A REVIEW OF MY BOOK

 

4.0 out of 5 stars Great horror debut, March 10, 2014

By 

L (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dead Game (Paperback)

Susanne Leist does a wonderful job of setting her debut novel The Dead Game, in the sweet seaside town of Oasis, a place where one would never expect evil to lurk.
At the beginning of the book we are dropped into a historical piece showcasing the gruesome capabilities of End house, this sets the novel up nicely for our introduction to recent times.
Oasis is a town which should require little by way of regular law enforcement, but it has suffered a disturbing history of disappearances and unexplained phenomena that have been covered up. Interestingly, the sheriff deputy has a habit of sneaking away when there's work to be done!
The story progresses to tell us a bit about Linda and her perception of the town and its residents. A sense of menace builds quickly and there are surprises to be had when she and her friends accept an invite to a party at End house (unbeknown to them as the locus of the original horrors) A property in which everything defies the natural laws, the friends are subjected to a host of horrors that they try to attribute to mere ghoulish humour on behalf of their host. Vampire, Wolf, sets his eyes on the prize, (Not world peace!) and progressively works his evil machinations against the young people.
In Leist's town we find that humans, vampires and vampire humans have come to coexist.
This is a book where the characters have more guts than sense! and in true horror fashion I read this book on the edge of my seat, willing and hoping for them to seal their fate by disregarding the warnings and jumping into the crises that could have been avoided. I was not disappointed!
Among the horrors, Leis introduces black magic and hallucinogenic apparitions; the walls bleed and pointy cages drop to trap the partygoers, and many other horrors follow. I loved how Linda and Todd's romance blossomed through the midst of it, and how Todd's true nature is hinted at throughout before being revealed.
There are many characters in Leist's horror, and though I could have happily strangled some of them, (Par for the course) I was kept involved in true morbid fascination. I must confess that evil vampire, Wolf was my favourite character in this book, and I was entertained throughout.
This is a must read for horror lovers.

THE DEAD GAME -- DAY 89

Chapter 15

After Sunday morning services, Linda and Shana approached Father John as he said his usual goodbyes on the front steps of the church. He asked them to join him in his study. They followed him through the main room with its shiny wood benches and ornate statues. The church was bright from the sunshine that shone through its sparkling glass-domed ceiling.

      Linda realized that the church and the hotel were the only buildings in town with clear glass windows. She has always been curious about the green tinting on the windows of the homes on the hill. Even the stores on Main Street had green tinting on their windows.

     The priest’s study was sunny and cheerful with flowered couches, colorful rugs, and a pretty vase holding yellow daisies on his desk. Mrs. Abigail, the housekeeper, kept the church warm and inviting. She didn’t live in town, but in a small town nearby. She was a vibrant and happy older woman, who took great care of Father John and the church.

     Abigail set out tea and cakes for them. She closed the door behind her. She left them alone with the Father; she never intruded into anyone’s business and always knew when to give the priest’s congregants their privacy.

     “Father, we’re faced with a terrifying situation in town. Friday night we went to a party at End House, but no one was there to greet us except deadly saws and bone-crushing cages. Luckily, we were able to escape—except for Tom and Edward who were last seen going through a doorway in the basement. Afterward, the doorway disappeared and we never saw them again. Later, Louise—who we thought was dead—came back alive.” Linda stumbled over her words in her haste.

      She’d expected the Father to either doubt her words or get angry at her for making up such a morbid tale. However, he just sat down in his chair, nodding his head; he didn’t appear at all surprised to hear about the unusual party.

     Father John must be in his late fifties, guessed Linda, but he appeared very strong and rugged-looking for a man his age. He also seemed to be troubled. His eyes darted around as if he expected to be overheard by someone, even though the church was empty and quiet.