Dead Souls
by Michael Laimo
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael LaimoEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Published: 2007-01-30
ISBN: 0843957603
Number of pages: 340
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Company
Book Reviews of Dead Souls
Book Review: Two tales in one
Summary: 4 Stars
Dead Souls was my first Laimo book, I wasn't sure what to expect because I have been lucky so far with some of the new horror authors I have tried, and I feared I was pushing my luck. This was a very fast read at the standard Leisure horror length of 330 pages and can easily be read in an evening. The writing style is simple and straight forward, and the verbiage is standard enough that you won't need to whip out your thesaurus.
Short Summary: We have two tales going on simultaneously in the book, 18 years apart. Johnny Petri just turned 18, and longs to break away from his controlling religious zealot mother and his loafing father who pays not attention to him. Johnny suddenly gets his chance when he receives a letter from an attorney stating that he has a large inheritance for him to come and claim now that he is 18. Meanwhile - 18 years earlier, Benjamin Conroy has enlisted his family to help him perform a ritual that he believes will secure their everlasting lives, allowing them to return as saviors the same as Jesus. Things begin to go awry and Benjamin turns out to be a little more out there than we previously thought. Several deaths later (in both times) Johnny finds himself fast approaching the Conroy house, and the evil that has remained within it's walls.
First I would like to compliment Laimo for his masterful way of switching back and forth between the two times in the book. Many authors have tried it and most fail by giving away too much in one time or another which erases the tension in the other half of the book. (Example - Dan Simmons "Fires of Eden" the diary gives away everything that is about to happen in the regular time) Laimo handles this masterfully, leaping back and forth between the two tales, giving enough of a hint to make the reader suspicious of what will happen but never laying it out in their lap. The story weaves tightly around the religiously insane, one who believes he has unlocked the secrets hidden deep within the Bible, the other who lives in panic and terror, hiding behind their belief like a security blanket. Now even though the religiously insane are the focal point and driving force of the novel, this book never ventures too deeply into actual religion. There is a strong message about those who seek so deeply in their religion for something to make them special that they become mislead, misguided, and easily manipulated by the darker forces in the world.
Now many have said that this is a very gory book, I didn't find it to be over the top, or gruesomely described, but then again I have read hundreds of horror books, so I'm a bit jaded when it comes to the gore level. There is also some sex in this book, but it isn't a major feature, and the descriptions don't come anywhere near a Laymon book.
What did I not like about this book? Two things, first the editor needed one more read through before publishing... there are a few small typos and one instance that really threw me where Johnny was referred to as Eddie. Second the ending is very hurried, and the climax becomes a bit muddled to the point of my needing to re-read a paragraph or two to figure out exactly what was transpiring and make sure I hadn't missed anything. The ending wasn't bad, but it could have used a little reworking because there were so many characters in a small space, amidst chaos that I kept wondering - okay so these two are fighting, what are the rest of them doing? Just standing around and watching?
On the whole this book was a fairly fun read, it's quick and rather mindless. I didn't feel that it pushed the envelope in any sense, but it was entertaining. If you've read through all of your other horror books and don't know where to go next, give this one a shot, Laimo won't be for everyone but I do know that I will read more by him.
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