This is a long, winding story, with lots of different characters, but Rickman is deft at keeping all of the various strands interesting – while Sean Barrett does a wonderful job at keeping all the characters separate and instantly identifiable. Will the results be as devastating as they were, the first time around? Gradually, all of those involved with the Abbey are pulled back into its orbit and the band are convinced to try to re-record the album again, under similar conditions. The tapes still exist and their re-emergence causes horror, and destruction, to be unleashed. However, the nightmare of that night is about to re-visit them. Drummer, Lee Gibson, has found fame, while Dave Riley yearns for singer, Moira Cairns, and is followed by the spirit of Lennon, Tom Storey has retreated to a reclusive life in the country with daughter, Vanessa, and new wife, Shelley, and Simon St John has joined the Church and finds himself under the shadow the Abbey once again… It is soon apparent that some of those involved have moved on better than others. The story then moves on to 1994, where all of those involved that evening, have separated – believing the tapes made that night have been destroyed. The evening ends in horror and death, with one member of the band, Dave Riley, having a horrific vision of the murder of John Lennon, while another musician, Tom Storey, is involved in a car accident, in which his pregnant wife is killed. All of the member of the band have paranormal or ‘special’ qualities.

This begins on a December evening in 1980, when cult band, The Philosopher’s Stone, gather at a recording studio, based in the ruins of an Abbey to record an album. I discovered Phil Rickman, relatively recently, and thought the month of December would be the perfect time to listen to this stand alone book particularly as it is read by Sean Barrett, one of my favourite Audible narrators (he reads the excellent Jackson Lamb/Slough House series, among other titles).

December by Phil Rickman