Customer Reviews

Darlington Woods

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I grabbed this book off of a goodreads giveaway and wasn't sure how it would go. I'm not very religious and tend to get turned off when things get too preachy. Not so here. While there are religious references and an exploration of the power of faith, it does so in a very mild manner. The plot is intriguing and the characters well developed. I was worried that my TBR pile might drop below 50, but now I can add a few more books by Dellosso and give myself a little extra padding. :)
Thanks Mike and I look forward to reading more!

I won't give away much of the plot of the book as other reviewers have done because I wouldn't want to know anything of the plot other than the synopsis before reading the book. I will say this: this book will blow your mind! It grabbed me from the first sentence and did not let go until the end of the story. I have read all of Dellosso's books and he just keeps getting better and better.
His books always reveal some aspect of the Christian life and inspiration shines through the darkness in each story.
This one deals with fear. As the book of 1 John tells us, fear torments and it certainly has Rob Shields in its grip in a powerful way, crippling his life for the last 22 years. This story is all about how fear can grip people, even an entire town and not let go until someone becomes brave enough to allow God's light to shine through.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book by Mike Dellosso.
Do not hesitate to buy this book!

I don't normally read scary books like this one because I'm a chicken at heart! This book is ACFW'S Book Club pick for February 2011. I'm in the ACFW book club and leading the discussion so I'm committed to reading this book. I'm thankful for the review copy of this book from the author.

I'm so glad I read the author notes before I started reading the first chapter of this book. It gave me a glimpse into the author's heart when he said, "Let's talk about monsters, shall we? Let's just sit-down and spend a little time in conversation about things that go bump in the night and images that haunt us while we sleep peacefully in our beds...I believe in monsters. I've seen them, even battled them. And no, I assure you, I'm not crazy.

The monsters of which I speak are around us every day and come in varying forms. They are called cancer...Parkinson's juvenile arthritis. Monsters' called abuse, murder and neglect...the web they spin, the wounds they carve, the hatchet they swing all go by the same name: fear.

Mikes words drew me in and gave me a clue that I was about to read something heartfelt, unnerving, and unusual about fear and what it looks like? I was right, here's what Rob says, "When fear rules you, when it calls the shots, tells you what you can and can not do, when it paralyzes you for days on end and robs you of the freedom others enjoy so carelessly; that's crazy."


Mike wrote in several points of view which made the story move along. The pov's were Rob, Julie, Mary Jane, Jimmy and Waxman. This helped to create quite a suspenseful, creepy tale of how fear got a strong hold of the minds, emotions and lives of a whole town. Switching pov's helped me be able to read this scary story. I have to say that had this author stayed in Jimmy's point of view the whole book I wouldn't have made it past chapter one. It would have just been too creepy and horrific to read a whole book through little Jimmy's eyes.

Rob Shields is a man on the edge. His wife was murdered three months ago and his son Jimmy is missing. Rob is convinced that his son is in the town of Darlington. Rob starts to question his own sanity as he struggles with knowing the difference between nightmares and real life. It's getting hard for him to know when the nightmare stops and reality begins.

Rob stops at a restaurant and asks for directions to Darlington; people get fearful and nobody wants to talk. Then a mysterious man leaves a note with directions on Rob's table. Julie, his waitress, says she'd like to help him find his son. This seemed odd, but everything about this town and adventure was odd. I did enjoy Julie's character and the comic relief she provided with lines like this, "This is a problem I don't think duct tape could solve."

Mike's wit, compassion and effective story-telling through the many different points of view and how they all wrestled with fear was intriguing given the fact this author went face to face with the cancer monster while writing this book. I enjoyed the twists, turns, suspense and the "aha" moments when truth was brought to life in the middle of the darkness. I rooted for Rob and Juli as they fought fear and looked it in the face, and saw there was hope of breaking the chains of fear and living free of its grip. God is always with us. When we shine our light inside the darkness (fear), that darkness has to leave. It's not welcome anymore. I really enjoy this aspect of the story. It's strong, powerful and oh so real! Treat yourself to something unusual that will have you look at fear and monsters in a whole new light!

