In the past year or so, I've grown to me a fan of Tim Marquitz. One of the first stories I ever reviewed was Skulls from Damnation Books. More recently Tim was editor on the amazing Fading Lights: An Anthology of the Monstrous.
This time around it's his own stories Prey and Anathema. Be sure to take a close look at the wonderful cover from M. Wayne Miller for just a small taste of what to expect from the cover story. The artist says, "The hardest part of doing that cover was to do something that was not too intense for a cover."
In Prey, Marquitz takes the reader to a very dark place. The images are raw, disgusting, gruesome (somebody get me a Thesaurus). Really, the list could go on and on. The author's description of what was found in an abandoned house in the 5th ward is one of the more disturbing pieces of prose I've ever read and I read Horror for enjoyment.
The police have a suspect in custody, one who has confessed to the crime, but as the investigation unfolds, we find there is so much more to the story. What's the Mayor's involvement in all this and why is the Mayor's 11 year old son missing. Numerous twists and turns will keep you guessing to the end, but for me, it ends too soon. There seems to be a rush to conclude. All the loose ends are tied up nicely, but quickly, without a lot of explanation.
Prey is definitely for adults and not for the timid or easlily offended, but for those who enjoy a bit of gore with their horror, it's certaily a good ride.
The Bonus Novella is Anathema. OK, I admit, I had to look that up in my Funk and Wagnalls. It means "a person or thing detested or loathed." This tale is perfect for the title. A story of revenge gone awry. I found myself rooting for the protagonist who was wronged in such a big way. But, instead of exacting revenge on the perpetrator alone, things get more than a liitle out of hand.
Both stories are enjoyable and well worth a read. Available from the fine folks at Genius Book Publishing for the Paperback and from Amazon.com for both the Paperback and Kindle versions.
Enjoy.
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