What a fabulous story from the master of horror, Graham Masterton! It grabs you from the very first page and makes you wonder and squirm as the story takes us down into the sewers and the grotesque. I really enjoyed the moments of humour between the police officers, giving us glimpses of light and brevity, amongst the darkness.
This is a real page turner, especially if you like that feeling of discomfort as you read!

Masterson continues to master the horror genre! Few can do it better - the combination of the mundane and supernatural, paired with a bit of claustrophobia and "fatbergs" - once again the sewers become the place of real nightmares. You won't put this one down - and likely won't think of the vileness of the sewers the same either!

Graham Masterton is a legend of old time horror and this novel is a testament to that. I've been craving the horror of the 80's when I was growing up to Stephen King and Dean Koontz and the gruesome and kooky was an escape from my angst. This novel reminded me of that and more. A large novel that was a quick page turning frenzy of gore. A fanciful story of the grotesque and just want I needed. An escape into the world of unbelievable!

Thanks to Graham Masterton, the publishers and netgalley for a chance to read this arc

Probably the weirdest book I've ever read! In a good way. I haven't come across this author before but I will definitely be looking for more. If you like horror and the supernatural then this is a book for you!

I was sitting here thinking which Graham Masterton books I have read in the past and I think the only one I had read was a copy of "The House That Jack Built" which I picked up in a second hand book shop. Other than that Graham Masterton had more or less passed me by with my attention taken by James "The Master - None shall beat" Herbert, Bentley Little and Richard Laymon. So I went into this book kinda blind - sometimes the best way and sometimes not.

The first thing I found out was this was the second book in a series. Fortunately its not necessary to read the first. Obviously Id always recommend to read in order but enough is referred to so you dont have any problems (but still doesnt spoil the first book)

Now to this book...

DING DING DING WE HAVE A WINNER FOR BOOK OF NEXT YEAR ALREADY

I was struggling lately with horror books having read a few bad ones in a row but this feels like an old school horror book - the best I can compare it with being The Rats by James Herbert in so much that the subject matter is so revolting but you just can't stop reading it. Well written and paced with likeable characters. DC Jerry has just enough sarcasm/humour to break up the horror without diluting the atmosphere and Jamila being the DS who keeps him in check.

SPOILER
When I say the subject matter is revolting - we are talking severely deformed babies, abortions crawling into other women's bodies to continue the pregnancy, dismembering of people with the limbs being chopped and showered out of a manhole along with sewage. Dont write it off as splatterpunk or extreme horror thought. Its not. Its very well written and you never get the feeling of "shock for shocks sake". I also have to mention the ending. That "oh shit" moment when you realise its not completely over... However dont think its not wrapped up. Its nothing like (for example) Cell by Stephen King where you are left to decide how it ended. Its nicely wrapped up but with that tease... So so good.


I could quite honestly go on and on but can you guess I liked it? Quite honestly the best horror I have read in a long time and I now feel like I have my mojo rejuvinated for Horror. I will be seeking out Mr Masterton's back catalogue as a matter of urgency (starting with the previous book featuring these characters). Why didn't anyone tell me??? I see a repeat of when I discovered Laymon and binge read all his back catalogue.

The writing style was terrific. It really grabbed you in from the first page. I also liked how there were many different characters, with different circumstances. It seemed almost like short stories in the beginning, but they all ended up coming together. The characters seemed very detailed and developed, even the ones that weren't introduced several times. That said, the book was a bit too much for me personally. I felt sick with some of the descriptions of the deformities. That is not a bad thing, I'm sure that's how the book is supposed to be and there are many that enjoy the detail, but for me personally.. it wasn't for me.

A truly dark and exciting horror story from this master of the genre. The discovery of a fatberg in a London sewer and the appearance of ghostly figures begins a series of blood soaked events that defy any rational sense. The efforts of a pair of detectives and a sewer employee to make sense of a truly horrible enigma are beautifully described and one can almost smell the sewers and feel the flames all pertinent to the tale. Ghostly characters from the past,an exorcist priest they all feature in this excellent yarn and the ending perhaps hints at another episode!

Whew! That was something else. I've read a few standard police procedurals by this author, but not any of his horror novels.
This was a treat. It was somewhat sleazy and completely, totally over-the-top bananas and it OWNED it.
Remember thet episode of the X-Files, Humbug, where a guy's parasitic twin crawls out of him while he's unconscious and tries to implant itself into a new host? Yeah, it was like that, but even more outrageous. There are supernatural elements, extreme body horror, and, weirdly, an interesting commentary on the "value" or "sacredness" of human life, and on the rights of the disabled. I can't get into it, because spoilers, but I will say that I drew a parallel with the case of Downs' Syndrome in Iceland. It makes you think.
The main characters were likable, the story was hard to put down, and the pacing was excellent.
I read the first chapter before bed, and dreamt of the creature it introduced. It made that much of an impression.
I was pleasantly surprised.

Such a weird twisted, gross but all in a good way book!! Such a different book. Sucks you in and creeps you out. Loved it.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

This book was devoured - quite the statement considering the subject matter but I found this an easy and entertaining horror read. The characters were well defined, although I didn't realise that the two main protagonists had been in a previous novel, but this didn't make any difference to my enjoyment. Lots of body horror, some gross out moments and some light laughs! The ending didn't 100% land for me, however, if you're looking for a horror novel that will keep you guessing then this will tick that box.

Wow! After reading the impactful, mind blowing, blood cells freezing opening of the book, I was already hooked!

