Leisure Book Reviews and Random Thoughts


The first thing I noticed when I received my package of July books from Leisure was that they both take place in the winter. Now, I have to wonder, was this a conscious idea on their part, to perhaps give us an extra chill during the heat of the summer? Or was it pure serendipity? Come December, will we get two books that take place in the middle of a July heat wave? Personally, I've always enjoyed reading a book that takes place in the same season I'm currently living through, but that's just me. In any event, it will be interesting to see if Leisure follows through with any other seasonally-themed (or other themed) book pairings.

The Bone Factory by Nate Kenyon

Kenyon's third novel sees him continuing to improve as a storyteller and as a writer. It's a sturdy effort, if not groundbreaking, and one most horror readers with enjoy. I give it a solid B, and look forward to even better things in the future from Mr. Kenyon, who's establishing himself as a star on the rise.

The Bone Factory takes place in the Canadian town of Jackson, a King-ish small town by virtue of its isolation and its dependency on the local power plant to keep people employed. Almost immediately, strange deaths and disappearances start to happen. Soon a small child begins having visions of a 'blue man' who is bringing about the death and destruction. It's left up to David Pierce, our main character, to solve the mystery before it's too late for his family.

This book starts opens with the local sheriff tracking a murderer through the snowy woods and into the abandoned power plant. Kenyon cranks up the suspense in the first paragraphs, and for the most part doesn't throttle it down throughout the book. His maturation as a writer shows in his ability to build that suspense and hold it even during scenes where no action is occurring. He's also given us some very three-dimensional characters, characters who the reader will care about and root for.

This winter tale stands right up there with some of the best, with its descriptions of storms and deep, dark woods, and chilling cold.

By balancing the line between straight-out psychopath murder plot and supernatural baddy, Kenyon also provides something for all tastes (as long as those tastes are bloody ones).

So, if you want to really cool off on a hot summer day, take a copy of The Bone Factory to the beach or pool with you. It will deliver more chills than the coldest, icy drink.

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The Shore by Robert Dunbar

The Shore is supposed to be the sequel to Dunbar's The Pines,, a tale about the Jersey Devil which took place in the Pine Barrens. In this new book, Dunbar shifts the locale to the Jersey Shore, and gives us a monster that may be that same Jersey Devil or it may be something else - you'll have to read the book to find out. I ain't telling! What I will tell you is that this book rates a howling B.

I reviewed Dunbar's previous book, The Pines, a while back, and it's no secret I wasn't a big fan. However, I was curious about this so-called sequel, coming so many years later. And, to my surprise, The Shore was much better than I expected it to be. The passage of time has been good to Mr. Dunbar, and he's produced a nice monster tale (and I'm a sucker for those) that can hold its own against the vampires, ghosts, and other boogums inhabiting the book shelves of your local Barnes & Noble.

The nice thing about The Shore is that it works equally well as a sequel or a standalone novel. IT takes place in a small, deteriorating Jersey Shore town, where stores are boarded up, some for the winter and some for good, and people struggle to make ends meet. Add to this a winter setting, complete with storms, and a mysterious monster on the loose who's carving up its victims, and you have the makings of a perfect monster tale.

Dunbar doesn't disappoint, either. He tosses in several potential suspects, any one of whom could be the killer, if, as suspected, the killer is some kind of shapeshifter or were-being. On the other hand, it's possible the monster is none of them, that it's something else entirely, something lurking out of sight.

The heroine of the story is Kit, a policewoman who has returned to her hometown. Dunbar could have made her into a cliche, but he does a good job of building her stereotypical character into one with three dimensions, rather than two.

This book isn't without flaws; Dunbar has a tendency to get overly descriptive at times, and sometimes his shifting from internal dialogue to description can be a bit herky-jerky. But those are small flaws, and they're more than balanced by the increasing tension of the plot, bringing you to near-breaking time and again.

All in all, The Shore was a fine read, and a perfect bookend for Leisure's July winter doubleheader.

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JG Faherty is a writer of dark fiction. His credits include Cemetery Dance, www.wrongworld.com, Shroud Magazine, Doorways Magazine, and numerous anthologies. He writes regular columns, book reviews, and interviews for the Horror Writers Association newsletter, FearZone, Cemetery Dance, and several other online and print venues. You can visit him at JGFaherty.com