Horror World Book Reviews
September, 2007

 

BLOODLINE by F. Paul Wilson
Review by Hank Wagner

In earlier installments of this outstanding series, author F. Paul Wilson would often work with two storylines, one with a foot in the so-called real world, the other grounded in the world of the supernatural. His last two books, however, have placed more emphasis on the supernatural. In Infernal, Jack was stricken by a mystical malady which threatened to erase him from this plane of existence; in Harbingers, he was forced cut a deal with the otherworldly Ally to protect all he held dear. In Bloodline, Wilson switches gears a bit, grounding the story in stark, but still dangerous, reality.

Still dealing with the fallout of the harrowing events chronicled in Infernal and Harbingers, Jack accepts a job that, at least on the surface, seems just the thing to help him ease back into the repair business--he's asked by protective mother Christy Pickering to break up her teenaged daughter Dawn’s relationship with Jerry Bethlehem, a much older man of questionable morals. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Something that John D. MacDonald's quixotic Travis McGee might handle with aplomb, no doubt ( Bethlehem being, in many ways, eerily reminiscent of the loathsome Junior Allen of Deep Blue Goodbye fame). Of course, this being the world according to Jack, the situation is not as clear cut as it seems. Bethlehem turns out to be a hardened, dangerous criminal, released from prison because he agreed to take part in a scientific study.

Jerry is unique because his genome shows evidence of “other” or “o” DNA, a trait which, under the right circumstances, causes xtreme, explosive aggressiveness in those who carry it. The scientists studying him are fascinated by the research possibilities. Jerry, on the other hand, cares little about his genetic background--he's on a mission given to him by his psychopathic father, and his target is eighteen year old Dawn Pickering. As Jack unravels the mystery surrounding Bethlehem's twisted quest, he uncovers unsettling information that will change him forever.

As always, Wilson provides entertaining and intelligent reading--he hasn't lost his any of his edginess as the series has progressed, he's only gotten sharper and more proficient at providing shocking twists that will leave readers shaking their heads, first in utter disbelief, then in admiration. Wilson’s no frills style makes him easy to underestimate as a writer, but he always delivers the goods—his annual forays into Jack’s universe have become events, as his ever growing legion of fans flock to see what strange places he’s going to take them to next.

Tor

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THE OLD POWER RETURNS by Morven Westfield
Review by Norm Rubenstein

The Old Power Returns (TOPR) is author Morven Westfield’s second novel, and continues the storyline and characters introduced in her first novel, DARKSOME THIRST. TOPR, like it’s predecessor is set in an intentionally mildly fictionalized (and convincing) greater Boston, MA and environs circa the early 1980’s. Briefly, the book involves the growing conflict between “Evil,” as represented by a mature, master Vampire and his relatively unschooled, recently “turned” young male “slacker” Vampire protégé, and “Good,” as represented by a modern, principled, Wiccan coven of young both male and female witches who are still learning about “magick” (yes, the “K” is intentional!) and their powers and limitations.  

This book, though part of an obviously developing Series, easily stands upon its own as a separate novel, and is a quick, engaging, and easy read. The author’s characters, particularly her females (normal and witch alike), are nicely complex, layered creations – and as such interesting. Author Westfield’s take on Vampires is also somewhat refreshing; her Master Vamp is most sufficiently dark, powerful and fearsome. If, perhaps not breaking any majornew ground, the author does bring some refreshing new ideas throughout, none better than in her portrayal of the relatively newly “made” young Vampire, left without proper instruction to his own devices, and his various trials and tribulations in attempting to both survive and to discover and understand his new powers. His manner of getting on with his nightly “un-living” and avoiding detection are well plotted and written.

Author Westfield also provides a similar wealth of interesting (though fictionalized) detail concerning modern Wiccan magick  and the actual workings of a Wiccan-based witches coven circa 1981-92. While Ms. Westfield might not yet display all the literary polish of certain , more experienced authors, she certainly writes an engaging story with interesting and well-developed characters. While this book is advertised by the Publisher as “Paranormal Suspense,” in reality, the book successfully straddles a number of Genre lines, deftly combining and incorporating elements of Suspense, Horror, and even Romance Genres. While, perhaps not exactly what someone seeking a fill of hard-core or “Splatterpunk” Horror might nab for the top of his or her TBR pile, I’m certain that there is a wide cross-genre (and dual-gender) market for this book.

