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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stepping Up His Game, April 16, 2011
This review is from: Darkness Follows (Paperback)
Sam Travers is an ordinary guy desperately trying to preserve his sense of purpose in the months following an accident at work that has left him disabled. Still his life is good with a loving wife and young daughter who adores him like only a little girl can. But one morning, an unexplained gun shot that leaves no physical evidence sets into motion a series of events that puts Sam on a collision course with a darkness that has been brooding in the quiet rural hills for at least 150 years. In typical Dellosso style we are plunged headlong into the life of a simple man facing extraordinary and impossible circumstances. Sam must face ethereal enemies from the past, a very flesh and blood enemy stalking him in the present, and before all is over his greatest enemy of all - the one that abides within. For reasons he can't explain Sam has been writing in the hand of long dead Civil War officer about an evil desire that brought his ruin. Perhaps it is because of the cognitive problems he has been having since his accident. Or perhaps it is because of the darkness that seems intent on using Sam to finish what the Civil War officer failed to complete. The cast of characters is perfect to tell this compelling story of fear and redemption. Molly, Sam's wife loves him dearly but is in constant fear of what her husband's condition might drive him to do. Eva, his daughter, has been warned by a mysterious visitor to be sure to remind her father of God's love. And then there's Tommy. Something horrible happened between Sam and his brother, Tommy, years earlier. Something so horrid it has been repressed and only now begun to break through into Sam's present. A good as Dellosso's earlier works are, he has reached his stride in Darkness Follows. The characterizations, prose and timing are spot on and serve to move the story along to its fitting conclusion. And, he has given us the perfect villain. Sam and Symon share a common enemy, a darkness that wants to consume them. Both are haunted by things they remember and things they wished they could not. Both are flawed. But what separates the two is love. Symon has shut his heart to the light while Sam has not completely forgotten. The real star of this story is a little girl who sincerely believes God's love will save her daddy. And at this point, I have to tell you, this is not a horror story. Yes, there's plenty of suspense. Yes, it's a thriller. But at its heart, Darkness Follows is a parable of the power of light over darkness, faith over fear, trust over doubt and love over hate.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling, November 14, 2011
This review is from: Darkness Follows (Paperback)
I enjoyed this book, but wasn't awed by it. It held my interest, but didn't have me rushing to finish. It was suspenseful and mysterious. I was wondering how it all pulled together, what the explanation behind it all was. Warning to sensitive readers: There were some scenes I almost couldn't finish. They featured animal cruelty, something I really, really have no stomach for. Thankfully, the scenes are pretty short, but still. Be prepared. I get that they were necessary for the story, but they are hard to read. (And I'm sure they were hard to write.) There also is quite a bit of violence - domestic and otherwise. It's not gruesome (at least not described in too-vivid detail), but it's still there. Themes I picked up on: Love conquers all. The emphasis on love is constant throughout the story. And it makes sense, given that this is Christian fiction. While mildly predictable, it works. There also is minor mention of the occult and reference to the possibility of generational curses. All of it is handled well.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love covers a multitude of sins, July 16, 2011
This review is from: Darkness Follows (Paperback)
It takes a lot to make me start the review of a book with the word "Wow!" That is reserved for the books I find the best. Well, let me just go ahead and say it WOW! "Darkness Follows" by Mike Dellosso is right up there with the best books I have ever read. Whenever I like a book, I automatically think of one thing that sums the whole thing up, whether it is a quote or a song or whatever. In this case it was "Love covers a multitude of sins." However you should not go into this book thinking it is a love story in the typical sense. Sam Travis is a self-employed carpenter who lives in Gettysburg, PA with his wife, Molly, and seven year old daughter, Eva. Six months prior to the beginning of the story Sam has an accident on the job and suffers a brain injury that leaves him in a coma for four weeks. When we are introduced to Sam, he is waking up from a nightmare about his dead brother and when he gets up to try to shake off the nightmare, he hears not only his brother calling his name, but also the sounds of battle. Judging from the sounds, Sam decides it is the civil war he is hearing. From that night on, Sam becomes a man tormented. Not only does he hear Tommy's voice calling his name, but Sam is writing journal entries from the civil war as though he were there himself. He knows nothing about the civil war, yet these entries he is writing are very detailed and bear the name Samuel Whiting. These journal entries start a downward spiral of darkness, of depression and anger, which alienates Sam from his family. But Eva is determined she will not lose her father, and makes sure he knows he is loved, even when he pushes her away. "Darkness Follows" is a thriller that is deliciously creepy and suspenseful. Mr. Dellosso has crafted a beautiful story of unconditional love within the context of a story that demands not to be put down until you have finished. I found myself not wanting to go to work, just so I could read this book! I cared intensely for the characters, and when they hurt so did I. Anyone who loves a good thriller with the supernatural woven in should not miss this latest book from Mike Dellosso.
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