[...]

Rob Shields is lost. After the tragic death of his wife and son, he seemingly has no direction and no desire to move forward. Reluctantly, he travels to a small town in Maryland to see the house that was left to him by his great aunt. While there Rob begins to find strange connections to his son, Jimmy, and becomes more and more convinced that he is alive. With far and trepidation in his heart, Rob travels to Darlington Woods, a mysterious place shrouded in secret and darkness that might just hold the answers he is seeking.

Mike Dellosso has become one of my favorite writers over the last couple of years with his terror filled stories that are bursting at the seams with spiritual light. In Darlington Woods, we find these same elements on full display, but couched in a whirlwind cat and mouse game between man and freaky beast. Dellosso's "darklings" are a fun and creepy creation that give this particular story even more of a freak out factor than his previous works. Add to the mix an ever increasing sense of dread and madness, and you've got a gripping tale that demands to be devoured.

It should come as no surprise to Dellosso fans that this is a very theme driven novel, and specifically we get some great illustrations of light overcoming darkness. That's not to say that character development and plot are lacking, but Dellosso sticks to what he does best: exploring spiritual themes in the midst of human tragedy. Readers who purely want to escape in their fiction might be turned off by such an approach, but for those who love to be challenged and stretched while being entertained, Dellosso is right up your alley.

With each installment Mike Dellosso seems to only get better, and I can easily see how Darlington Woods could become a fan favorite. With the recent news of a multi-book contract extension, we can be sure that Dellosso will continue to scare the light into us in fun and unique ways.

In Darlington Woods, Mike Dellosso takes the genre of Christian horror to a new level. The characters are believable and the situation could easily have been created by Harlan Ellison, Bentley Little, or any number of horror writers. But it is through his underlying understanding of the grace of God and our various responses to that grace that makes the book shine. Through the lens of his writing we see the effect of longing and the need for forgiveness in out own lives. This one is one of the best in the genre.

Mike Dellosso has always seemed like the type of author I would enjoy. He writes in one of my favorite genres (Christian supernatural suspense), and on a variety of creepy themes, I thought I would enjoy his writing without fail. I was surprised when I read one of his previous novels (Scream) to find myself disappointed. I'm glad that I've given Dellosso another chance though - Darlington Woods was a thrill to read!

Rob Shields is a man with a haunted past. Having lost his wife and daughter, Shields is preoccupied with finding his son, convinced that he still lives. This search to be reunited with his little buddy leads him into a darkly mysterious, nearly abandoned town called Darlington. Plagued with a history of death, fear, and darkness, Shields is forced to contend with his own past as he struggles with the forces of darkness that surround him.

Not only did Dellosso keep me on edge trying to figure out what was going on with his story and where things would lead, he also pleased me with a storyline that cleverly dovetailed Shields' spiritual journey with his physical one. It is almost as though Shields' spiritual demons are made manifest in Darlington, and the battle he wages is as much (if not more so) spiritual than it is physical.

The only quibble I have is that Juli, whose past is tied to Shields' in some unknown way, is reduced largely to a wisecracking spiritual advisor. Her ever-ready sarcastic one-liners get old after a while, and I really wish she'd had some more depth than providing light-hearted comic relief and supportive handholding.

Otherwise, it's all good. Creepy, suspenseful, keep-you-up-at-night pacing, it all works together for a very satisfying read.

Mike Dellosso scores another solid home run with Darlington Woods. Rob Shields, a man haunted by his past, finds himself inexorably drawn to the erie and fear-filled town of Darlington. The few remaining townsfolk are terrified of the dark and the woods that smother the town with a cloak of terror. A story of how fear can destroy one's life and how faith can restore one's life. A truly suspenseful tale told in a classic Twilight Zone fashion. Mike Dellosso is definitely and author to watch. Thanks Mike for another great book. I'm eagerly anticipating your next.

