Since being made redundant, Chase Black's life has gone from bad to worse. Unsuccessful in her job hunting. Her soul mate has left her without explanation. Surely she has reached rock bottom.

One day, however, the postman delivers her a ray of hope. A letter proclaims that she has won first prize in a competition, the prize being a dream cottage in a picturesque village. It seems that things are starting to look up for her. Curiously though, she has no memory of ever entering the competition.

When the mysterious Drake arrives to take her to see her new home she insists that her close friend, Jane, go with her. On arrival at the village she finds that it is surrounded by a strange dense fog that nothing seems able to penetrate, not even mobile phone signals. At a reception party she is told that a clause of her competition win is that she take up immediate residence in the house and remain there for a period of 12 months. Deciding to remain in the house she sets about making the most of her new home. However, a series of strange occurrences cause her to start thinking something is wrong. When her friend Jane leaves suddenly leaving no note, Chase is even more convinced that something is very wrong.

When I started to read this story I found it rather reminiscent of The Prisoner and The Midwich Cuckoos. Chase finds herself living in a village where everyone else seems to share a common secret, one that she is not party to. Strange things happen and Chase begins to wonder whether she is hallucinating.

As the reader you are aware of a secondary story as a couple of young people, Ratty and Izzy, try to find out what is going on and you gain insights into the truth behind the strange fog and the actions of Drake and the villagers.

The writing style gives a definite feeling of unease. The reader is frequently left thinking "what on earth..." as the villagers act in an almost schizophrenic manner.

Sometimes, when you have a story such as this the "reveal" at the end tends to be rather an anti-climax. This is far from the case with Evilution. I usually manage to work out "whodunnit" or "why" well before the truth is revealed within a novel but in the case of Evilution, although I had worked out the gist of the story there were some definite surprises.

Shaun Jeffrey is a name to look out for. A skilled author who writes eminently readable stories.

Synopsis
Humankind is about to change...

Shrouded by fog for nearly two years, the picturesque village of Paradise harbours more than its share of secrets. Having won a cottage in a competition she can't remember entering, Chase Black moves to Paradise, only to discover that its beauty is skin deep – murder and madness fester in its shadows. When her travelling companion, Jane mysteriously disappears, she starts asking questions. Why are the villagers behaving so oddly? Who are the strange figures she sees lurking in the fog? As Chase becomes afraid that something terrible has happened, events escalate dangerously out of control. A virtual prisoner; too late she discovers the real reason she's there...

"A classic chiller from a talented new author" - Guy N. Smith, Author of Writing Horror Fiction and The Dark One

"Shaun Jeffrey's debut novel is haunting, disturbing and spooky as hell." - Tim Lebbon, Stoker Award winner and Author of Face