A few forgettable stories and a couple of personal gripes around formatting and the ending means I’m probably not as attached to Thirteen Storeys as some, however, it is still undoubtedly a must-read for any horror enthusiast looking for a good scare. Chilling and so creepy– perfect reading . . . Even if you don’t usually go for this genre, give THIRTEEN STOREYS a try – you won’t be disappointed!’ NetGalley reviewer

Overall, Thirteen Storeys was genuinely a lot of fun. All of the stories work as their own short stories, tapping nicely into different parts of the horror world, and there are some real gems across the novel that left a striking impression in the best possible way. Our story is set in Banyan Court - a thirteen storey residential development built in London and owned by the infamous billionaire entrepreneur, Tobias Fell. Banyan Court was built to accommodate both rich and poor residents, with the apartments being divided into two distinct sides. Consequently the residents range from living privileged lives of complete luxury to the deprived who are working all hours to make ends meet. Throughout this novel we explore the lives of thirteen characters, some of which are said residents and some who are working at Banyan Court. Yet these are no ordinary people and they each have a chilling story to tell - stories which always end with them receiving a mysterious invitation to a dinner party with their host, Tobias Fell, a man riddled with dark secrets. Surprisingly Happy Ending: In spite of the protagonists' previous stories ending in trauma and fright by the building's various ghosts, everyone who attends the fateful dinner not only survives but defies Tobias's attempts at corrupting them into killing an innocent man. Tobias himself, the villain of the novel is rightfully punished for his crimes. Destination Defenestration: The fate of poor James Andre. Max, after cruelly assaulting James, throws him out the twelfth floor window of Banyan Court. The once impressive building now stands silent, casting a lonely eye over the dilapidated buildings below. A thirteen-storey tombstone to a man whose shadow still falls as darkly as that of his creation.’Family Business is a dark, gory, morbid little beast with a bright and defiant heart. It opens with quite a disgusting clean up of a flat after it's owner passes away (it put me right off my late-night-reading mug of hot chocolate) but if you can get past that, the horror blooms into that of a different sort. The disgusting becomes mundane and the fear becomes not one of the mess after a person had passed, but of the loneliness and isolation one can sink into during a lifetime. A fear of being forgotten and abandoned by those you love. A true and abiding horror. I will start this out by saying I have a bias for Sims' work. I am a major fan of some of his podcasts. The story itself is great. I love the concept and the characters. They've got actual substance to them and there's even trans representation that isn't the focal point of the character. it's just a brief description like with any other character which was a welcomed surprise. It is that wonderful time of the year when plenty of new Gothic and horror novels appear, including spooky houses, tales of ghosts, vampires, witches and all things creepy. Yet ‘Family Business’ was different from the usual horror novel as indicated by its opening discussing cleaning products and processes. It’s a shame because I thought the premise was intruiging and could’ve made for interesting horror. The plot follows Diya who, after experiencing the loss of her roommate and best friend, starts a job at a firm that cleans up after the dead. So far so good. It’s not really a plot I’ve seen before so it could be interesting. Children Are Innocent: Anna Khan, being a six-year-old girl is confused by the more disturbing traits of her imaginary friend Penny. She also doesn't understand Tobias's explanation of the hauntings, and is the first to eat the cube of Tobias's cooked flesh when she mistakes it for bacon.

While horror isn’t usually noted for its sensitivity, I felt that Sims did well in incorporating themes related to loss and bereavement, especially with respect to friends. There was also enough quirky humour to balance its more disquieting scenes. An astonishing debut from Jonathan Sims. A wonderful new twist on an age-old genre. 5 out of 5’ SFX This is an astonishing debut from Jonathan Sims. A wonderful new twist on an age-old genre. 5 out of 5.

Sims really has created an innovative novel where everything falls into place within its thrilling climax. Where to start with this one. On the one hand, there was a lot here to like and a lot of concepts and imagery that was impressively pulled off; on the other hand, there are some issues that I can't overlook. Overall it was an enjoyable story, definitely holding my interest and something that I found easy to read and, had I more time, I would have probably finished in a day. It's certainly worth the read for some of the chapters alone, but as a full, cohesive project? It doesn't quite come together. The one thing that did feel real about Diya is the relationship she had with her deceased roommate/best friend. And that’s partially because her best friend Angie reminded me of a friend I’ve had so I could picture perfectly what kind of person she was and what kind of relationship they had. She felt real to me despite being dead before the book started. So I do gotta give him some points for creating a character that haunts the narrative and for understanding the complexity of female friendship between gay women who have known each other since they were kids and understood each other on some level others did not despite other people not really understanding how the two of them fit together and considering one to be a bad influence including the parents never really liking that friend and also the two of them never having dated but nonetheless being each other’s Person™️. Woah, oddly specific. Anyway, yeah I recognize that. That chapter alone gives the book one of the stars in my ranking. Moving on. The majority of Slough & Sons’ clients are those who existed on the periphery of society. Frank Slough, the family patriarch puts it simply; heartbreaking suicides, troubled addicts or lonely shut-ins with no family to care for are all entitled to the same respect as those of us who are loved. It’s an admirable sentiment, and Frank appears to be a stand-up guy, but perhaps there is something just a little bit off about him.

Dirty Cop: Tobias seems to have at least some members of the London police under his control, getting Jason out of interrogation when he is linked to the death of James Andre and getting some to be on stand by to protect him during the dinner. The stories are about twelve people that live or work in a London high-rise building that’s created by Tobias Fell, and the last story involves the actual owner of the building.Family Business’ starts out quietly as Diya Burman seeks to come to terms with her best friend Angie’s recent death. Seeking a fresh start she joins Slough & Sons - a family firm that cleans up after the recently deceased. The other area where this novel excels is the depth of thought that has gone into what could be quite triggering subject matter. Death is front and centre in Family Business. Sims uses a delicate touch, weaving insightful, reflective moments throughout the narrative. Banyan Court has two sides to it, a wealthy side and a side put up shoddily, filled with poor workmanship, for the poor people, as legally a portion of the area had to be for low-income residents. The stories give a wide range of perspectives on it, from wealthy people who still aspire to be far wealthier to those struggling to make ends meet, and a few who simply work there. Corrupt Corporate Executive: Tobias Fell, one hundred per cent. He managed to keep a squeaky clean image as a wealthy philanthropist despite his businesses being complicit in everything from environmental destruction, to work-safety negligence to human rights violations until his death brought some of his shadier dealings to light.