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Shimmer |
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Vanguard Press, 2009
ISBN: 9781593155377
Available: Pre-Order (July)
Bestselling author David Morrell is most well known for his debut and often misunderstood novel First Blood. Over the years he has written in a variety of genres, including action thrillers (Testament), horror (The Totem) and spy novels (Brotherhood of the Rose) to name a few. His latest novel combines elements of many genres that Morrell has touched on in the past. The Shimmer starts as a dark mystery that reminded me early on of Morrell’s early horror novel The Totem, but the tone changes many times as the pages fly by. At times the book has an action feel, and at times it feels like a mystery or a techno thriller. In the end it is seamlessly blended into an eerie science fiction adventure novel.
The story is about Dan Page, a Santa Fe police officer and pilot whose wife disappears. When he follows her trail, he ends up in the town of Rostov, Texas. Rostov is home to an odd tourist attraction, a series of lights that behave strangely on the horizon. According to legend they have been seen for hundreds of years. Morrell's settings can be very convincing. His 2004 novel Creepers used known legends as a basis for the storyline. While the military and techno conspiracy seem to be his invention, readers will still find themselves wondering what is real.
Morrell usually keeps his books fast-paced by writing very short chapters, but in The Shimmer, he seems to be spreading his wings a bit, using a non-linear structure that includes flashbacks and a perfectly timed back story. What is most impressive is that the mystery is not easy to guess and keeps The Shimmer interesting right up till the last time you close the book.
Review by David Agranoff
Interested in winning an autographed copy of Shimmer, just enter here. For another chance to win a copy of Shimmer just shimmy on down to our Hazy Days of Horror partner The Horror Fiction Review's Shimmer page