Some types of novels feature such a strong location that the place itself becomes its own character. That is certainly the case here. I think one could easily place The Levels in a particular architecturally crumbling gothic literary lineage with books like Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake and the novels of Jack O’Connell. It doesn’t take much to feel as if the castle Gormenghast lies in the distant past of The Levels and Quinsigamond is the next town over.

As atmospheric and strange as The Levels is Cregan never loses his way. He exhibits just enough of a light touch to not make his presence felt as he immerses you in this filthy world.

It’s a new name, a new style, and a new publisher for the man once and still known as John Rickards, and I think the change on all writerly fronts is absolutely the right one to make at this point in his career. THE LEVELS is dystopic without being obvious about it, instead creating a tangible, darkened world each of the seemingly doomed characters inhabits, tries to escape from and ultimately accepts in one form or another. It’s the written version of the burnt out, empty buildings captured on film by Godfrey Riggio with Philip Glass scoring underneath – a landscape that repels and attracts but is too busy moving and changing to care what you think or are uncomfortable with.

(I should confess that I’ve never heard of Godfrey Riggio.)

And this from the Australian Senior newspaper group:

SEAN Cregan’s debut novel, The Levels, is a maze of complex characters, intricate sub-plots, and mind-bending suspense. There’s a thrill on every page.

Set in a derelict housing project known as The Levels, on the outskirts of Newport on the US east coast, it opens with ex-CIA agent Nate Turner trying to track down his would-be murderer. As Nate’s quest takes him to The Levels, he encounters a host of characters with names such as Sorrow, Ghost and The Beast. Suspended cop Kate is also there trying to find The Beast, the serial killer who infected her with a deadly virus that is due to kill her within days. This urban gothic thriller will keep the reader spellbound until the last page.

The novel’s body horror works both on the level of individual scenes and as a larger metaphor for the breakdown of society. The rollercoaster plot is shot through with themes of insidious infection, incurable disease and poisoned hypodermic needles. These motifs are so pervasive that they’ve transmuted into parts of landscape, such as “the Needle”, a boarded up ex-church where Sorrow’s slaves congregate. Other victims have “burrowed into the broken concrete like termites”, becoming an infestation, a disease, at the same time that they are grotesquely entrapped. Cregan thrusts us down there with them. Down into the “subterranean night beneath the world” and his taut prose propels us through to the explosive ending of this gothic-punk thriller.

Modesty compels me to admit I wasn’t planning anything metaphorical – I just make this stuff up as I go along – and that I don’t know who wrote Akira; I can just yell “KANEDAAAAA!” or talk about being attacked by giant toys. Barbarian in Rome, and all that.

And finally, a word for The Levels by Sean Cregan, which I’ve just read in manuscript form. It’s out early next year and it’s a fascinating book. Imagine some of the big-hitting thriller authors of today, throw in a little of Alan Moore, maybe “Blade Runner” and a dash of “The Matrix”, and you might just be somewhere close to what this book is like. I’ll be interested to see how it does when it’s published.

From the rugged Russel McLean at the ITW:

A smart, fast moving American urban thriller by a writer from, of all places, Eastbourne, THE LEVELS is a cracking read. Whiplash pacing and a brilliant central conceit that credibly creates an utterly alien world smack bang in the centre of what should be a familiar Urban setting, THE LEVELS feels like no other thriller out there. Cregan’s writing feels fresh and controlled, and should have a wide appeal, especially to those looking for something a little different in their thrillers. Just pray the Furies don’t wind up at your door.

From the discerning Jonathan Dean at Infinitas bookstore, Sydney:

Cregan has written a hard core first novel, with a style reminiscent of Gibson cyberpunk crossed with Lansdale or Child, creating a gritty, realistic look at the near future, where corruption & mismanagement rule, and all you can do is try to stay alive. With the emphasis on ‘try’. Escaping Police, avoiding assassins from the Tower, deals with underworld figures, designer drugs, high tech weapons & a quest for answers, all combine to make this a fascinating read and a good indicator of an author to keep an eye on for future books. It will definitely be interesting to see whether he can maintain the pace & style in future novels.