Customer Reviews

Fish of Souls

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found the Fish of Souls very captivating reading.The Fish of Souls makes you feel like you are in the book, you can feel the excitement of the charecters and the suspense of what will happen. I truley can say I enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading more books from this author.

It's September 1999. Curt Lockes has recently purchased a tantalizing 400-year-old manuscript on e-bay. On the morning after Curt is shaken by a horrifying nightmare, Scott Seymour spies a bizarre cloud on the horizon. Following the clues divulged in the manuscript, Curt and Scott set out to uncover its secrets, as well as the meanings of the nightmare and the cloud. They will soon learn that the ultimate secret connecting all of these things is rooted in the Old Testament book of Genesis.

As Curt and Scott set out on their quest they visit some of Florida's enticing historical venues: the Castillo de San Marcos, Fort Caroline and Fort Matanzas. Their exploration of these sites is enriched by the manuscript's revelations and their discovery of an odd skeleton. But the skeleton's secrets are deadly. When a friend is brutally murdered, Curt and Scott realize that sinister events are unfolding, events they must forestall if they are going to save their own, and hundreds of other, lives. To make matters worse, time is running out quickly because a hurricane is bearing down on the east coast of Florida. As family and friends evacuate the region, Scott and Curt stay behind to rid the world of the skeleton and its malicious effects.

Their adventure strains Scott's family life but strengthens his friendship with Curt. It includes deadly encounters with sword-yielding Huguenots, a ferocious fish, and a vindictive Timucua Indian. It includes the loss of friends and the initiation of new relationships (including a love interest for Curt). And, no surprise here, it results in the dramatic triumph of good over evil.

Gary Williams, a native of Florida, has skillfully woven together disparate threads from St. Augustine's history, biblical archaeology and contemporary hurricane tracking and evacuation procedures into a compelling suspense novel. The book's primary weakness is that it should have been more carefully edited. There are a few (but not many) errors in grammar and word selection that should have been corrected before the book went to press. On the other hand, the book has several strong points. Williams writes graphically yet avoids gore. He provides historical and scholarly information yet avoids slipping into the styles of either a textbook or tourist brochure. His characters are flawed but likeable; in other words, they're like real people. He discusses religious ideas yet avoids being either preachy or disdainful; in other words, he displays respect for religion without descending into fanaticism. Overall, these strengths far outweigh the editorial weakness and I found it hard to put the book down until I reached the final page. This book is the first in a series and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. Readers who enjoy suspense stories laced with history will enjoy this book.

Fish of souls is unquestionably the most unusual and eclectic suspense story that I have read in some time.
Author Gary Williams succeeds in capturing and bringing alive the long and rich history of St.Augustine.
The well-drawn characters leap from the pages, and the action is compelling and nonstop in this thriller.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Fish of Souls is a creative concept that combines history, mystery and the mystical! Gary William's descriptive prose makes the reader feel as if they are back in history or right on the streets of St. Augustine! The book drew me in and is a real page turner! Can't wait for the next book!!!

When I selected this book to read I thought that I would like it and learn some new information about historical St. Augustine along the way. I did not expect to have a thriller that I could not put down.

What might seem fragmented at first all comes together in the end. It has just the right amount of "page-turner" elements... humor, suspense, and chilling imagery to keep you reading til the end. Definitely give this book a try.

I'm an avid reader and often take chances on new authors. Unfortunately, I'm often disappointed. But every so often, an unknown writer comes along with a novel like, "Fish of Souls" and I'm inspired to keep taking chances on green writers even before I've heard the so-called critics mention a word. "Fish of Souls" is a thrilling ride, taking two very average men and dropping them in the middle of a three-centuries-old plan of revenge. And by using a biblical alore, has created a masterful story of adventure and intrigue. While the book starts off a tad slow, establishing the characters and what I initially thought were some random events, I was pleasantly surprised at how the paced quickened with each chapter until ending in a whirlwind finish, tying all the loose ends. When I finished the last line of the epilogue, I was truly disappointed that I was out of the lives of the main characters! (But I'm happy to report that after e-mailing Mr. Williams, he assured me that he's working on the sequel to be published in November of this year.) I will admit that the writing is not up to par with Ernest Hemingway or James Michner (but then again, neither is John Grisham's work) but the story is absorbing. I strongly recommend to anyone interested in a novel that will be difficult to put down after the first few chapters.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book .. stayed up late too many nights.. LOL .. not going to make this a long review .. just know that it kept me interested the whole way thru .. and am looking forward to reading the next one in the trilogy ..

If you enjoy mystery/supense/horror with some humor and A little romance mixed in, you'll love this book. This is the first of a trilogy written by author Gary Williams. After reading this one you will want to read the other two: Groundswell and The God Tools. All three are very well written and easy reads.

Although it didn't hook me right off, this story very quickly had me caught, played, and landed. This is an intriguing and well written first novel with a plot that gracefully mixes the ancient with the modern. The characters are well fleshed out and believable, the dialog is natural and often full of humor. I plan to buy the rest of Gary's novels as soon as I have the funds to do so.

If you are one of the many fans of the Da Vinci Code or you enjoy reading a Stephen King chilling thriller from time to time, I believe that you will find Fish of Souls an intriguing composite of history/religion-based suspense and the horror genre. If the credo of the novelist is "Describe, describe, describe," then Gary Williams shows himself to be a true believer. Eight or nine of the most gripping pages depict one character's seemingly relaxing fishing outing at the beach. The action builds so steadily and vividly that you feel as though you have been sucked into the book and are witnessing the scene from just a few paces down the sand. If the title doesn't make you curious to pick this book up, then I hope this review does. Read this book! - R.J. Estko, author of the political suspense thriller, Evil, Be Gone, available on Amazon.com