Chris Miller

Wonderfully twisted psycho-sexual thriller...

Revisado: 05-10-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This is the second of RS Medina's books I've consumed and it is no less impressive than the last. While part of a trilogy, this story is totally disconnected from the first one in location and characters. The character of Love Dresden is terrifyingly real and the situation is all too plausible. Micah, the other main character, is very well drawn, appropriately flawed, but ultimately decent at his core. Both are expertly developed and the story is totally unpredictable. I lost count how many times my jaw fell open or I blurted out "WTF???" I had a great time with this book. It's not really romance, though that element is there. This is a story about a sick, SICK psyche, manipulation, bad choices, and worse outcomes. I'm eager for more of Medina's work!

Narration was excellent.

Don't miss this one!

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Intense, erotic, and volatile debut

Revisado: 05-04-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

RS Medina's novel is not the normal kind of book I would read for myself, but I'm so glad that I did. The writing is well-executed and reminded me of Caroline Kepnes of YOU fame in terms of style, but the voice is all her own. Weaving a tale of both past and present together from three points of view, we're pulled into a triangle filled with self-doubt and loathing, PTSD, and a man who doesn't fully recognize boundaries. The pacing is just right, building slowly but surely (but never boringly) to a dynamite finale that is shocking and heart-hammering. This is not the kind of story where everyone is smiling and going about their lives after learning a valuable life-lesson at the end. This is messy, *real*, and heavy.

The dialogue is realistic, the prose authentic to the characters, all of whom are fleshed out well, and the pacing is just right. I'm glad I went on this twisted little journey and look forward to more by Medina.

The narration was well done.

Don't miss this, it really is excellent.

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Wild and painful...

Revisado: 12-15-21

This story is one of the craziest concoctions I've ever encountered. There really isn't anyone likeable in the story, though you do have pity for one girl. Nonetheless, while the protagonist is a serious SOB who elevates to a MAJOR SOB, you still don't want to turn away, because you have to know what insane thing he's going to do next. This story is EXTREME horror, and there are myriad points that can activate your gag reflexes, so listeners/readers beware. If that's not your bag, this isn't your book. If it is, there's plenty of wetness to bathe in here, in bright crimson and several other shades across the rainbow.

John Wayne Communale does a pretty good job on the narration overall, and aside from a couple character's voices, really elevates the whole experience.

Check it out. If you like Ed Lee, Wrath James White, and the like, Daniel J Volpe is an author you need to discover.

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Short and not-so-sweet...

Revisado: 11-30-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Short and not-so-sweet, this was a cool short story about a family stopping in the wrong area on a trip. It's too short to give up much else, just know it goes zero to 60 pretty fast, and it doesn't pull any punches.

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Impressive, unique collection...

Revisado: 11-11-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Really interesting collection! In fact, I wasn't aware it was a collection at all initially, as I went in blind. Roberts frames the book in what I consider to be a unique way: different sections that focus on the work of a renowned horror author who was a big inspiration to him personally, then tells a few short stories that are "in the vein" of that author. He highlights Stephen King, Clive Barker, Bentley Little, and Laird Barron here, and I have to say, hats off to the stories, especially in this framework. Roberts has a unique talent at getting a firm hold of another author's pastiche while letting his own voice shine through the entire way. You'll "feel" the styles of King, Barker, and company as the stories are laid out, but none are a ripoff in anyway. Some very original tales in this one, and while a couple of them weren't for me, most were highly enjoyable and well-written. I look forward to more of this author, and I think anyone looking for a unique collection of shorts with an interesting - if rather short - wraparound story should check this one out. There is something here for everyone in the horror wheelhouse.

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Impressive debut...

Revisado: 09-09-21

Really imaginative and well written fantasy with some heavy doses of horror and a bit of cosmic overtones as well. I'd never have seen the end coming, what all was happening. Nola does a fantastic job of playing it close to the chest until near the end with several well-timed reveals. The narrator does a terrific job, I'd definitely listen to her some more. Not in the realm of what I normally read, but I'm very glad to finally have checked this one out. Terrific. Give it a shot.

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Outstanding narration & a fun story.

Revisado: 07-13-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Terrific backwoods mayhem with some truly nasty bloodsuckers and genuinely well thought out reasons for their not being known about with wild garlic and a big hollow in West Virginia. Keene knows how to kick it into gear, and after taking a little time getting us ready with a terrific opening scene and character development, he punches it and we go soaring all the way towards the both gut-punching and, somehow, sweet finale.

Definitely recommended for all vampire fans, and if you demand something different if you’re going to take the chance on a vampire book, this one delivers just that.

Time Winters gives a P-E-R-F-E-C-T performance here, astoundingly well done. I was blown away how good he was.

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A solid supernatural police procedural...

Revisado: 09-03-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

A well-paced novel of brooding supernatural suspense with some genuinely powerful moments.

I won't bother with recapping the synopsis. This was a sort of supernatural police procedural, replete with shapeshifting demons and some gory moments, though not overly so. There is a heavy undercurrent of theological philosophy throughout, that serves the story and the characters well. We get a solid three dimensions out of most of our characters, though at the same time we know what the character will ultimately choose in the end, right or wrong. This isn't so much a flaw, but it stood out. I never felt that our hero was going to make the wrong choices when it came down to it...he was just too noble. Sure, he's tempted, but you could feel he was righteous underneath so there was no real threat he would fall prey to temptations. The human baddie, on the other hand, I felt was handled extremely well. He's vile in so many ways, but the side story about his kid really added some depth to him and his motivations, and I applaud Duke for his drawing of this character. It was terrific.

