Friday, March 9, 2012

Behold the Child - by Harry Shannon - An action/horror novella from one of the best

Originally read February 27, 2012     4 Stars

Detective Sam Kenzie is a cop's cop. Think Riggs in the Lethal Weapon franchise.

Harry Shannon's writing gives "Behold the Child" plenty of grit and makes the action seem real. There is a clear vision here and Shannon wastes few words. One of the things I most enjoyed about the story was the way the novella started with a burst of action, with Kenzie having to make a life and death decision right at the start.

In the long run, that decision leads to an early retirement and we find Kenzie heading from L.A. to become Sheriff in the town where he grew up. Twin Forks is out there in the Nevada desert and there's a bit of strangeness as he gets lost along the way and meets an old man on the BRIMSTONE TURNPIKE. Just when it seems Kenzie is settling into a routine in Twin Forks the case that lead to his "retirement" shows up in the quiet Nevada town. Leading to an ending that's precisely what one might expect from the mind of Harry Shannon.

Overall a top notch thriller/horror story with an ending I dare you to see coming. The only reason I give this 4 instead of 5 stars is the abrupt end. It left too much to my limited imagination, but don't let that stop you from picking up and enjoying "Behold the Child."

Note, as of the writing of this review, you can get the Kindle version for free

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