Symphony of Blood, A Hank Mondale Supernatural Case [Kindle Edition]

Adam Pepper (Author)

Book Description

Hank Mondale, a rough-around-the-edges P.I. with a small drinking problem and a large gambling problem, needs a break. With his landlord threatening eviction and his bookie threatening worse, things look bleak. Until real estate mogul Thomas Blake calls with an incredible story: a monster is trying to kill his daughter. Hank figures she's probably some whacked-out spoiled brat, but desperate, Hank takes the case to track down the supposed monster. It seems that people around Mackenzie Blake are disappearing. It's obviously no coincidence. Was Hank hired to unwittingly aid a wealthy murderess? Or is there really someone...or some thing, trying to kill Mackenzie Blake?

A symphony plays that only It can hear. But there will be a special performance, just for her.

Symphony of Blood hits like a sledgehammer. Fast and furious. I loved this book.
  -JA Konrath, author of Whiskey Sour

A frightening fresh voice with an intensity that will forever alter the color and texture of your dreams.
  -Joseph B. Mauceri, Fearsmag.com

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Stellar prose, vivid characters...Pepper writes with a confidence and mastery that makes you feel as if you are being led on a tour of the seedier side of life, and your tour guide is a man who basks in the grimy filth of the gutter...one of the best modern incarnations of the classic detective."  
   -Dreadful Tales

"A fast, fun and adrenaline filled read" 
   -DarkissReads

"Adam Pepper writes with zeal, verve, and a steak knife to the throat."
   -Scott Nicholson, Author of Liquid Fear

Product Details

• File Size: 408 KB
• Print Length: 205 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005E8S6AE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,339 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A fun romp. You should take a look at this if you like private investigators, body horror, and dark humour. September 26, 2011

By Frida Fantastic

Format:Kindle Edition

(Cross-posted from the Adarna SF book blog)

Hank is a private investigator who has to solve the case of a man-eating monster. I'd peg this at both contemporary fantasy and horror. The fantastical and horror elements come from-well... the man-eating monster. The protagonist is a fairly typical P.I., but Pepper does excellent characterization, so it's hard not to be charmed by Hank.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. I was hooked right from page one, it's fast-paced, and the dialogue and the descriptions of the characters are delightful. They're quirky people: Sandy the kleptomaniac secretary, Joe at the Pool Hall (when he shrugs, his chins line up like a seven layer cake), Mackenzie the moody rich girl who knows more than she's letting on-and there's plenty of other personalities. I swear I was chuckling or grinning at something on every third page.

The monster itself is original too. Pepper masterfully writes the creature in such a way that the reader has an idea of what it could be like, but not with too much detail that all the mystery is gone. What's unknown is always more terrifying than what is completely known. The creature is also a surprisingly well-developed character on its own right, and is actually more sympathetic compared to the humans that it gets to know (fairly intimately).

I was surprised that a sizable portion of the book is written from the monster's point of view, and it's one of the highlights. I'm a sucker for body horror, and I was giddy with delight at the descriptions of the monster devouring people from the inside out. It's simultaneously fun and disgusting. What makes it unique is that it isn't focused on "pain" or "terror" which is typically told from the victim's perspective, but rather from the creature's POV of "delicious." It's joyously merciless.

While I liked the monster's POV, I don't think those scenes work for the narrative structure. The first half is told from Hank's perspective as he figures out the details of the case. Then after a major cliffhanger, it changes into the monster's POV showing how the deaths actually took place. But the problem is that it loses the momentum of the first half of the book. The reader already knows that these people are dead, and it doesn't reveal a lot of new information. It goes on for too long to the point that after I flipped each page, I kept hoping that it would jump back to the present. But it takes up at least a third of the book, and it eventually felt like a drag. Perhaps the monster's POV would have been better integrated into the story if it was dealing with present developments and alternated chapters with Hank's POV.

The other issue I had was a plot hole. Considering what Thomas Blake knows about the monster, it doesn't make sense why he hired Hank. Mr. Blake is an intelligent man, but hiring Hank just doesn't seem to be in his interest. Mr. Blake has a lot of resources to draw on, so why Hank? This question bothered me as I read on, and that it was all I could think about during the last third of the book. Unfortunately, the ending doesn't shed any light on Mr. Blake's motivations, which makes the resolution quite unsatisfying.

There are many wonderful things about Symphony of Blood. The premise is fun, and the prose and characterizations are top-notch. You should take a look at this if you like private investigators, body horror, and dark humour. I enjoyed it, but the plot hole and the long monster POV section made for a distracting experience in the final part of the book. Even though this isn't the most engaging novel I've read this year, Pepper is a promising writer, and I'm interested to see what other stories he has to offer.

Note: A free review copy was provided by the author.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Okay, except for that gaping plot hole... February 8, 2012

By Kelley

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I originally downloaded the sample and enjoyed it, but, to be honest, the price and lower scoring reviews dissuaded me. I wasn't sure I wanted to take a chance. Then I noticed the book was on sale months later, so I snapped it up and decided to see if the poorer reviews were right-on, or not.

Well. For the most part, they were.

The premise itself is rather unoriginal: PI is hired to protect self-centered socialite. It's the supernatural aspects and Pepper's great writing that made the book worthwhile.

Sadly, however, that wasn't enough.

No, the book is copyedited just fine.

Yes, the structure is odd. I didn't find it as distracting as others did, but I can't say I enjoyed it. It was a relief to finally see some pieces of the puzzle fall into place once I got to the monster's POV, but I think that's more of a flaw than a positive. I could live with it, though. I can see what the author was going for, so I'm okay with it.

The real problem was that huge, cavernous plot hole. I got to the last page and let's just say I would have heaved it were this a print book. I don't get it? Why? I'm willing to suspend disbelief. I'm willing to go along for the ride. But it's got to make sense, and you've got to give me some sort of pay-off. But in this case, I read through the entire book, went through the whole thing, and I felt ripped off. Seriously pissed. One bullet pages and pages ago would have solved the whole thing.

That being said, Pepper is an amazing writer and storyteller. My gripes are all structural. So I would, and will, read other works by him.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hank is the man! August 25, 2011

By Chris Papa-G

Format:Kindle Edition

I'll start off by saying I don't read much fiction. But I was looking for something different to read and gave this a shot. Right I off the bat I liked Hank Mondale. There was something easily relatable to his hard luck ways and poor decision making. You really root for his character to get out of the hole he seems to dig himself in throughout the book. As the book progresses it starts to get darker and darker. You start to realize how disturbed the Blake family really is and begin to question what exactly is Hank trying to find?

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone into Dark/Horror novels or even if you're like me and are just looking for something different.

More About the Author

At times disturbing and grim, others raunchy and comical, Adam Pepper's work is known for a unique blend of horror, suspense and speculative fiction. MEMORIA, Adam's debut novel, reached #1 on the Dark Delicacies Best Seller list and received rave reviews from Cemetery Dance and Chronicle. "Super Fetus," his outrageous bizarro novella was called "In-your-face, allegorical social commentary" by esteemed reviewer, Paul Goat Allen. His quick-hitting short work has appeared in genre magazines including THE BEST OF HORRORFIND, Vol. 2 and SPACE AND TIME. Adam's non-fiction credits span from NEW WOMAN MAGAZINE to THE JOURNAL NEWS. Learn more about Adam at his website: www.AdamPepper.com.