Couple Books

Been a while since I did any book reviews, and there are a couple I wanted to bring to your attention ...

I first became aware of Carsten Stroud with his 1992 novel, Lizard Skin. A tour-de-force, off-the-wall romp featuring a loosey-goosey Montana state trooper and a bunch of craziness; I was hooked by his writing and sense of lunatic fun.

So I looked for his other titles, found them, and have enjoyed them all. 

His most recent novels have gone much deeper into Stephen King territory, first with Niceville, which is ever not-so-nice, and the sequel, The Homecoming. There is a third book in what is billed as a trilogy, currently in-progress. 

The man can write, and the books are peppered with bits that the observant and relatively-literate reader who likes old movies will find amusing. A line from The Scarlett Pimpernel here, a comparison to an actor in a certain film there. Odd data that spark recognition and grins, at least in this reader.

Niceville is as spooky as Derry, there's a fair amount of gunplay, and what evil lurks there manifests in deadly ways. These are not for those easily made uneasy. People are murdered, bad things happen to children, and there's a monster at work that make the town a place you wouldn't want to pass on the freeway at eighty wearing blinders.

But the man can write, and he does carry you along turning pages. Check him out, and any of his books will do–they are all good.

Duncan McGeary wrote a trio of fantasy novels back in the early eighties; apparently life happened, he bought a business, (Pegasus Comics, in Bend, OR) started a family, and with this and that, he drifted away from writing.

Fast forward thirty years ...

McGeary is back, and the first novel in a new series, available in ebook on Amazon.com, starts with Death of an Immortal. Terrell is not your sparkly, sweet, doe-eyed kind of vampire, he's a monster. He's not happy with himself, and he'd rather not be, but he can't help it.

There's a subplot with an abusive cop; it's mostly set in Oregon, and if you like your undead to be more along the lines of  Fright Night  than you do Twilight, these will be your cup of gore ...

There are other vampires There is a lot of chomping and blood and some sex, newly-turned vampires arriving in the undead state both hungry and horny.

If you like the first one, the second one is about to be released, and he's working on a third.