Customer Reviews

The Right Thing

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

this is the 3rd book i have read by jim larson. he just keeps improving. this book on horror is right up there with king and kuntz

There are many different ways to write a novel. One of the most challenging ways is to write a series of vignettes and then tie them together with a unifying theme. James Richard Larson does that in the horror novel "The Right Thing."

Elsbeth Malone is an aspiring novelist. Elsbeth wrote a novel titled "Circle of Light" and sent it to a lengthy list of agents. Unfortunately, every one of the agents she sent her manuscript to has rejected it. Unfortunately for those agents, Elsbeth also practices magic; not just any magic, but black magic.

There is a man in black. Death precedes him and it follows him. Perhaps he is death. The man in black has multiple incarnations and they call themselves William Bagnold of Two Ravens Publishing of London, England. Every time someone checks on Mr. William Bagnold and Two Ravens Publishing, they learn that Mr. Bagnold has been dead for decades, as dead as Two Ravens Publishing, which went out of business around World War II. Mr. Bagnold does not care whether he is dead. Mr. Bagnold is on a mission, a mission set by Mrs. Elsbeth Malone before she killed herself.

This story follows John Malone as he tries to recover from the apparent suicide of his wife. We meet the man in black very early in the novel, and his first appearance is not auspicious for anyone he encounters, including Elsbeth Malone. John slowly learns sinister facts related to his wife's death and eventually learns that he may have a connection to the mysterious man in black. "The Right Thing" also follows the man in black as he visits literary agents across the United States, asking each of the agents that they do the right thing for his client, Elsbeth Malone. Each of the visits by the man in black to a literary agent is a short story, sewn into a novel by the mysterious mission of the man in black.

The tension in this novel slowly rises as John learns about the man in black, determined to understand who or what he is. At first John thinks the man in black is imaginary, but as time passes John learns that many other people have seen the man in black, nearly always to their regret. John's mission becomes desperate when he realizes that the man in black may have targeted a woman he has grown to love for a visit.

Endings rarely surprise me. I have read many novels and I have gotten to the point where I thought I had seen all the possible variations on an ending. However, the ending to "The Right Thing" surprised me so much that I had to read it several times. James Richard Larson tricked me with his superb sleight of hand ending.

James Richard Larson's story-telling pulled me into this novel quickly. The pile of bodies builds quickly in the wake of the man in black, and so did my fascination with the novel. In between bodies are all sorts of other perversions and crimes that add further spice to this story.

James Richard Larson also did a daring thing. Eliphas Lévi that Larson mentions in this novel was a real person. Larson ties Bagnold and Lévi together, and though he never provides specifics of the relationship, he does say that Bagnold carried on with Lévi's work, and he says that Bagnold surpassed Lévi.

This novel is quite clever. The story is fast-paced and contains a lot of action between the explanations. Though this book is Larson's third, and his first fictional novel, he knows what he is doing. I look forward to seeing where Larson's abilities take him.

If you like novels about mysterious characters from the beyond stalking about the country leaving a wake of death, you will find this novel to be superb. Fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz should consider reading this novel by James Richard Larson.

This review is based on a copy of the book provided to me by the author.

Enjoy!

This may be James Richard Larson's first horror novel, but the man knows how to tell a good story and conjure up a creepy atmosphere. The Right Thing hits the ground running, the first chapter bristling with suspense and a strong sense of malevolence as the reader gets a disturbing introduction to the mysterious "man in black" - seen first as a deathly quiet form lurking at the edge of the forest, and then in a much more up close and personal way - it's enough to send one female character into hysteria. Now, I'm not saying this book will have you huddled in a corner in the fetal position; it will, however, hook you solidly in the very first chapter with its presence and atmosphere. As for the ending, Larson delivers a little last-minute surprise that basically hit me right out of the blue. That definitely calls for a kudos on my part.

Johnny Malone's world is turned up side down by the sudden death of his wife Elsbeth. All of the evidence points to suicide, so Johnny reluctantly tries to accept the fact that he never saw any of the warning signs his wife must have shown him. When Elsbeth's friend Mary (the hysterical woman who found the body and saw the "man in black") and Mary's mother tell him that his wife was not only a believer but a practitioner of the black arts, he refuses to believe it. He thought his wife's interest in magickal objects was strictly symbolic in nature. The idea that Elsbeth had indeed done something terrible and unleashed something she could not control (as she had claimed in her suicide note) begins to make a little more sense to Johnny, however, after a string of suspicious deaths begins to coalesce around his own little world.

