The Keeper by Sarah Langan
- Purchase it here
- Published August 2006 (HarperTorch paperback edition)
- Finished reading it on April 26, 2009
- Most of the reviews and comments on The Keeper make a point about mentioning it as Langan's debut novel. Now that I've done so too, let us ignore that because this is still a great novel. Susan Marley roams the streets of Bedford, Maine, looking for something or simply trying to connect. Considering that she doesn't speak, is considered the town slut and is ignored by her own mother, that desire for a connection is understood. When she dies one night though, horrible things start happening to the residents in town. While there are very much supernatural elements in the story, they aren't quite as in your face as I expected. The book focuses more on the story and the characters, both of which are very rich and enjoyable. Unfortunately though, I didn't quite get pulled into the characters' lives. They were real and easy to picture but they just weren't quite fascinating to care that much about. Not something to avoid the book over but something to be aware of. Enjoy the multiple plot threads that are nicely weaved together. Those make it worthwhile.
Kill Riff by David J. Schow
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- Published May 1989 (paperback edition)
- Finished reading it on March 08, 2000
- I'm not sure why but I was a little hesitant to start this novel. Maybe it was because it appears to be a heavy metal, slasher novel. Boy was I surprised. Sure, it involves a heavy metal band, but it is really a psychological analysis of a shattered parent. Lucas Ellington's daughter is killed during a riot at a concert for the band Whip Hand. After a year long stint at a mental institution, he is now out and apparently normal. I won't spoil anything for you but the story that unfolds is intense, passionate and surprising. It does not play out like you expect. Each character is vivid and comes alive in almost no time. The only negative that I have is that many scenes are told as memories, not quite a flashback but similar in nature. For example, it will be evening and one of the characters will remember things that happened in the morning and that is how we the readers find out about it. I don't mind it being done but some times it got confusing as to when we were: are we reading about the book's present or is the character really doing something else and just remembering the past? But this is part of Schow's style. Either way the story is still an extremely solid and enjoyable book.
Kill Whitey by Brian Keene
- Purchase it here
- Published April 2008 (Cemetery Dance Publications hardcover edition)
- Finished reading it on January 23, 2010
- This book is different from what you think on multiple layers. To start with, the title. No, Kill Whitey does not refer to what you might think. (It is an awesome title though!) Instead Whitey is a Russian mobster who runs a strip club and several less-than-legitimate business in Pennsylvania. He earned the nickname due to his white hair: face, hair, eyebrows. The reason to kill him is that one of the strippers, Sondra, wants him dead. Why? Because she asked Larry Gibson, the story's main protagonist, to do so. Her reason was that she is pregnant, Whitey wants the baby dead and she wants it to live. However, after falling in love with her Larry only needs the barest of reasons to do so. The problem is that Whitey doesn't kill as easy as most people do. Getting back to why the book is different than you might think, the events that unfold aren't quite what you would expect. I don't want to ruin it for you but the usual clichés are not followed. Plus Whitey has more depth to him than you would think. Some of the characters are a bit flat (my only complaint) but the action and pacing of the story are so quick that you barely notice. It's no wonder why Keene dedicated the book to Tom Piccirilli; it very easily falls into the same type of book that Piccirilli would write. If you like one of the authors, give the other a try. You won't be sorry.
Killer Karma by Lee Killough
- Purchase it here
- Published July 2005 (Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc. hardcover edition)
- Finished reading it on September 28, 2008
- While I was reading this I kept thinking of James Herbert's book Nobody True. The premise for each book is about the same: person dies, their spirit / soul stays on the Earth and must solve the mystery of who killed the person's body. However, while Herbert's book was more moody and serious, Killough's book is more gripping and fun. The language reads as more comfortable. Events transpire as you might expect. There are even several modern references such as to Harry Potter. But then more interestingly, Cole (the dead person) is able to discover more powers. Things such as manifesting himself to others or taking over a body or teleporting to other locations. It was probably these powers which made the book more interesting. The fantasy of being able to have special abilities that others do not. It naturally appealed to the comic book fan within me. In total though, Killer Karma is an extremely fun read and one that I would highly recommend.