A woman feels the stabbing pain in her stomach, is found in her car, barely breathing! When she opens her eyes at the hospital, realizing she’s pregnant which is impossible because she doesn’t make sex with anyone for a long time. But her miraculous pregnancy is not the most shocking news she gets. She is carrying a monstrous baby ( Something reminds us Alien movie’s memorable chestburster scene !) who has ugly deformities make your stomach churn !

And this is not the only faceless monstrous baby who was recently born! There are lots of them, spreading green light, walking at the dark tunnels in their ghostly figures ( so spooky, shaking to the core premise, isn’t it? I jumped up and down several times, screamed, dropped my e-reader! )

Great part of the book is the supernatural investigation team: nope: unfortunately they are not Winchester Brothers! The writer of the book is not Eric Kripke.

But if you recently read Ghost Virus which is the author’s previous work, you’re already familiar with DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel, of Tooting Police department! They already worked on a case about occult but they cannot imagine what kind of danger awaiting them in the city!

There is something going on in the sewers reminding you of the mash up of Guillermo del Toro’s Strain and Return of Living Dead: when the babies grow into something between Walking Dead’s extras and Michael Jackson’s Thriller video clip dancers, best way to fight with them apply witchcraft!

Overall: this is wild, wild, wild, horrifying, smart, well written ride with quirky, enjoyable characters ! I’m giving four classic horror stars! It was such a heart pounding experience and a delightful adrenaline crush for me!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

When reading this you definitely should not be eating.... so much body horror! Fans of 'The Troop' by Nick Cutter will enjoy 'The Children God Forgot'
This was a plot driven story which is fine but at times there should have been more insight into the characters. When they died or bad things happened to them, I didn't have any previous connection to them so I felt neutral/not affected. At parts where I was reading the characters thoughts and dialogue it was a bit too slow and took away from the book. I also found- not all but most the descriptions of women in this book to be focused on their appearance. Personally, I did not like those parts.
Overall, I liked the elements of horror in this book. For me personally, I did fully love it for the reasons aforementioned above. Though, I will definitely check out the authors future work!

I have given this 5 stars.

Graham Masterton was one of the first adult horror writers I read as a teenager and to say he has gotten better with time, would be an understatement. He is my favourite horror writer and I would not hesitate to pick up one of his books!

I loved this story, there was characters who feature in his previous novel "Ghost Virus" but without knowing the background, you could definitely read this without reading the previous book.

This story was incredibly creepy but I couldn't put it down. I was desperate to keep reading to see what on Earth was going on. Graham Masterton sure knows how to send chills down his readers spine, whilst entertaining them. I could not put it down!!

Readers should air on the side of caution with this book. The horror and the violence is explicit and gory, with abortion being the main topic of the story.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and the author, Graham Masterton, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Children God Forgot in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
This author is definitely a master of horror writing. I have long been a fan of this author and positively devoured this book.
The storyline and characters are well written. The settings are very vivid and highly descriptive. Such a gripping book.
Well worth a read.

Masterton is one of the best when it comes to contemporary horror. His latest features his supernatural detective team investigating a man gone missing in the sewers only to be found with his eyes and legs removed. Is there any connection to the babies being born? Babies born with horrifying birth defects, unspeakable deformities. Creepy and nightmare inducing

Graham Masterton is one of the foremost authors specializing in horror. He does it very well and the reader can be assured that in beginning one of Mr. Masterton's novels it will involve a theme guaranteed to scare the heck out of him. The current novel is no exception with a frightening idea that fits right into the author's many tales of horror in many forms.
Jerry Pardoe and Jamila Patel are members of the supernatural squad and have made appearances in previous books by the author. Their expertise is again called upon when a series of strange births take place throughout London. The babies are malformed in ways that go beyond anything that should live past birth and survive in the world. At the same time sewage engineer Gemma is plunged into a deep darkness while working in a London Sewer. She gets out of the area and back to the outside world but her boss disappears and is later found with both his legs severed and his eyes gouged out. An investigation is begun with Jamila and Jerry called in to help the sewage authority and the horror begins.
The setting for the investigation becomes the sewers of London with waste running through them and the filth and garbage part of the scenery. The abnormal births and the problems in the sewers make for a ride through meeting a completely evil woman that is part of the devil's family and one that is obsessed in saving the malformed children to become her servants. Don't look for logic in what transpires; that is not the aim. The aim is to present horror and that is very well done. Reading a horror story in with other genres is to widen tastes to include as much diversity as is possible in the reading experience. And, Graham Masterton is one of the leading authors specializing in horror.

Masterton is one of my favorite author when it come to horror and here he goes against with two great new title recently. I won't say much, because it is an author you have to go in his work mostly blind and just let you be surprise by his weird and a bit insane originality. Enjoy!

I've been a fan of Graham Masterton for decades and am delighted at this continuation of the intriguing police partnership of London police officers Detective Sergeant Jamila Patel and the rougher-quality Detective Constable Jerry Pardoe, first paired in GHOST VIRUS [2018]. Although the two officers are assigned to different stations, they share a reputation as capable of deciphering "the weird," and the current set of tragedies can't get much more weird. Say goodbye to practicality and logic. This is Weird, this is Supernatural, this is seriously over-the-top.


Strong Caution: The Horror contained here is Extreme, including a substantial amount of Body Horror. Much of the violence is perpetrated on women and girls, who are targeted due to the functions of the human reproductive system. Violence is also perpetrated against males, and there are references to prior episodes of violence against women and men, and to child fatalities. Abortion is a significant issue here as are congenital birth defects, stillbirth and miscarriage, and thalidomide. So sensitive readers, be aware.