Let me tell you, if you like a book that sinks its claws into you and won't let go until you've read the last word--you'll LOVE "Darlington Woods" by Mike Dellosso. I am a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers and even horror at times, but my reading of these genres has fallen by the way-side due to my own reading habits.(I tend to read genres until I tire of them and then try something else for awhile.)I must admit, I was sucked into the story and didn't want to put the book down. (Now that I'm finished, I'm going for another title by Mike Dellosso called Scream.)

The Prologue made me wonder exactly what this (we'll call it a "monster") monster-thing was that was chasing people. I also wanted to find out "what happened" to the characters from the beginning and how it played into the rest of the story. You see, Rob Shields' wife was brutally murdered and his son is now "lost," having been abducted by a really bad man. (Rob has been having nightmarish dreams where he "sees his son" and the things he believes Jimmy is going through by his abductor's hands.) Having to deal with the pain and denial from this overwhelming loss, Rob decides that Darlington Woods holds the key to his son's disappearence. While enroute, Rob meets Juli, a waitress at the small-town diner outside of Darlington. Having lived through quite nightmarish times in her own life, Juli has found that her faith in God is the only way she will survive through the hard times--both current and future. After hearing Rob's story and having a run-in of her own with a very bad man, Juli invities herself to go along with Rob as he searches for his son in Darlington.

Nothing could prepare Rob for what he and Juli must face when they arrive at Darlington Woods. Pure evil is the best description, but what does that have to do with Jimmy's disappearance? Why is Rob drawn to the woods, and what information does Juli know that will help save Rob's life?

You have to read "Darlington Woods" to find out for yourself! "Keep the light on" and Happy Reading!

"Darlington Woods" will change the way you think about Christian suspense novels. The first chapter will draw you in and you will be hooked. You will find yourself wanting to read "Darlington Woods" in one sitting; however, in order to take in all of the symbolism and meaning, you may have to stop and think about how this story relates to your life and the spiritual truths you can take from it. It's a powerful and compelling story of good and evil, fear and faith. It is apparent that Mike Dellosso should have his own genre.

Very few authors hook you with one book and compel you to go out and buy every book he's ever written. I am looking forward to the books I know will follow. One word of advice: don't jump into the book without reading the foreword so you can better relate to the reason the story was written in the first place. Rarely does a book of fiction, especially a suspense story, have something significant to teach its readers. Mike Dellosso's "Darlington Woods" encourages you to face the fears that paralyze you and keep you from your calling and asks you to replace your fear with faith. Don't wait.

You've heard the saying, `you have nothing to fear but fear itself'. Not true if you're in Darlington after dark. And Darlington is the very place Rob Shields must go. He has lost his family when his wife and son Jimmy were abducted and killed. Or so the police have told him. They found his wife's body but his son's body had to be identified by DNA. So when Rob begins hearing Jimmy call for him from a town called Darlington, Rob is convinced Jimmy is still alive and he needs to be rescued.


A task any father would be up for completing, but not every town is Darlington where Rob's abilities are tested beyond human understanding. You see, Darlington is a town unlike any you have come across. A town with secrets, mysteries and creatures called darklings. Fear lives in the hearts of the residents of Darlington and not a one of them will venture outside at night when the darklings come out. But this doesn't stop Rob. He has to find Jimmy no matter the cost.


Darlington Woods is another page-turning book from author Mike Dellosso. Dellosso is a master at scaring his readers then leaving them with a spiritual message that will help change their lives. Darlington Woods focuses on fear, an area we all encounter from time to time and Dellosso explores how it limits what we can do, but once we conquer that fear through our faith, we can do anything.


As usual the plot is very creative, the characters are flawed, multi-dimensional and the prose is superb. Even if you're not a fantasy or sci-fi reader, I encourage you to read Dellosso's books. Though the plots transcend earthly confines, the messages his books contain resonate so well with that they stay with you long after you put the book down. So go ahead. Take a risk on a genre that is a little different from your norm. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.