Killobyte by Piers Anthony
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- Published January 1994 (paperback edition)
- Finished reading it on October 15, 1998
- This is like the ultimate virtual reality game in book format. Or rather it is what we all wish the ultimate virtual reality game would be like, except without the bugs and hackers. Of course, you know the hackers will be there regardless. Anyway, the story involves two people who use the virtual reality to escape from the hardships in life and instead get caught up in the hardships created by a third person. This third person, the hacker, inadvertently creates a life threatening situation for the first two and the chase begins. The result is a story which jumps from fantasy land to modern Beirut and all seems really natural. And although it is a fictional story, I could see something like it happening in real life some point in the next ten years or so. An enjoyable and fun book.
Kiss The Girls by James Patterson
- Purchase it here
- Published December 1995 (paperback edition)
- Finished reading it on September 14, 2002
- I've been wanting to try a James Patterson book for a while now. Having seen the movie already, I had thought that the book for Kiss The Girls would be a good one to try. Now after finishing the book, I'm not so sure. The story is about two serial killers and how they are hunted down by Detective Alex Cross, played by Morgan Freeman in the movie. First the positive, I enjoyed the writing, the pacing and the plot. It moved along at a good pace and kept my interest without becoming boring. The story was a good one also, pretty clever and fun both for the film and the book. Now for the neutral, Alex Cross in the book was younger than Cross in the movie. It kept throwing me because I was picturing Freeman in my head but he was too old for several of the scenes. This wasn't Patterson's fault but my own. Finally the negative, characterization. I had a hard time identifying and seeing the characters. The start of the book pretty much jumped straight into action with Cross and didn't really identify the person; it definitely felt like Cross was being carried over from other books and that I should have known him already, which I didn't. Also his partner kept breezing in and out and felt like he didn't belong. Sure, we were told that he was important but we never saw him really do much. Just Cross saying how helpful he was. The end result, I would recommend the book as being pretty good but not great. As for Patterson, I'm going to continue giving him a try; maybe I'll like my next pick of him more.
Kisscut by Karin Slaughter
- Purchase it here
- Published October 2003 (HarperTorch paperback edition)
- Finished reading it on December 16, 2004
- I didn't realize until after I finished the novel that it's second in a series from Slaughter. The first is Blindsighted and I'm going to have to add it to my list to get. That kind of explains why the characters felt so fully developed; they had a whole previous novel of growth to them. Since I was able to feel that from the beginning without the benefit of knowing what the characters went through previously, I would obviously have to chock that up to great writing. The story has lots of interesting branches to discover but the central plot involves a teenage girl who gets killed in the opening sequence. While Sara Linton, pediatrician and medical examiner (it's a small town), and her ex-husband police chief Jeffrey Tolliver investigate the happenings behind the events, many things are revealed and by multiple people. I loved how there were multiple layers to all the events happening. In the end, I would have to say that I definitely recommend this novel. And with the sequel already written and released, A Faint Cold Fear, it looks like we'll continue getting to read about all these characters.
Kitty and The Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
- Purchase it here
- Published November 2005 (Warner Books paperback edition)
- Finished reading it on September 6, 2007
- I wasn't really expecting to like this book that much. I received it free in a grab bag from the 2006 World Horror Con and wasn't too excited about it. I figured it would be decent but not that good. I'm very pleased to say that was not the case. I very much enjoyed the book. In fact, I was able to quickly rip through it in two days and was pleased. The story follows Kitty Norville, a late night DJ at a Denver radio station and a werewolf. The story isn't so much about a single event but instead involves several sub-plots that all weave together nicely into a single story. The underlying theme is Kitty growing up and taking more responsibility for her life. There are several things that help contribute to this theme and they all work flow smoothly, making sense the entire time. The only negative is that the books reads as part of a larger continuity. You just know that there will be more books in the series. And checking Amazon does show two more books dealing with Kitty Norville. It's sort of the curse and a blessing. I'm happy because I can pick up more books to enjoy. I'm sad because I already have a ton of authors to follow and books to read; I don't need more. Fortunately I've never let that stop me before so I'll probably pick them up at some point.
Send comments or your opinions on these books to mike@kazba.com.