Harvest Shadows Publications

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THE 13 TH APOSTLE by Richard and Rachael Heller
Review by Steven E. Wedel

Fans of Dan Brown’s The Davinci Code will be thrilled to find Richard and Rachael Heller’s The 13 th Apostle on the bookshelf. Of course, fans of Brown’s novel don’t mind ham-fisted exposition, cardboard characterization and plot turns that would shame the writers of Scooby Doo with their lack of believability.

The book’s plot concerns the search for a copper scroll allegedly written by someone who actually knew, and recorded the precise words of Jesus Christ. Our unlikable heroes on this twisting quest are computer virus-killer Gil Pearson and former Israeli commando Sabbie Karaim, who is now a biblical translator. (God help us if getting through airport security is as easy as Sabbie makes it look!) If you’re surprised to learn Gil and Sabbie fall in love, well, like I said, this is the book for you.

As in Brown’s novel, people start dying pretty quickly as various factions try to nab items that contain clues that reveal where the copper scroll is. Our heavies here aren’t from the Catholic church, though. Instead, we have a ridiculously wealthy and influential right-wing evangelical godfather-like nutjob and some Muslim terrorists who know Islam will take a blow if the scroll reveals that Jesus is the son of God.

This is the Hellers’ first novel attempt, though they’re no strangers to the best-seller lists. I haven’t read their popular diet books, but I suppose a less literary style of writing is more acceptable in that genre. For a novel, the authors should take some creative writing classes. One thing that quickly gives away their amateur status is their use of dialogue tags. No one simply says anything in this story; they quip, parry, counter and begin. And they often do it with adverbs tacked on. Example: “No,” Sabbie quipped sarcastically.

All that said, The 13 th Apostle isn’t without hope. If you can overlook the above flaws, the authors do show they can set a decent pace that will keep the reader turning pages. I came away from this book thinking it was a clumsy first effort by authors looking to cash in on a trend. However, I would be interested in looking at their next effort, assuming they look to move out of Dan Brown’s shadow.

Harper

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VOYEURS OF DEATH by Shaun Jeffrey
Review by Cesar Puch

Before I even heard of this book, I had run across Shaun Jeffrey’s short fiction a couple of times and his work always found a way of lingering in my mind. I am really glad that this collection includes all of those stories I was familiar with, plus other previously published work and even some brand new tales.

“Voyeurs of Death” is an eclectic gathering of the sinister, the erotic, the magical and the surreal. Folk tales coexist with mythical creatures, monsters, and everyday human beings hungry for new experiences. And yes, for those who wonder, there is a zombie story too.

A number of stories stand-out and show Jeffrey at the top of his game. In “Park Life” the author needs barely more than a single page to shock us with a tight little flash tale about a family having a bad day in a zoo. “Paranoid” is original and disturbing as it follows a woman who wakes up in what appears to be a hospital, with no recollection of who she is or how she got there. When she realizes she might a prisoner, she looks for a way to escape, while trying to regain her identity. “The Quilters of Thurmond” is a pleasant tale about mother love and old traditions. But if it’s mother love we are talking about, we simply can’t forget to mention “Life Cycle”, a surreal glance at a junkie who gives birth to a giant egg, and her relationship to the creature that hatches. This story, especially the last line, could easily be the best in the collection.

There are a few misses within as well, though not because of a lack in prose and style, but more due to their predictability. The tale which gives the collection its title is extremely predictable and so are “Clockwork” and “The Peacock Lawn” (though to a lesser degree). Even though they are suspenseful, you know where they are heading. “The Tunnel” is a poignant story in which a man remembers childhood days. It is a beautiful little tale, but the ending is forced by something that comes out of nowhere, in a clear attempt to bring the events to closure. “Venetian Kiss” is exotic and gripping, but its protagonist’s absurd actions at the end, choosing to “return” to danger instead of “fleeing” from it, become irritating.

Jeffrey’s writing is tight and well-weaved, even in his less effective stories. His style steers away from the purely gore to focus on the psychological. He makes us get to know his characters and care for them.

As if the fiction within this pages wasn’t great on its own, the quality of the book is raised another notch thanks to the wonderful illustrations of Zach McCain. This was the first thing that caught my attention when I took a look inside. It’s worth mentioning.

My recommendation: grab this book, enjoy the tales and keep an eye open for Shaun Jeffrey. I certainly hope to read more from him.

Doorways Publications

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13 THORNS by Gus Fink and Gina Ranalli
Reviewed by Kelli Jones

Gina Ranalli and Gus Fink have dreamed up 13 bizarre situations with the stories in their collection, 13 Thorns. The characters' experiences with monsters and bizarre circumstances pull them out of their everyday lives, which usually involve nasty adults and bullies.

