Review: A Unique Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 11, 2014
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this based on the blurb, but I knew I'd be in for quite a ride.  Saunders did not disappoint.  Deadlift has a little something for everyone:  love, betrayal, murder, heartbreak, and a bit of the supernatural.Bodybuilder David Lowe believes his wife is cheating on him and, in a fit of insane jealously, hires someone to kill her and her lover.  At the last minute, he has a change of heart, but not before the first explosion severs the support cables in the elevator holding his wife.  For any chance at saving his wife, David has to keep the half-ton elevator from falling using only his own strength.The novella bounces back and forth between the present and the past, fleshing out the motivations of all the characters.  Alternating time frames like that can be challenging, but Saunders handles it well.  The story flows naturally and really draws you in.  David Lowe is both captivating and horrifying; he obviously loves his wife deeply, but there's monstrous in him, something that led all the characters into this situation.  By the end, he recognizes this, but instead of running from it, he accepts it as part of himself and deals with his new reality.This is, perhaps, the most touching novella DarkFuse has published.  The story is dark, very dark, but there's a message of hope and redemption buried under the horror.  This is a story well worth reading.