Black River Falls [Mass Market Paperback]

Edward Gorman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

Nineteen-year-old Ben Tyler vows to protect Alison, a beautiful young woman, from threats of murder, until he stumbles upon a dark secret that could destroy everyone and everything he cares about. Original."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Leisure Books (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843946423
• ISBN-13: 978-0843946420
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,106,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A GUILTY PLEASURE, October 22, 2001

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Black River Falls (Mass Market Paperback)

"Black River Falls" is one of those books you hate to admit that you enjoyed, but it is to Ed Gorman's credit that this leisurely-placed dark story works so well.
We meet Ben Tyler, an average looking "nerd" who finds himself falling in love with the mysterious Allison. Allison has her own sordid past, in that a roommate of hers was brutally murdered the year previously. Ben doesn't know this of course. Ben has a loving mother, who is a veterinarian, and a charming, handsome older brother, Michael, who wows the women, including one Denise Fletcher, a married woman whose husband is maniacally jealous. Enter David Weyrich, a seasoned PI, who is looking for one Steve Conners, who he is sure killed Allison's roommate, and just happens to be a good friend of none other than Michael Tyler.
Gorman gives us some very touching scenes, including one in which Ben has to help his mother put his feline-leukemia afflicted kitten to sleep. This is poignant and rare in a book of this nature.
Of course, there are now shocking surprises, once we find out the truth about Steve and Michael; from then on, it's a cat and mouse game, with the evil villain doing his best to silence those who could give away his dreaded secret.
Gorman presents a strong case of inherited traits, in that the killer may have inherited his traits from his murderous grandfather.
All in all, the story has some great moments, and even though our beloved heroine bites the dust, Ben's revenge, along with the just desserts for Allison's killer keep the plot moving.
A nice, sneaky thriller.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More of Gorman's Midwestern mysteries..., April 18, 2004

By 

William Fare (Cedar Rapids, IA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Black River Falls (Paperback)

While it may not quite be up to snuff with some of Gorman's other offerings, Black River Falls is a friendly enough book, with plenty of rich characters walking around. Ben, the unlikely hero of the tale, is an innocent underdog with a heart of gold. The veterinarian mother, Lynn, is the widowed caregiver with the heart of gold. Well, you get the idea.

Gorman tapdances dangerously close to the territory of his buddy, Dean Koontz. There aren't any elements of the supernatural here, but the good natured intelligence of the Good Guys comes close to being a notch too sweet and tender for my tastes (yes, including the weepy 'putting the kitten to sleep' scene).

It's another pretty-good rural mystery from a guy who can write it better than this. The Midwest gets painted pretty well, actually, but it's the formulaic tale of a psycho brother versus the good brother that wears thin towards the back pages.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READ, March 9, 2002

By 

Creepysusie (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black River Falls (Mass Market Paperback)

This has to be one of my favorites of all time. I borrowed this little gem from a friend and read it in no time at all. In my opinion (as a fan of Gorman) this is one of his best. It really keeps you hanging to the very end.