To the collection's credit, I kept thinking of some of the nastier characters in Roald Dahl stories as I read these. This may have been due in part to the suggestive power of Gus Fink's illustrations. The fact is, the authors have constructed some notably cruel adult characters and adolescent bullies in some of these stories.  On a few occasions, I caught myself wondering if who in these stories is nastier, the cruel human beings or the sadistic, vengeful supernatural beings?

This is true of the characters in "Never Stare," which kicks off the collection and leaves the reader with the  uncertain feeling that there won't necessarily be justice for the more put-upon characters in the hands of these storytellers. 

"Fat Kid" features, Jeff, a lonely, bullied teenager who tries to fit in with some misanthropic teens by interacting with some scary neighbors.  His efforts don't pan out, to say the least, and his subsequent attempt to get back at his peers turns into a gory mess. That isn't to say that the story itself is a mess; it was my favorite in the collection.

"Deth Pitt" is a horrifying science fiction story that takes place in the near future where an alien race has taken over the earth. They impose cruel rules and one form of entertainment for rebellious loner, Doge Klops, is the reality television show, "Deth Pitt." On this show, people are piled into a pit and have to climb there way out. It's an ugly situation, to say the least, but I wasn't fond of the ending, which left me feeling that the rug had been ripped out from beneath me and that there is more to say about this character and his world. It's the one story in here that feels truly unfinished.

Some of the stories adhere loosely to one pattern. Characters who are outcasts or outright victims have a bizarre, scary encounter that yanks them out of their sad circumstances. The encounter ends and the character presumably goes back to the sad life they had or marches off to a worse fate.

The final story, "Life is Perfect," breaks from this pattern. The main character is quite content before a car wreck leaves him disfigured. Newly outcasted from society, he rebuilds himself by getting in shape and forming a new relationship with his neighbors. To put it in more specific terms would give it away, but Robert Fawn's development is the most interesting and believable in the collection.

Be warned that some of these stories take some pretty gory turns with graphic details. Otherwise, check it out.

Afterbirth Books

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THE TUNNELS by Michelle Gagnon
Reviewed by Kelli Jones

Michelle Gagnon's debut novel, The Tunnels, is a thriller about a murderer who stalks the tunnels below a New England college. His ritualistic murders of several daughters of powerful men, including foreign diplomats and a mob boss, draw the attention of the FBI. FBI Special Agent, Kelly Jones, is pursuing the elusive murderer along with partner, Agent Roger Morrow, and Jake Riley, a former FBI agent who works on the security team of one of the victim's fathers.

Kelly Jones proves a tough character to warm up to. She's a successful workaholic who has no time for relationships, full of drive and just-the-facts-ma'am attitude. Having experienced a loss at an early age, she is motivated to find serial killers and afford closure to victims' families. The full details of this event are a long-delayed revelation; I found it difficult to become engaged in the story in the first half of the book because most of it unfolds from Kelly's third-person-limited point of view.

Until her family tragedy is fully revealed, I relied on some of her interactions with Agent Morrow to find any warmth in this character. When Jake Riley begins to work the case, too, his difficulty adjusting to his new working relationship with her is perfectly understandable. My main concern with these characters' developing relationship was whether or not the case would wear her down a bit and make her less territorial and cold. Gagnon develops this relationship in a way that's appropriate to the characters and doesn't remove the reader's focus from the pursuit of the killer. This relationship is satisfyingly free of unnecessary maudlin mush.

Morrow's character could have been fleshed out more fully had the third-person point of view been shifted to him more often. He's a family man leading an altogether different life from Jones's solitary one, and the impact of this stressful case could have been explored in more depth. As it stands, he is a rather flat foil. When the characters are in danger, I didn't find myself caring for Morrow as much as I could have had he been better developed.

It's the questions sparked by the gory ritualistic murders that prove most interesting for roughly the first half of the novel, rather than the characters themselves, who feel familiar as archetypes, but not distinctive or fully utilized. By the last quarter of the story, nearly everything the reader will find out about the main characters has been revealed, and the reader may or may not be interested in them. The reader might even have a good idea of what each character's fate will be. I don't highly recommend this book, but if you love this sort of premise, you may see this as a familiar and comfortable territory populated by familiar, comfortable tropes.

