Customer Reviews

The Shimmer

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have read some of David's Morrell's previous books and I have to say that The Shimmer is quite different from what he has written previously.

In The Shimmer, we meet our main character Dan Page - as the storyline opens, he is in a high-speed car chase that goes very wrong and he ends up witnessing the car he was chasing colliding with a gas tanker - which, in turn, explodes killing the people involved. Fraught with guilt Page goes home, only to discover that his wife is no longer there. Finally, he tracks her to Rostov, Texas which is a bit of an odd tourist attraction - all UFO and flashy lights like Rostov - except that there are really odd lights in the night sky and his wife seems mesmerized (zombie-like) attracted to these lights.

As all the gaping tourists stare at the night lights, some crazed man starts shooting at the lights and Page ends up finding himself right into another horror story.

Yep, The Shimmer, although a thriller at its core, is also much more than its usual components of murder and good/bad guys. This time, Morrell has chosen to write a novel that incorporates many varying genres into one majorly scary and suspensful storylines. The Shimmer is a combination of techno/murder thriller as well as part sci-fi and horror. I was not sure what to make of all of this - I am use to a much more direct type of "thriller" writing from this author. But I have to say that Morrell actually pulled it off.

As Page digs deeper and deeper into these mysterious lights - it turns out that the governement (US) may very well be alot more involved and may be hidding some very scary secrets.

The plotline holds up beautifully and Morrell pretty much managed to loop everything and every character together beautifully. I had absolutely no idea where he was heading with this storyline which kept me guessing from the first sentence to the last.

I really enjoyed this one and I think Morrell should write more of these books.

David Morrell is regarded as the father of the modern action novel. As lofty a title as that is, he is much more than that. Well into his fourth decade as an author, Morrell could be resting on his mountain of accolades while occasionally sending a communiqué of some value down from the mountain. Instead he seems to be working harder than ever, with even greater results. One could argue that he is entering a higher stage of his career, with some of his best work having been written during the course of the last several years. If, for example, you bypassed THE SPY WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS because you suspected it was a heartwarming seasonal tale with thriller highlights, you need to read it from cover to cover right now. What is most noteworthy about the book is that it demonstrates Morrell's willingness to take chances, as well as his ability to meet and exceed all expectations.

This brings us to THE SHIMMER, Morrell's latest effort, as impressive as anything he has ever written and as challenging an endeavor as he has attempted to date. It would be easy to classify it as a work of speculative fiction, and while the book does have some touches of that genre, it would be an oversimplification to do so, one that would not do justice to either the tale or its author. The focal point of the story is a nocturnal phenomenon consisting of a display of lights occurring over the city of Rostov, Texas. Rostov is a creation of Morrell's imagination, but along with the light display, it is based upon a similar town and phenomenon in the real-world locale of Marfa, Texas.

Three significant elements converge upon Rostov in THE SHIMMER. One is a colonel named Warren Raleigh, the latest member of a family of military men whose lives have been connected with the lights for generations. Another is Brent Loft, who regards the lights, and a disaster that occurs during one of their sightings, as elements to be exploited on his way to prominence as a television anchorman with a national audience, a position that he sees as his inevitable and rightful due. The most interesting element of the book, even beyond the light display that gives the tale its name, is the relationship between Dan and Tori Page. Dan is a pilot with the Santa Fe Police Department; he returns home after a particularly harrowing day to find his wife unexpectedly gone, with only a terse note to him heralding her absence. In due course he discovers that she has gone to Rostov, a town of which he has never heard. Her absence functions as a wake-up call to him concerning their relationship, so he drops everything and journeys to the city to bring her home. What he finds is not what he expects, at least not initially.

Tori has come to Rostov to watch the lights, a phenomenon that first captivated her as a child. When he locates her, she appears to be in a trance; there is more going on here as well, and the manner in which they resolve their problems and breach the quiet distance between them transforms THE SHIMMER into a work that reads like an unlikely but highly readable collaboration between Frank Edwards and John Barth. Morrell is never gratuitously violent, but he does not shirk from it nor does he give short shrift to its aftermath. The result is a tale of redemption and transformation, obtained not without cost but all the dearer for the experience.

It is noteworthy that very few authors would attempt a work of this difficulty, and even fewer would succeed to the extent that Morrell has with THE SHIMMER. Put this one on your must-read list for this year.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

The Shimmer begins with a well-written description of violence and destruction, setting the stage for a super-charged thriller with plenty of action and thoughtful mystery. The subsequent energy of the story is filled with historical references, scientific hypotheses, personal reflection, and geographical descriptions. The book zips along at a furious pace, working hard to provide a scientific or perhaps supernatural explanation for a phenomenon.

Using fictitious names and novel ideas, Morrell demonstrates the complexity and confusion of what is known as the Marfa lights, an odd event that occurs in the Southwest region of Texas outside of the town of Marfa. Having experienced the Marfa lights as a youth, I was able to relate to the story as it progressed. Morrell's use of strong character building, knowledge of weaponry, and ability to write a page-turning novel finds fruition in this book, proving that he is once again the master of the genre.

Unfortunately the violence seemed excessive at times, resulting in an almost cavalier attitude toward the constant killings that occurred. While two or three murders can set the tone for the perpetual violence, twenty or more at one time seems excessively tragic and unrealistic. The constant deaths and mayhem did not match the thoughtful explanations of the lights nor the development of the history of the people. Morrell's normally rich prose that balances action with psychological insights and characterizations is not as enlightening nor as captivating in this book.

What began as an excellent story seemed to fizzle into disturbing, dark violence that did not serve the overall plot. Some of the confusion of the overriding goals of the antagonists were solved, but the solutions were predictable and rather pointless. While not his best effort, it is still an entertaining book that is worth reading as another interpretation of the famous lights. Master writer David Morrell remains an outstanding and thoughtful writer of the genre. Each book is unique and special.

