I have read other books by M.P. such as Wolf Brother and the others in that series, which were all very good. It seems M.P. is a very multi-talented, as Dark Matter is just as good as these, even though the target audience and genre are very different.

I won't tell you all about the story, as I don't want to spoil any of it for potential readers, but if you were considering buying this book then do.

The basic storyline is that Jack and his companions take a trip to the arctic for research purposes. They arrive in the summer, when the ice is beautiful and intriguing. However, the summer doesn't last long so far north, and soon the camp is swathed in darkness. It's in this darkness that Jack becomes lonely and soon begins to experience things which shouldn't really be possible.

I've got to say that this book is pretty spooky. Not in a predictable or childish way, but in a way that seems to creep up on you like the arctic night and build up slowly, until you start to believe maybe Jack has gone crazy! Eventually though, as things get stranger and yet more real for Jack, you realise that this isn't just the product of lonely days in the constant darkness, but is something very, very real which wants Jack out.

When I went to bed after reading this, I actually was a bit frightened to fall asleep! M.P. doesn't put too much description in the book, which I think works for a ghost story. The details are enough to make a chill run down your spine, but there's room for you to imagine the rest, which means that it can be whatever is most scary for everyone as they fill in the gaps.

As I read, I found that I was really experiencing the emotions that Jack was, and could clearly picture the setting in my mind, which made it very real and also made it feel like I was actually there in the arctic. The setting of the Arctic itself really set this book off for me, as I've never imagined the Arctic as a scary place before. It really makes the story different from some other horror books which are usually set in haunted houses!

The way the book is written (in the form of a diary written by Jack for the most part) was something I liked. It felt more personal that way, with fewer descriptions and more thoughts, feelings and emotions from Jack.

Overall, the building tension and growing fear make this impossible to put down - I finished it in a few days! All of the research that M.P. has done into the arctic and its inhabitants and traditions has really made this believable and holds the story together. Don't let the fact that it's set in the 1930s put you off, it's written in a way which isn't old and yet still has a hint of the 30s so is easy to follow.

I got my copy from Amazon for about £8 which I felt was very good value for a new and very good book. So, if you want a creepy thrill with and intriguing and unusual story and setting then this is the book for you!