The pacing is solid, never balls to the wall, but it does ramp up a few times to some exciting moments. You can tell Duke knows his stuff (he was a cop for years), so the procedural aspect of the story feels very realistic. I don't mind less realistic depictions (and I'd wager your average reader wouldn't either), but you can just tell when someone really knows of what they speak. Great crime/procedural writers like Michael Connelly are able to take a layman and transport them to a life of public service in such a way there's never any doubt in the reader's mind that they nailed it. Duke manages the same level of realism in that aspect of this novel, and it helped add legitimacy to the supernatural side of things.

The climax is good. I'd have liked a bit more of the buildup to it, a bit more nail-biting suspense before it popped off, but that's a personal thing. And the triumph at the end actually threatened to move me to tears, made me reflect some on my own faith and what I believe in, and it moved me.

All in all, this is a very good book, one I'd easily recommend to most readers who don't openly and savagely hate Christianity. It isn't preachy, isn't religious fiction, this is still an R-rated horror novel, but it treats religion fairly and doesn't cast it in a negative light, which was refreshing.

The narrator...that's my biggest gripe. There are a lot of sections of the book he does a fine job, but then there are others where he bordered on bad. Overall he wasn't bad, but just moments. Some mispronounced words that recurred several times and every time made my shoulders cinch up. And his cadence (especially in some parts of dialogue) occasionally falters and seems like he wasn't sure what the next word was, but again, this was not a problem throughout, just something that happened a few times. Not my favorite narrator, but not a bad one.

I say you should do yourself a favor and check it out. I think you'll have a hell of a good time.

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A superior ZomPoc novel...

Revisado: 04-07-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

An impressive zompoc novel packing some real emotional punches throughout and likable characters.

It seems like I say this a lot when I review a zombie book, but it's still generally true (since there are so many of them out there): I generally am not into zombie fiction. That said (again, lol) I DO still read some of it, and I DO still come across some real gems in the subgenre. A THOUSAND MILES TO NOWHERE is certainly one of the gems.

There are plenty of battles with the undead here, but the bulk of the book doesn't focus on that, nor does it only focus on a small group of survivors scavenging and avoiding the zombies (though that occurs too). This one focuses mostly around Matt, and his psychological struggles from both his past and present, the weight of everything bearing down on him whether it was in his control or not. This internal struggle is central to the story, and it was a fascinating study, well-written and believable. To find something of this depth in a genre famous for stench and gore was a real breath of fresh air, and I found myself wanting more.

Another great aspect to this one is the inclusion of a pregnant woman and her baby, which really heightened the suspense in the final act and lead to some emotionally horrifying moments during the climax. Curfiss never pulled a punch, but I never felt like anything was gratuitous either. Again, hats off on the superb writing here.

This has all the standard fare zompoc aficionados look for, plenty of action and gore, but it is elevated by it's well-drawn characters and superior writing in general. Had this one come out back around the turn of the century, it may well be known as the quintessential zompoc book instead of Brian Keene's THE RISING. Very different books, but this one was on par.

Neill Thorne's narration was excellent.

Recommended to any fan of horror, and even those looking for a psychological drama, providing you're cool with the zombie apocalypse as the backdrop. Bravo!

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A solid thriller...

Revisado: 02-05-20

A solid police procedural thriller with some flair.

A COIN FOR CHARON is a rather interesting thriller. Fundamentally a police procedural, we follow Marlowe Gentry, a detective with a hard past with haunting demons, as he pursues a serial killer known as The Seraphim, who is both gentle and brutal with his victims. Choosing them because of their sadness or suicidal state, he puts them to sleep before dispatching them, then arranging their innards in a brutal religious ritual, one meant to bring the victim peace so they may go on to Heaven.

On the periphery of this main plotline, we have Max--a dying cancer patient who hasn't told his family of his ailment, even after they leave him--and Becca--a psychiatrist who treats people like Max to cope with what they're going through. At first, as the story is still in the early stages, I had no idea how Max of Becca's story arcs fit into the bigger picture. I was thrown for a bit because we switched from the procedural to Max, and it seemed completely unrelated, and then Becca, too, seemed out of place. I started to wonder if I had accidentally picked up the wrong book, but as the story continued to unfold, we see how first Becca is drawn into the story from the periphery, and later, Max. It was THIS aspect of the novel that set it apart for me. The procedural plot was all solid, but it wasn't anything particularly new. However, the powerful moments of Max's emotional struggles were charged with heartache and desperation, and it was very compelling. In fact, I found myself tearing up a time or two as his situation becomes more and more dire. I cared about Max more than any other character in the book.

The prose is neither over the top nor is it simplistic. It services the genre very well without being devoid of flair. Very straightforward for the most part, but touching on some more poetic moments in some of the softer parts of the novel. The dialogue was believable and helped drive the narrative forward. All in all, this is a solid read that left me curious to see more from Mullican.

The narration was good, not the best I've ever heard, but the voice and cadence was nice and it never pulled me out of the story.

If you're a fan of Michael Connelly type police procedural thrillers, you should give this one a chance. The orbiting stories around the main plot that ultimately come crashing into the forefront of the narrative help set this one apart as something that stands solidly on its own, and I think anyone looking for a good mystery-thriller will have a good time with this one. Well done.

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