I am sorry, but I have to disagree with the three and four and five star reviews. And I am very sorry since I am a big fan of Mr Morrell.
Give any reluctant reader Morrell's best (the unsurpassed trilogy "The Brotherhood of The Rose", "The Fraternity of the Stone" and "The League of the Night and Fog") force him to read, if necessary, and I guarantee you'll have at the end someone that absolutely loves to read. (Then give him "First Blood" and "The Covenant of the Flame", and you'll have him hooked for life).
"Desperate Measures", "Extreme Denial", "The Protector" and "The Fifth Profession" are still OK.
But with "Burnt Sienna", "Long Lost", and "Assumed Identity", everything starts to change, they seem written hastily and lack depth.
Enter "The Shimmer". Hands down the worst I've read from him -no ifs ands or buts.
Plot thirsty, characters lacking and thrills gone... Ouch!
I'd been wanting to get this book for a long time... (after all, I insist, I am his fan) but something always kept me from it (the reviews, the plot) until I finally caved and bought it... big mistake.
(This could have been a mediocre short story or novella... and that would've been pushing it).
Grab his best work though, ( "The Brotherhood of The Rose", "The Fraternity of the Stone" and "The League of the Night and Fog") and you'll be in for a ride.

I have heard great things about Morrell's books but this one just was not for me. It starts off strong and there were certain threads that was interesting to follow but overall the story just didn't do it for me. I did not feel like I connected with either Page or his wife. Even the general who was portrayed as the nemesis in the story seemed very mediocre and didn't invoke any real strong emotion for me. In fact, the only character I really got into was the arrogant reporter, Brent. His character starts off utterly unlikeable and then the reader gets to see him transform through out the story that ultimately made me smile. I will say Brent is probably the main character that will stay with me when I think about this book.

Santa Fe police officer Dan Page is on a high speed car chase when the other vehicle an SUV crashes into a tanker; the ensuing explosion emits a fiery blast into the sky. Stunned, he returns home only to find his wife Tori gone. Already filled with remorse and questioning what he could have done different, Dan also fears for his spouse, but pulls himself together and follows her trail.

He tracks her to Rostov, Texas home of an observatory, a highly patrolled top secret science facility. There is unexplained night sky phenomena that make no sense as some people can see lights in the air while others see nothing. He finds Tori standing amidst other people staring into the sky as if she was beckoned there like in that old movie. Before he can figure out what is going on, a massacre follows when someone begins to shoot at the lights.

This is an exciting thriller with several major happenings going on that converge in Rostov, but fail to completely do so in the story line. Filled with action, conspiracy buffs will relish this engaging tale as the audience and the New Mexico sheriff want to know what is going behind the fence, under the ground and in the sky. Sort of combining Roswell with Marfa, David Morrell provides his fans with an entertaining but somewhat disjointed tale.

Harriet Klausner

This is my first David Morrell book, and although some reviewers have remarked at how different this is from his typical work, I doubt that I'll be reading another one.

The Shimmer takes an intriguing premise -- the mysterious lights of Marfa, Texas (renamed Rostov for the novel) and the secretive goings-on at a nearby military base -- and completely wastes it. Nothing is ever explained; after a big, violent finale, the novel simply stops. This might be tolerable if the novel had been more engaging up to that point, but Morrell writes in an utterly bland, colorless style and his characters are little more than cardboard cutouts. The protagonist is such a dull guy that I couldn't blame his wife for running away. Skip this one.

I am a Morrell addict - that is before he decided that thrillers weren't his thing. No, I didn't like Creepers either. This was the worst yet. Other reviewers have succinctly stated what's wrong with this book. I'll just say this, if you like the books that gave Morrell his reputation, stay away from his new theme. I will not waste my time on another of his books until I am certain it is an equal to The Brotherhood of the Rose

This book started out really well, with lots of suspense and action, along with good character development. And the plot moved along briskly...a good read. That is, until the end. WAY too many unresolved questions: Just exactly what WERE the lights? How did the Dept. of Defense hope to "use them as a weapon" if they couldn't control them? What was up with the music? And tasting stuff? Why did the soldier kill all of the people in the secure research facility? How did the lights know to "go after the bad guys?" Were they some kind of moral police? How did they heal people? What was up with seeing people in the lights...such as Col. Raleigh's grandfather? Was this a portal into heaven or some kind of 4th dimension? The idea of a solar flare from deep inside the earth is totally bogus - solar flares from the sun are totally impossible in an atmosphere such as earth has. So....exciting read, but absolutely NO "pulling it together" at the end. Very disappointing.

Police officer, Dan Page receives a call from Police Chief Roger Costigan in Rostov, Texas. He is calling to notify Dan that his wife's car was found on the side of the road and Victoria near by. Dan has no clue what Victoria could possibly be doing in Texas but he aims to find out. He books the first flight out to Texas.

When Dan arrives to retrieve his wife, he finds himself fighting something that just may be bigger than him. Tori and dozens of other people are drawn to an unexplained green lights. It is kind of like the Aurora Borealis. Though there are two other options that could explain the mystery of the lights...either aliens or some type of government testing project. Whatever the cause, it is affecting people.

The first book I read by this author was Creepers and I really enjoyed it. It had this frightful element to it that would give readers chills to even want to set foot in an old abandoned hotel. So when I saw The Shimmer, Mr. Morrell's newest release, I knew I had to get a copy to read. Sadly, this book did not intrigue me at all. The first third of the book had me holding on but after the shoot out was over and all that was left were bodies, then it was all down hill from there for me. The characters were boring and I never really figured out what the lights really were, even when I got to the end. Mr. Morrell is one for one in my book. Don't know if I will read his next book.