Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Pressure of Darkness, January 21, 2007
Right off the top: Harry Shannon's The Pressure of Darkness is the best novel he has published to date. I've enjoyed them all, with the Mick Callahan novels being personal favorites. But this one, The Pressure of Darkness, is a huge step up for Harry. In a just and fair world, it would be his breakthrough bestseller.
The Pressure of Darkness is a thriller. It's also a horror story. It's sort of a serial killer novel. It would fit well among those men's adventure books. But most of all, The Pressure of Darkness is an entertainment. But, as with the best books and films, this novel does far more than merely entertain. The Pressure of Darkness gives the reader a lot to ponder. Its issues are nothing less than life and death. Mortality and the agony that so many go through in contemplating it. There is a lot of wisdom in its pages and a casual reader shouldn't be surprised to learn that Harry Shannon is a counselor.
Don't let the above make you believe that The Pressure of Darkness is preachy or boring. It is anything but. Harry keeps the adrenalin pumping from the start, framing the novel with tense, suspenseful covert operations in extremely hostile environments. The action, mystery and drama never let up for a second in between. Even if you wanted it to.
The plot is a horror lover's dream: A phenomenally successful writer of scary books is found dead. It looks like suicide, but it is far from any normal one. He is disemboweled and great pains were taken to prolong the agony and the demise. The writer's daughter wants to know more and hires ex-military Delta operative Jack Burke to look into it. During the investigation, Burke realizes that he has uncovered something big. Far bigger than any mere suicide. Powers that be want him off the case and to have it shut and buried. But Burke collected his pay and his code of getting the job done is still important to him.
Having read all of Harry Shannon's previous work, I expected a good time, but I never dreamed he would give us a plot this rich and filled with such ghastly detail. The Pressure of Darkness is easily the darkest, most brutal and disturbing of them. Yet the author imbues the novel with a core of human decency and dignity. This is a powerful piece of fiction that works on the reader's gut emotional level. I read a lot of thrillers and The Pressure of Darkness is as good as any I've read in the last decade. I think it's better than anything David Morrell (the writer that The Pressure of Darkness most reminds me of) has published in ages.
If you love great suspense and horror, please consider giving The Pressure of Darkness a shot. You won't regret it.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very fast-paced thriller, November 8, 2006
This is an excellent blend of horror, military/adventure, mystery, P.I., and probably another genre or two if you look hard enough. The antagonist is one of the craziest I've seen in recent memory: picture a religious cult leader version of a James Bond villain--only without a conscience! This guy makes Jim Jones look like Mother Theresa.
A nerve-wracking, fast-moving novel that I found very hard to put down (not an easy task for a novel of this length). Highly recommended.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gutsy thriller, December 27, 2006
Nicole Moberly has a problem. Her father, the famous horror writer Peter Stryker, has apparently committed suicide. According to the LAPD's official version, he sealed himself in a hotel room and proceeded to mutilate every square inch of his body. Nicole doesn't believe a man can do that to himself, and neither does police detective Scottie Bowden.
Enter Jack Burke, a wonderfully drawn, but horribly haunted man, whose list of careers includes mob enforcer, private detective, and black ops specialist. This is a man you do NOT want to play with. Bowden directs Nicole to Burke, and what follows is a lightning fast thriller packed with twist after maddening twist as Burke's investigation puts him square in the sights of a cult that will stop at nothing to bring about a biological holocaust in God's name.
Be warned...this is not an easy book. It will grab you where it hurts and not let go. The pages fly by, because this is a VERY fast moving book, but don't mistake hard-hitting action for soft content. Veteran thriller writer Harry Shannon has put a lot of balls in the air, and watching him juggle them all is something to see. This guy is good...really, really good. Whether you're in to military spec ops, hard-biting crime, or mind-bending horror, you're going to find a lot to love in this supreme achievement. Do yourself a big favor and read this book. You will not be disappointed. I promise.
Joe McKinney, author of Dead City
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