Customer Reviews

Valley of the Shadow

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The short stories in Dr. Logsdon's collection are at times disturbing and at times horrific but always enjoyable. Set primarily in Las Vegas, Oregon, and Southern Idaho, the stories follow characters from all walks of life--strippers, college professors, spinsters, hit men, rednecks, impressionable teenagers, and more. More significantly, though, most of these characters have reached a crisis point in their lives and must decide forevermore on the fate of their souls...

A very strong Christian ethic informs the imagery and the themes set forth here, and not by accident. Dr. Logsdon is intent on showing the spiritual side of the crises that the characters undergo and in so doing places a great importance on the soul as the agent of choice as well as the object of the forces fighting within each character. If the characters choose to uphold their faith in God and listen to the warnings of their souls, they are saved, even if they are killed. But if the characters choose to be faithless and ignore the warnings, then perdition awaits them.

Dr. Logsdon also injects some very dark humor in his stories, most noticeably in "Dog-Fightin' Fool," "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John," "Naughty Jane Austen," and "The Night Uncle Willy's Car Caught on Fire on the I-95." But in all these stories, the reader is bound to be intrigued by the struggles each character must face. I heartily recommend this collection for serious readers of dark, horror-laced fiction.

The stories in this collection push the reader to the extreme edge of darkness--and sometimes beyond. Valley of the Shadow is not for the squeamish or weak of heart. Characterized by a highly visual style, every story builds to a dark, often disturbing crescendo. Stories are carefully crafted, and main characters are generally well developed.