Evil Hours [Paperback]

Raymond Benson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2004

From the acclaimed author of the James Bond novels comes Evil Hours, a classic tale of small-town murder, betrayal and, ultimately, redemption.

Shannon Reece's mother was one of several women murdered in the small Texas town of Limite when Shannon was six years old. Her mother's alleged killer was convicted and sent to jail, where he was subsequently killed by fellow inmates. Now, 26 years later, Shannon has decided that the unresolved questions about the case, which continue to haunt her, can no longer be ignored.

With the help of a private eye, Shannon sets out to find the answers, and what she finds reveals some truths that several prominent Limite citizens would rather she had not discovered.

In a style that tens of thousands of James Bond fans have come to love, Raymond Benson pulls us, revelation by revelation, into a story you'll not soon forget.

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

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Raymond Benson is the author of the James Bond novels The Man With the Red Tattoo, Never Dream of Dying, DoubleShot, High Time to Kill, The Facts of Death, and Zero Minus Ten, as well as the novelizations of the films Die Another Day, The World is Not Enough, and Tomorrow Never Dies. His Bond short stories have been published in Playboy and TV Guide magazines. He is also the author of the suspense novels, Face Blind and Evil Hours, and the non-fiction books The Pocket Essentials Guide to Jethro Tull and The James Bond Bedside Companion (the latter was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Biographical/Critical Work in 1984). Raymond also has extensive experience directing stage plays, composing music, and designing and writing adventure computer games. He is married, has one son, and is based in the Chicago area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Twenty First Century Publishers Ltd (March 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 190443312X
• ISBN-13: 978-1904433125
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,474,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As of January 2011, Raymond Benson is the author of twenty-four published books. These include six original JAMES BOND novels (now collected in the recent anthologies THE UNION TRILOGY and CHOICE OF WEAPONS), three 007 film novelizations, and the first two TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL novels (for the latter he used the pseudonym of "David Michaels"). With John Milius he penned HOMEFRONT: THE VOICE OF FREEDOM. He also wrote the novelizations of the popular videogames--METAL GEAR SOLID and METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY. Raymond writes his own original suspense books as well--stand alone thrillers such as TORMENT, ARTIFACT OF EVIL, SWEETIE'S DIAMONDS, FACE BLIND, and EVIL HOURS, or his two "Spike Berenger Rock 'n' Roll Hits" featuring a music industry detective--A HARD DAY'S DEATH and DARK SIDE OF THE MORGUE. Coming soon--Raymond's entry in the "Gabriel Hunt" adventures, HUNT THROUGH NAPOLEON'S WEB, and an original thriller, THE BLACK STILETTO. There's a lot more, so if you want the full story visit the author at his website... www.raymondbenson.com!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evil Hours Will Keep You Reading for Hours, May 6, 2004

By 

Mark P. Rodrigues (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evil Hours (Paperback)

If you like Michael Connelly, you'll enjoy Raymond Benson's Evil Hours. Unresolved questions about her mother's murder lead Shannon Reece to explore the seamy secrets of her home town. Along the way, Shannon must come to terms with her personal demons as she questions just how much she really needs to know.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent novel by the "James Bond" author., March 19, 2003

By 

John Cox (Studio City, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Evil Hours (Paperback)

Raymond Benson is known for writing the continuation James Bond novels, so when I picked up this, his first non-Bond book, I expected a tightly crafted fast moving mystery thriller. I wasn't disappointed. But what did surprise me was how darkly moving EVIL HOURS was as a neo-noir crime drama. I've heard other reviewers liken this book to Twin Peaks, and while I do see similarities, I think that's selling this book a bit short. I was reminded more of intense real-life crime dramas like The Onion Field and The Thin Blue Line. Benson's masterful use of detail makes the book so believable that, by the end, it has evolved from a mystery thriller into something that's very tragic and profound. And darn right creepy in a "this-only-happens-in-real-life" sort of way. The emotional reality of the book is what sets it apart from other thrillers by better-known authors, and what makes it surpasses even Benson's Bond books as a work of fiction (suggesting a bright future for Benson after Bond). By the end of this book -- with the ultimate revelation and CHILLING reenactment of the crime -- I found myself creeped-out and moved at the same time. Wild. This book was a real experience and one I would recommend highly, especially if you're a fan of character driven true-life crime. It would also make a terrific film.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moody and haunting!, November 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Evil Hours (Paperback)

Raymond Benson, author of the recent James Bond novels, has given us something completely different: a novel that reminds me of that movie "Lone Star" or similar-- it takes place in a small Texas town and is the story about a murder, or a mystery of a murder, and how one woman searches for the truth about what happened. The narrative is interesting, moving back and forth from the present to the past, and slowly revelations are unravelled. I found it to be haunting, moody, and compelling.