Review: Scary and macabre
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 3, 2013
Intense thriller about a magician (Arnold Trotter) who seeks revenge on those who sent him to prison 20 years earlier. The story takes place in tiny Denver Mills, and when Tommy Marsh returns to wrap up his father's estate, many old wounds are reopened. Coincidentally, Trotter manages to break out of the asylum in which he'd been incarcerated, and one by one the players from his trial begin meeting grisly deaths. Good character development and tense situations add up to an eerie and downright frightening story. I also liked the way the author presented the somber changes in the group, from close childhood friends to not-so-close adults, each with their own crosses to bear. Although there are some events that stretched believability (such as how he obtained many of his magician props used in the murders, especially after 20 yrs away), they weren't too far out there to make the story any less entertaining. I had a hunch regarding one of the big twists near the end, but was still surprised at how it actually played out. Overall a very good book, and one that was hard to put down. I feel 4.5 stars is more accurate but rounded up.