50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ignore R. L. Sterling's cry for help and buy this book., May 28, 2009
This review is from: Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman (Paperback)
The previous "review" of this book shows the shortcomings of Amazon's "Are you over 13?" button before commenting; the question should be posed as mental age, not physical.
Unlike the prior reviewer, I've actually read Jim's book. I'll be honest: urban fantasy is not my cup of tea. I find Butcher's Dresden Files novels mildly entertaining, if formulaic (the long build-up to a "crowning moment of awesome" and then a power plus-up for Dresden gets a little old after ten or so installments).
That said, I enjoyed Jim Bernheimer's book a lot. It avoids many of the cliches of the genre (no hot, tramp-stamped vamp on the cover in torn leathers) and tells a fresh tale, not a hackneyed vamps vs. lycan replay.
The story is about a down-on-his-luck Iraq War vet who acquires the ability to see and communicate with ghosts via a cornea transplant. He becomes a Ferryman, with the ability to help ghosts acquire closure with their lives and deaths and pass on to the next world. The ability to see ghosts has existed throughout modern literature (Hamlet, Jesus Christ, the ancient Greeks, many African spiritual traditions, and yes, several B horror flicks); the challenge is to tell the modern ghost tale in a fresh, interesting way. Jim does.
In such stories, there is often a supernatural world existing beneath normal human perception. The mark of a good tale in this genre is whether it's a compelling, interesting enough world that the reader wishes to join, if only vicariously through the written word. Jim delivers in spades.
What's good about this novel: Jim's characters are organic and interesting. His hero isn't a superman, but rather an average guy thrust into difficult circumstances. His weaving of Civil War era history into the tale is engaging and clever. He works in the sort of bitter humor that's become a staple for modern heroes and that keeps the prose lively. And, as those who know his writing from other genres can attest, he pens heart-thumping action sequences with the best.
I suspect this novel will be difficult to place on booksellers' shelves. I wouldn't characterize the story as horror so much as supernatural/suspense, but the story doesn't quite have the grandiose scope of a classic urban fantasy yarn (ala Butcher's novels). It's a gritty, realistic tale of a real guy that doesn't try too hard to be what it's not. It does leave some loose ends and probably deserves a sequel.
If they allowed half-stars, I'd give this 4.5/5.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard to categorize, but a gripping read, May 29, 2009
This review is from: Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman (Paperback)
If you're looking for demon-killing nymphomaniacs, this book is not for you. If, however, you're looking for a brilliant first novel by a very promising storyteller, I can't recommend this book highly enough. Set in modern times (the protagonist is a medically retired veteran from Iraq) it's an adventure story where the hero doesn't know he's a hero, and in fact finds the whole hero business to be an inconvenience - he'd like to get back on track with his life, thank-you-very-much.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great action/mystery, with a paranormal twist., June 6, 2009
This review is from: Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman (Paperback)
Imagine some petty, vindictive, ungrateful and even psychotic people. Now imagine that these people knew that no one could punish them for murder (or worse). Meet the ghosts that Mike Ross -- Jim Bernheimer's great new hero -- is forced to deal with.
Ferryman Mike is down on his luck but doesn't quit. His sarcastic wit, moral code, and generally proactive style remind me of a Jim Rockford or a Thomas Magnum. Like those other two antiheroes, he gets: plenty of grief from his "clients", precious little money, and no glory. Still, we love him and the characters he is surrounded with.
The story starts with a single false step (a little questionable politics) but quickly draws us into Mike's world as we watch him learn -- the hard way -- to deal with his unwanted gifts. This book is a real page-turner with excellent characters and great action scenes. The mystery moves along nicely and the plot twists are well done. It ends all too soon, leaving us wanting more.
I sincerely hope there will be a sequel.
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