The one thing Elsbeth had always desperately wanted was to be a published writer. After years of labor, however, she had nothing to show for her effort other than a sizeable collection of rejection letters. Her increasingly vitriolic comments about the agents who turned her away is laid bare in the personal files of her computer, but the depth of her frustration and anger may best be revealed by a series of deaths claiming the lives of several literary agents all across the country. In each case, the individual is called upon by a strange English man claiming to be publishing Elsbeth's last novel and dies by his/her own hand under mysterious circumstances shortly thereafter.

The story sometimes wanders slightly afield as the lives and deaths of secondary characters are presented, but everything really comes full circle by the end. There is a lot of action along the way, and not just in terms of suicides and murders: you also have a bondage scene, an attempted rape, drug deals going down (and going wrong), and all sorts of sundry affairs.

The Right Thing is quite an impressive horror novel. Even when the road of plot development seems pretty straight and narrow, Larson manages to conceal some black spots on the surface and to throw in a few dangerous curves that hit you unawares - right up until the very end. I also appreciated the variety of deaths the author inflicted on a number of his characters. To sum up, I for one hope that this, Larson's first horror novel, is not also his last.

I get a lot of offers from people to review their books as a result of my writing reviews on Amazon. I always say I will be happy to, providing the person sends me a book. Only about half of the people do. This is the first book of this nature that I am actually going to review, as many of the others were not enjoyable to me and I cannot in good conscience give a bad review to an aspiring author - being one myself!

This book however, necessitates a review. I can count on one hand how many books I have read that grabs the reader in the first chapter the way this one did. Ten minutes into the book I was hooked. The writing style was friendly and folksy, quite reminiscent of Stephen King in my opinion. The story itself also deserves high praise. Book publishers begin to die in bizarre ways - some by what is thought to be murder, others by what is thought to be suicide. Without spoiling the plot, neither of these causes of death is accurate. The truth is far more sinister.

The author here uses a unique device where many chapters often introduce new characters and sub-stories surrounding the soon-to-be-departed book publishers. I was impressed how quickly I became attached to the new characters - a sure sign of a skilled writer. The common thread throughout these chapters consisted of the widower of a deceased novelist - who had a penchant for the occult and also died under mysterious circumstances - beginning to notice a pattern that the dead book publishers were all people who had rejected his wife's book. Moreover, he discovers that a "man in black" visited these victims prior to their deaths. The same man who was allegedly seen outside his home the day of his own wife's death. Peter Benchley used the same structure of constantly introducing new characters in "The Beast" - if only to kill them off - and it worked well in that book and was just as effective here.

I strongly recommend this book, not just because it has some gory deaths of book publishers [which is a fantasy of many writers I suspect] but also because it represents what independent publishing should be about.

Do the "Right Thing", and buy this book!

Relic113

James R. Larson has written three books that I have read, and like the others, this one does not disappoint. It is a quick and exciting read, a book I found difficult to put down. It is not complex, but simply enjoyable. Mr. Larson has a way of making his characters come alive. His books truly transport the reader to another world; the primary reason we read books, is it not? The Right Thing is a thriller that is fun and exciting, but doesn't require a post-graduate degree to follow. I truly and highly recommend this and other James Richard Larson books.

"The Right Thing" is right for me! The first line of this book Grabbed me, and pulled me in. I was hooked from the beginning, and delved into the unfolding mysteries. "The Right Thing" draws the Reader into an isolated home in a pristine blanket of snow, the visit quickly revealing that within this quaint house lies a horrific surprise. Shocked, and unable to process what she has seen, a visitor nearly goes mad.

The Reader becomes so invested in the tragic and magickal events that pages turn without our realizing how deeply we are drawn into the story. Forces are called forth from beyond, entering the world, and infusing the story with life...and death.

The author's masterful use of vernacular, colloquialisms, "Inside" (in the know) speech patterns, and stories within stories draws the Reader further into the unfolding events. Much like Stephen King (but with his own Unique style), the author introduces us to a new person, makes us care about that person...then creates suspense and gives surprise twists that hook us further and drag us deeper into the mysteries. Each person we meet we become invested in, and must know more. Each chapter is written with unique styles, flowing with local slang and speech patterns which bring each person to life, as some confront death.

Who is "The Man in Black?" Why is he so ubiquitous, and frightening? Who called him forth into the lives of so many individuals? Why does his stare control so much and so many?

Those Readers who know Creativity, the Arts, Literature...or the Black Arts...will feel compelled to delve further into the mysteries and suspense. Pages will turn and magick will unfold, answers will be sought as Time becomes precious.

I have not been so inspired by a book in many years, and I was completely immersed in the quest for closure of the mystery and to see if the horrific events could be overcome.