Mira Books

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THE SECRET CARDINAL by Tom Grace
Review by Mark Justice

Tom Grace delivers another multi-faceted thriller starring ex-navy SEAL Nolan Kilkenny. This time around, Kilkenny is tasked by the dying Pope with the rescue of a Chinese Roman Catholic Bishop who has been imprisoned for decades for the crime of practicing his faith.

With assistance from the CIA, the President of the United States and the Vatican, Kilkenny assembles a team of veteran covert operatives and prepares a daring plan to free Bishop Yin, who the Pope has secretly named Cardinal, from his long imprisonment.

Things blow up and things go horribly wrong, as you might expect, but Grace keeps the story moving, often in surprising directions. While there is enough military jargon and hardware description to satisfy the average Tom Clancy fan, Grace supplies a wealth of characterization, too.

It’s obvious that Grace spent serious time researching both China and the Vatican, but he manages to weave the information unobtrusively into the narrative.

The only note that rings slightly false concerns the identity of the next pope, but it’s handled with such genuineness that the reader can’t help but be moved.

The deep sense of spirituality that runs through The Secret Cardinal serves to distinguish it from most other titles in the field. If there is such a thing as a literary thriller, Grace has cornered the market.

Vanguard Press

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THE MISSING By Sarah Langan
Review by David Simms

When “The Keeper” first arrived on the scene, the hype overshadowed the novel. Readers, as well as writers, were led to expect the next Stephen King or Shirley Jackson (it actually read as a marriage of both). While that hype is great for horror in the big bookstores, there was no way the novel could’ve lived up to the fanfare, but it was a damn fine book.

With “The Missing,” Sarah Langan comes into her own and joins the major leagues, the fireworks leaping off the pages instead from a marketing campaign (which any writer would die for). The story is reminiscent of early Stephen King (as most great novels by new writers are labeled), more specifically, “The Tommyknockers” or “ Salem’s Lot.” But to simply compare her to him is unfair to both. True, both are set in Maine, both bleed small town details so fine one reading it might worry about his/her neighbor, and both take a simple horror staple (an infection of some evil kind) and run with it, turning it on its ear, making it their own. But then, she stands on her own.

This infection affects the entire town and brings out the best and worst in its citizens. Non-infected characters at times seem more disturbed than those turned into whatever entity touched. Minor characters are drawn with deep, dark strokes that separate this story from many others. Yet what is the key to the novel’s success is the actual writing. Most conferences, courses, and teachers state that an author’s voice can’t be learned. It has to be found and nurtured into maturity. What’s scary is how lyrical, intricate, and natural Langan’s prose has become in only her second book. Highly recommended.

Harper

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DOUBLE ACT By LH Maynard & MPN Sims
Review by Mario Guslandi

It was maybe unavoidable that, after writing, editing and publishing together supernatural and horror fiction for so many years, the British duo Maynard & Sims should produce a novella revolving around a couple of actors, a double act, and exploring the secrets of a fairly successful professional and personal relationship.

After Charlie Hass’ sudden death, his long-time partner and friend Walter Coker gradually discovers that behind their double act there was more than meets the eye and that things in Charlie’s private life things were not exactly what they appeared to be.

For instance Charlie, a well known womaniser, had, unbeknownst to everyone, a secret daughter.

And, although an unfaithful husband, he resented the love affair which had briefly taken place in the past between his wife June and Walter. It also appears that Charlie, the straight man, was very envious of the response that his own jokes, written for Walter’s comic character, elicited in the audiences. And when the elusive traces of a mysterious creature in baggy clothes start to show here and there things become even more puzzling and hectic for poor Charlie, who is trying hard to find out the truth.

Written in the impeachable storytelling style which is the trademark of Maynard & Sims’ short and long fiction , “Double act” has a terrific start, a breathtaking development and a bitter, albeit a bit confused, ending.. Labelled as a ghost tale, the story actually disquiets and disturbs more for its deeply human content than for its supernatural aspects. And, unlike Coker & Ass, Maynard & Sims prove once again that their double act is a perfectly oiled machine able to continuously generate pleasurable shivers and unforgettable emotions.

Nyx Books

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MORBID CURIOSITY By Deborah Leblanc
Review by David Simms

Sometimes the grass isn’t greener on the other side. Sometimes it’s just damn black and downright scary. In Deborah Leblanc’s newest foray into down-home horror set in the heart of Louisiana, karma is a bitch, one that will make a reader think twice about wishing for what he or she doesn’t have.

