Customer Reviews

Stained

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

 

 

Stained is a great first novel, one part supernatural horror, one part murder mystery. Lee Thomas does a superb job creating the fictional Louisiana town of Marchand (apparently based on Nachitoches) and its inhabitants, all of whom seem closely related either by blood or town history. But unlike other "evil comes to small-town America" novels, Stained doesn't go the route of questionable prejudices. There are no ancient Indian burial grounds or the desecrated bones of black slaves causing the evil to happen, which is a refreshing change. Instead, we get evils closely tied to what lurks inside the people who actually live there: child abuse, misogyny, violence by those who feel beneath or out of place. Lee Thomas is a tight plotter, setting everything up beautifully before knocking it all down. He is also a natural master of the red herring--he ought to try writing a straightforward mystery or police procedural some time. I'd buy that in a heartbeat!

Great read. I bought this on the advice of a friend & could not put it down till it was done. The plot is tight, and Mr. Thomas makes you really care about the characters. He is also really very good at setting the action. The reader feels like they really know the town. Try this book. You are going to love it.

This year, some of my horror reading material has included books by Doug Clegg, Jack Ketchum, Richard Laymon, Peter Straub and Brian Keene to name a few. This book rates right up there, and in many ways, was the best read of the bunch.
The book is equal parts a murder mystery, a supernatural thrill ride, and a horrific journey into the dark parts of the human mind. Ultimately, the book is about people and their relationships with their family and friends, while dealing with unresolved issues from there past that continue to haunt their present. A well written and well paced debute!

Considering the lack of reviews and plain packaging for this novel, it's not surprising that it's been overlooked by so many readers. However, I would suggest that any fan of horror novels give it a chance, because it's one of the best works to appear in that genre over the past several years.

Taking the "evil comes to a small town" premise and twisting it in a wonderful way, Thomas manages to avoid put a terrific spin on the story. The evil at the basis of this story is never given its own face, remaining an unknown entity. And what truly lifts this book above so much else out there is the manner in which Thomas uses the entity of evil to examine the bad things that lurk inside everyone.

This is a true treat for any horror fan, and Thomas is definitely an author to watch. This story grips you from its horrible beginning and keeps you guessing until the end. There's very little in the way of cardboard characterizition, and the novel's hero isn't infallible himself. Highly recommended, and I can't say enough about this one.

Marchand, Louisiana has been plagued for several months by one called The River Rat. Brutally torturing male victims and then haphazardly dumping them along the shore of Old Rusty, the fiend has most of this small town scared to leave their homes longer than absolutely necessary.

Ted Lewis grew up in Marchand, only to leave later and start a small chain of successful restaurants. However, he discovered quickly that life in a large city didn't suite him quite as well as it did his wife. Following his break-up and, shortly thereafter, her death, Ted follows his heart and returns to his home town.

Leo Firenzi, Marchand's priest, has a decent reputation among his small-town followers. This makes it all the more difficult to digest when the population learns that he is the one who has struck terror into their lives. The one referred to as The River Rat.

Ted Lewis has the opportunity to become somewhat of a hero after aiding in the capture of Firenzi, but his muddled past while away from Marchand keeps him from spreading the word of his involvement. This raises his friends', including the town sheriff's, suspicions. Ted's life becomes even more complicated when he learns of a possible infection passed on to him from a bite obtained from The Rat. Will a life with HIV be one Ted can adjust to? Or could Firenzi have passed on much more than a mere Earthly virus to Ted? Can evil transfer itself from one host to another akin to a virus? The reign of terror brought upon Marchand by The River Rat has not yet run its full course...

Lee Thomas does a wonderful job of building a sense of dread and foreboding in this Stoker winning debut novel. The atmosphere created is superb. His characters are richly multi-dimensional, and never boring or cliche. With this novel, Lee forces his readers to stare into the face of evil and view it's internal reflection. The plot takes you through several twists and turns, keeping even veteran horror/thriller readers on their toes up until the end. Very highly recommended for fans of subtle, creepy, atmospheric horror.