Magick, Horror, and Suspense! A fast-paced Thriller that Stephen King would enjoy! By the author of: The Eye of Odin and Wolfgar: The Story of a Viking.

Do "The Right Thing" for James Richard Larson. You will not regret it.

Elsbeth Malone was an aspiring author. She wanted desperately to be published. With each agency's rejection letter, she became more despondent. Her husband Johnny stood by her through it all, knowing in his heart that she had talent and it was only a matter of time before someone else realized that.

When Elsbeth committed suicide, Johnny blamed himself. How could he not have seen how deeply depressed she had become? Only Johnny had no idea the degree to which Elsbeth's desperation had progressed. The note she left said that she had done something terrible that she couldn't stop. He knew that Elsbeth had been dabbling in magic, but all of that dark magic stuff is make-believe, right? Then again, Elsbeth's best friend, Mary, did claim to have seen a dark, cloaked figure outside the day she found Elsbeth's body. That is, she saw him right before she lost her mind for a period of time and was found wandering aimlessly down the rural streets. The police could find no evidence the man actually existed.

Two years have passed and Johnny is still trying to fill the void Elsbeth left in his life. Unbeknownst to him, something peculiar has been plaguing the literary world. It seems agents are committing horrific suicides left and right, all shortly after a visit from a dark, cloaked man identifying himself as William Bagnold from Two Ravens Publishing out of London. Problem is, Two Ravens Publishing hasn't existed since 1944. And Bagnold claims he is representing a client by the name of Elsbeth Malone.

The Right Thing by James Richard Larson is an absolutely thrilling novel. It is refreshing to find an author with such literary adeptness in the horror genre. Larson's style could be compared to that of Stephen King, without the quirkiness. The story lacks any degree of predictability, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat from the first until the very last page.

Armchair Interviews says: Horror fans, make sure James Richard Larson makes his way to your bookshelf!

Perhaps no feeling breeds ill-will more than being rejected. One's life work ridiculed and laughed at, gnaws at the core of our humanity. Mr. Larson' book, The Right Thing, probes one solution to this injustice. Bagnold, a name reincarnated from Larson's first novel, is up to his old devilish ways. The book is well written and the plot intricately conceived. A must read for avid horror lovers.

Johnny's wife commits suicide. Her best friend discovers the body. He is shocked and bereft, of course, and the friend's mind collapses into itself. He knew that her books had been turned down time and again, but didn't know how that wall of rejection, even insult, had affected her. It turns out that there were a few other things he didn't know, too ...

Years after the writer's death, other self-inflicted deaths start to happen, at different places around the country. Each death occurs just after a visit from a mysterious man in black. He's different each time, but the same - and he couldn't possibly exist. Then Johnny starts to learn of those deaths, and, to his horror, sees the dead hand of his wife in each one. And he knows who it will touch next --- but you'll read that for yourself. It's an enjoyable story of the supernatural, a good beach book, but maybe not one that will fill a fast reader's whole day.

The book leaves me wondering, though. Writers are commonly taught to "write what you know." When a book describes horrendous revenge against the uncaring agents of a publishing world seemingly bent on ignoring aspiring writers, it's easy to wonder just how much personal discouragement lies behind the story. No matter, I've had revenge fanatasies of my own, and it makes sense that writers address the issues that matter most to their lives. Perhaps that spark of personal feeling helps make this book as good as it is.

-- wiredweird, reviewing a complimentary copy

What writer hasn't thought black things about what they'd like to do to agents and editors who have rejected their work? As someone who went through 92 rejections to get my first agent, I can relate to this book tremendously.
But what is so great about "The Right Thing" is that James Larson doesn't just go on a gleeful killing spree, he mixes it up with black magic, adding the creepiness of the occult to the macabre proceedings.
I enjoyed the fact that he keeps switching the narrative from the writer's widower (who is in severe denial about her suicide and dabbling in the Dark Arts) to the successive deaths of the agents who rejected her. It keeps the story moving along without getting bogged down on each little drama. Another nice touch is that every time an agent is going to "get it," a strange little Englishman, based on the infamous Aleister Crowley, shows up for an unscheduled appointment. Every time Mr. Death arrives at their door, the agents find some way to accomplish "the right thing," which is to kill themselves.
There's nothing ultra gory here and I enjoyed the way the widower comes to the conclusion that something paranormal is happening--and coming right up to his doorstep.
You don't have to be a rejected writer to love this book. I'm not a regular horror reader and I found it enormously entertaining. The novel is more proof that some real talent can be found amid the many self-published novels out there.