Review: Nightlife
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 29, 2013
I usually don't read books from the horror genre, but since Halloween is one day away, I found myself in the mood for a good horror thriller, and Nightlife by author Matthew Quinn Martin did not disappoint me. Set in the college town of New Harbor, Connecticut, the story revolves around a legendary bloodthirsty creature who has been preying upon the unsuspecting townspeople, and an unlikely trio of strangers who embark on a quest to hunt the creature down.After a close encounter with the evil creature, homeless Vietnam Vet Gil Gibbons proclaimed himself to be a prophet with a message to spread to the residents of New Harbor: beware of the Night Angel. Inside a church, Gil comes across Jack Johnson, a haunted loner who is on a vampire hunt for the killer of his girlfriend twelve years ago. Gil anoints Jack as The One who will destroy the Night Angel. Meanwhile streetwise bartender Beth Becker is searching for her roommate Zoe Rakoczy, who disappeared from the bar on Halloween night. When Gil, Jack and Beth meet, they team up and embark on a dark harrowing quest to hunt down the Night Angel (vampire).In his debut novel, author Matthew Quinn Martin weaves a dark riveting tale that keeps the reader sitting on the edge of their seats in suspense. This slow building horror story gradually sucks the reader in (well it is a vampire story, lol) and gains momentum as the unlikely trio embark on a quest to hunt down the bloodthirsty Night Angel. I really enjoyed following Gil, Jack and Beth on their quest, each of them were intriguing characters with troubled pasts. I couldn't help but cheer them on as their action-packed adventure takes them into the bowels of New Harbor in search of the legendary vampire who has terrorized the townspeople for so long. The author does a great job of balancing the darkness of the storyline with humorous dialogue and interactions between the characters, but just when the reader gets comfortable, the author weaves in some more gory twists and turns that keeps them on their toes.With an intriguing cast of characters and a dark storyline filled with enough gruesome bloodsucking gore and suspenseful creepiness that will raise the hair on your arms, Nightlife is the perfect story to read if you like to get a good scare on!Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review.