KIRKUS
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TITLE INFORMATION
SOMETHING IN THE DARK
White, James
iUniverse (226 pp.)
$25.95 hardcover, $15.95 paperback, $3.99 e-book
ISBN: 978-1475950212; October 11, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
White mixes the mob with the macabre for his action-thriller with hints of the supernatural gleaming at the edges.
Gerald Evans, a man of little redeeming value and disliked by all—especially his family—has been killed in a car crash.
But this incident was no accident; the crash was arranged compliments of Roberto, a notorious mobster swindled and cuckolded by Gerald. The death isn’t commonplace, either: Gerald returns from the dead with both a story of having been to hell and solemn pledges to change. What follows is a combination of suspense, action and a study in the machinery of a dysfunctional family. Even before Gerald leaves the hospital, attempts on his life resume, dragging his brother-in-law and somewhat sardonic narrator, Jayme, and close family friend, Brady (also cuckolded by Gerald), into the escalating violence.
The excitement begins in earnest after Shannon—Jayme’s sister and Gerald’s wife—Jayme’s young daughter, Diane, and Jayme’s mother foil an assassination attempt at Gerald’s house. The hit men, led by the psychopathic Cyrus, are professional, sadistic and unrelenting. They’re also sensitive about interference, so they’ve put the whole extended family in their cross hairs.
The action, dialogue and characters are realistic throughout, although the authenticity could have been enhanced by giving the city a name and describing the characters’ jobs as something more specific than telecommunications.
What really makes the book stand out, however, is how the supernatural elements intertwine with the plot so that the reader can accept or reject the unnatural occurrences: Gerald’s trip to hell could be due to a lack of oxygen; Jayme hearing his mother’s voice in the heat of a fight could be attributed to stress; visions that seem to foreshadow actual events could be seen as nothing but dreams—or these incidents could be eerie, real-life occurrences. Interestingly, these experiences don’t only affect the corresponding characters but also the peripheral characters: For instance, Gerald’s trip to hell seems to have an equally profound effect on his wife.
A multifaceted thriller with engaging character development.
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"There has to be evil so that good can
prove its purity above it." Buddha |
"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies."
Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Copyright © 2012. Something in the Dark - James White. All rights reserved.