Review: Dark, Deep, Depraved, Haunting & Merciless
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 29, 2014
Review of Three Steps Behind You by Amy BirdAdam Lomax and Dan Millard are in love. They are a couple. What they are not are homosexuals and this is not a bromance in the true sense of the word, but nonetheless, Dan truly and unconditionally adores Adam (much like a pet worships its owner). Adam is Dan’s shepard. As far as Dan is concerned, the sun exudes radiant and intense light from the eyes of Adam.Adam is currently married to his second wife, Nichole. Helen, Adam’s first wife was killed in and hit and run automobile accident. Her death is still an open police investigation. Even though Helen is dead and Adam has remarried, she persistently weighs heavy on Adam’s mind and psyche.Adam’s extreme adoration of Dan has caused Dan, to show his undying adoration of Adam, to write several books about he and Adam.  The first one is about their ongoing childhood relationship. In his second book, Dan wrote about his and Adam’s relationship as it evolved during and after Helen’s death. The third book’s topic is first a mystery, but then mayhem is revealed involving death and a forcible entry. In his fourth and final book, still under pen, Dan’s proudly utilizes his newly found “method” writing technique. It is based on the “Truth”. All four books are unpublished.Dan is very proud of his newly discovered and unique methodology to enhance his writing ability. Luke is the hero of Dan’s fourth book. Luke is the enforcer, the strong-arm. In order for Dan to capture the true essence of fictional Luke, Dan must think and act like Luke. He must experience Luke in real life and time. He must become so close to Luke that Dan becomes Luke.But Dan is not like Luke. Dan is soft as a donut and is one very psychologically twisted and bizarre person.  Luke, on the other hand, is a woman’s man who acts with polite debonair albeit with violent tendencies. Luke is sure of himself and he is strident, he is mucho. A mix of Dan and Luke is dangerously explosive and together they have the utter capacity to wreak brutal havoc.In order for Dan to become close to Luke, Dan must preform research. He must be thorough so much so that he must research research itself. Dan must go to Google to research and learn how a man should act around a woman and also what women like and want from men. Dan must learn, through Google research, how to be strong like Luke. Dan must notice what Luke notices and he must see what Luke sees.Dan determines that Luke must learn how to defend himself, so Dan takes up the sport of fencing. (En garde!). Dan first researches the art of fencing on Utube at the public library, making his “thrusts” and other fancy maneuvers beneath a library table that happens to be situated in an area that is renowned for its pornography viewing. Dan then practices the art of fencing with youngsters who shun him. But Dan is always thinking and mapping ahead. And as careful and meticulous as Dan may be about his upcoming fourth book featuring Luke, the police are watching him closely while Dan is not only watching the police, he is also preparing a dossier on the prying civil servants.Dan and Adam have been through a lot and they have secrets that go beyond their childhood period. Nichol thinks she somewhat understands the boys friendship, but still views Dan as inappropriately creepy and she is suspect of him regarding Helen’s death. Nichol wants to more fully come to grips with the true circumstances behind Dan and Adam’s mysterious relationship so she tracks Dan and in hope of obtaining to better way define to define just why Dan so admiring of her husband, Adam.But enough about Dan, Adam, Helen and Nichole. The one that deserves the real attention here is the author of this fine, deeply dark and depraved story.Amy Bird, a new and upcoming author, is going to be a lot to contend with in the publishing arena. She is a brilliant writer with a wide-open style of story telling, which I hope is not cultured by any of her own over zealous and criminally minded “method” writing techniques. She writes in short, crisp sentences, with curt and compact chapters, which get to the point, quickly. Then she moves on to yet deeper murky depths where it gets shadowy and chilled; then she moves to where it is really dark and moody, and in doing so, she captures and clenches the reader’s attention and holds the reader as her personal hostage. The reader cannot escape and Amy Bird just does not let go. The situations in this book get more twisted and are tight right up until the very end. The surprises are never-ending and that is a good thing!This is a very rough, nasty, disturbing, savage and riveting well plotted read that will leave many offended, horrified and chilled to the bone. There are no distractions, just intensity supplemented with gut-wrenching, gruesome systemic shock.  If you are looking for a thriller, this book is your cure.One of the most noteworthy marks an author desires from their work is that it leaves an impression, whether that impression is positive or negative. Amy Bird will leave the reader with an impression.I would rate this book with a solid and bright 4.5 stars.