Freakish Friday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons. It’s Freakish Friday when we look at gems with monsters, evil or other freakish elements. This evening’s gem has a monster both subtle and evil. The gem came to me in the form of a horse chestnut, or as they are known in Ohio, a Buckeye.

I turned it over in my claws and it cracked open, spilling a black, vicious smelling substance on to the floor where it ate a small hole in the woodwork. This is gem maker Darin Miller’s “Reunion”.

Set in Southern Ohio along the river and foothills to the Appalachians, Mr. Miller weaves a tale of mystery, murder and mayhem involving a guy named Richard Dwayne Morrow, who just wants to go to his 15th high school reunion, see his old friends after all this time and head back to his life on the outskirts of Columbus and his computer business.

Instead Dwayne finds out his best friend from highschool, Ryan, is dead, murdered just a few days before. There are no suspects. No clues. The local constabulary doesn’t seem to be in any big hurry to find either. Ryan’s mother asks Dwayne to see what he can find out and reluctantly he agrees.

Our reluctant detective suddenly discovers that his old stomping grounds has a monster with a skull tattoo, a knife and the uncanny ability to find Dwayne.

I have been reading mysteries since I was cutting my fangs and this ranks in the top ten. The characters are very realistic, no over the top stereotypes here. The situations, the places, the atmosphere is absolutely perfect. I live in this neck of the woods and I felt these folk could be my next door neighbors. The writing is superb. The plot and it’s twists had me hanging on to every page. I read this novel in just over 24 hours. I had the bloodshot eyes to prove it.

If you love mysteries, monsters and an excellent tale told well, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t read it. It’s sold where all good books are sold. I look forward to the next in the Dwayne Morrow Mysteries.

Until next time I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

I thank http://www.darin-miller.com for the review copy. My opinions are my own.