society and how we view mental illness and Laws also conjures up some what ifs to hover around Matt Hunter like shadows. An excellent read and I must now read the others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Allison and Busby for the eARC.
Professor Matt Hunter is called in by the local police because they're baffled and hope he can shed some light on the bloodied man who has just killed his wife in a horrific way. He seems to believe he's possessed and Matt is a bit of an expert on the subject of demons, not believing in them but looking for mental health issues instead. The case takes quite a turn, involving the media, a pastor and several others who believe they are also possessed. To top it all a famous American exorcist flies in to feature in a BBC documentary, where he will exorcise a group of people in front of the camera.
Matt is a very likeable character with a good home life with his wife and daughters, I liked him a lot. The story was a fun read and entertaining read. Like Matt, I don't believe in the supernatural, so didn't have to sleep with the lights on and could sift back and enjoy the fast and furious ride. Recommended!

Matt Hunter #4


British Matt Hunter is a former Baptist minister who lost his faith and now serves as a professor of Sociology of Religion. A very erudite and highly educated individual with deep knowledge of ancient and historical texts, both medieval and arcane, Hunter also exhibits an occasional lowbrow humor which provides comic relief in a very serious novel.


Called in as an "expert" due to the combination of his ministerial background, his erudition, and his current position as Professor, he becomes involved in a murder case in a small village. The case is exceptional because the killer "seems" to evidence possession, and his pastor is convinced. When a widely known American "exorcist " appears on the scene, Matt's scientific rationalism is tested against "blind faith " in widespread demonic possession, and his own faith in psychology is strenuously taxed.