Teen twins Haley and Heather discover chaos magic, today’s version of a Ouija board (only much scarier, and repercussions that are quite real, even if one doesn’t believe in the supernatural). This novel delves into the darker side of teenage life – the hell of not fitting in, peer pressure, self-abuse, and the draw of the unknown. When the twins seek a better life after being shipped off to a less than stellar life due to one parent dying and the other languishing in the throes of mental illness, an outcast offers them a way to true happiness. That way is through chaos magic, which requires them to use a sigil, a symbol drawn not only on paper but on flesh. The supernatural does play a role here, and gets freaky with snakes and other creatures, which are inserted seamlessly into the plot.

However, the true horror lies in the characters’ souls themselves. The sigils are symbols of what lives beneath the skin of the everyday person, the darkness that hides just beneath the surface. Leblanc seizes this and drives it steadily into the reader’s psyche. Her sweet prose sucks one in with beautiful, living, breathing settings, places as tangible as the teen next door who could be carving a snake sigil into his or her arm at this very moment. Then, just like the serpents within the pages, her fangs strike fast and deep. The real antagonist here is not the evil man behind the scenes, nor the creatures (real or imagined), but the dark that exists in all of us. Since I’m sure many teens will be reading this engrossing novel (due to Leblanc’s unique “Challenge” contest and many visits to schools across the country), this will only add to the frights that many of us face on a daily basis.

After reviewing this quality, recommended story, this writer finds the grass on this side of the fence just fine, thank you – safer, too.

Leisure

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MIDNIGHT TOUR by Richard Laymon
Review by Dennis Duncan

In the small California town of Malcasa Point lies an old Victorian style house that is known as The Beast House and it has a dark and murderous history. For over ninety years people who have dared enter inside its walls at night have usually been found horribly mutilated the next day. The locals say that they met their gruesome end at the hands of the Beast and on certain nights they say your can hear its evil laugh coming from the house.

Tourists have flocked to Beast House for years. They take an audio tour of the house going from room to room looking at grotesque wax figures of the victims the Beast claimed. There is also another tour that happens every Saturday night. It is called the Midnight Tour, and those who take it gets the no hold barred information about the Beast. They go into parts of the house where the most gruesome events took place. Some say that the Beast still roams the house at night, and for one unlucky Midnight Tour group they will find out first hand that the Beast is more than just a legend.

The Midnight Tour is the final installment of the Beast House Chronicles and after reading it I can say that is my favorite. Midnight Tour is loaded with sex, gore, and nonstop action. I especially enjoyed the characters in Midnight Tour.

Mr. Laymon introduces you to a group of new characters, but he also brings back a few from the previous installments. Midnight Tours takes place many years after Beast House but you will find out what the old characters did with their life in the years leading up to Midnight Tour. I especially enjoyed following Sandy through the years. She as been one my favorite characters throughout the Beast House Chronicles and you will find out how she spent her life from story to story.

Midnight Tour is Laymons masterpiece in my opinion. Mr. Laymon is a master of the Horror genre and I highly recommend Midnight Tour to all horror fiction lovers. It is guaranteed to satisfy even the most jaded of fans.

Leisure

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COME CLOSER by Sara Gran 2003
Review by Steven Middaugh

Sara Gran's written three books so far: Come Closer, Dope, and Saturn's Return To New York. "Come Closer" is being touted as the scariest novel. My advice would be not to get taken in by the blurbs. Just read it and judge for yourself without harboring any expectations.

Face it, Sara Gran's a damn good writer. She proved it with Come Closer.  Her prose is crisp and straight-forward. Her character, Amanda, is somewhat likeable but you can't help but feel sorry for her. Her husband, Ed, is an okay guy but rather too stand-offish.

Amanda is very happy. She has a high paying job as an architect, a loving husband, an idyllic life, and a nice little loft. Amanda occasionally gets waylaid by a friendly stray German Shepherd. Everything's all fine, and dandy.  Or so Amanda thinks.

Amanda and her husband start hearing tapping and scratching noises which they attribute to warped boards and pipes going bang but can’t seem to find the source. Next, Amanda starts having black-outs which start out as only few seconds and later stretch out to hours eventually compulsory need for vices pop up in her daily routine. Finally she starts experiencing strange dreams, mostly centering on a woman with sharp teeth out at the beach where water is red with blood.

As the story progresses, Amanda slowly but surely starts losing control of her life, her mind, and something else. All because of the strange woman in her dreams.

Gran seems to lead her readers towards the supernatural but the essence of the book is psychological as we watch Amanda’s ascent into madness.

While the book has its flaws, it is a satisfying read.

Berkley

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