Monday, August 3, 2009

DEAD ON


DEAD ON by Robert W. Walker is a chiller thriller of the first magnitude. Rob takes the reader's capacity for the imagination of horror to stomach turning depths, and then gives it more twists than a Georgia backroad that paves an Indian trail. This new addition to his broad range of titles will keep you awake long after the last page is closed.
I've reviewed several titles on this blog that were heralded as thrillers, but none of them had the spine tingling power of DEAD ON.
From the first page when former Atlanta police detective turned PI, Marcus Rydell is contemplating ending his life through his gun point first date with Dr. Kat Holley the tension and suspense builds as they bind together to catch a psychotic killer who has destroyed their lives and halted their careers.
The reader is compelled to keep turning the pages. Rob does little pseudo psychological musing as to what has turned ex-marine, professional hunter Iden Cantu into a monster killer. He illustrates by the deviants' blood curdling actions how a man slips over the line into insanity.
Cantu thrives on torture, both physical and mental for his victims. Cantu picks Rydell as his adversary when Rydell experiences a blackout as his partner and two other policemen are executed over his prone body. It is a duel manhunt of Cantu's choosing unless he can destroy Rydell from inside his own brain before Rydell finds him.
Nothing is predictable in this fast paced horror/thriller and the descriptions are sparse as each character controls their own destiny, which are fought against an unpredictable opponent.
This reviewer will be back for the sequel DEAD END, because there are many questions left unanswered.
You can find DEAD ON in your favorite library or online at Amazon.com. Visit with the award winning author at http://robertwalkerbooks.com.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

3 comments:

  1. Great review and well deserved! I didn't know
    about a sequel. Love the title names also and the cover art. What's not to love about a Rob Walker book?

    Morgan Mandel
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
    http://www.morganmandel.com

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  2. What's not to love, Morgan?

    Well, usually, the villains.

    I loved Walker's "City" trilogy, set in Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair.

    I have read a couple of his Instinct series, and while I don't consider myself squeamish, frankly, the bad guys in Walker's horror works just creep me out, as much as J.A. Konrath's do. If that's your cup of tea, great... Personally, I have to keep the lights up when reading them.

    I don't mean this as a pan - Mr. Walker is a great story teller. (I met him at a conference last year and he's also a real hoot in person.) So if you're into horror, go for it. If you're a cozy mystery fan, well, best use your discretion and the buddy system...

    jeq

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