Rating: 
Summary: Haunting Tale
Review: Joseph Nassise weaves a chilling story that rivals some of the best in the genre. With superb characterization and an intriguing plot, this book will satisfy, yet still leave you yearning for more.
Rating: 
Summary: WINGED BEAST FROM THE SUBCONSCIOUS
Review: Like most great horror literature, the evil at the heart of Joseph Nassise's Riverwatch springs from the dark regions of the human subconscious. In this case, it's a demonic winged beast, whom an intruder unwittingly unleashes and which then preys upon the denizens of a small mountain town, dropping down upon the unwary at night on wings of velvet. The novel is well-crafted and fast paced, with a dark Gothic feel to it. Unlike so many recent horror novels, whose protagonists are drunken slobs or other unsavory characters, Nassise's "heros" are likeable characters with whom one can identify. The novel has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award, and it has elicited interest from some film production companies. Beware the skies above!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely great horror
Review: Long before man was a sentient species, two intelligent races walked the Earth. The Elders, looking much like present day Homo sapiens, were a wise and benevolent group who saw the potential in man's ancestors and taught them what they knew. The Nightshades, a reptilian race that could fly, thought of the humans as cattle that made for a tasty meal. They ignored their kind rivals and the time came when the Elders and the Nightshades went to war.
They fought each other to the point of extinction until the last Elder defeated Moloch, the last Nightshade. Moloch was in a state of suspended animation until a construction worker in a small Vermont town inadvertently awakened him. He managed to free himself and go on a killing spree in Harrington Falls. To stop this dark and evil creature will take all the courage and the strength of the three people in the town who knows what they are really dealing with.
Horror fans have a special treat in store for themselves if they choose to read RIVERWATCH, a genuinely frightening novel that features a creature out of our darkest nightmares. Joseph M. Nassise is a gifted storyteller who knows how to capture and keep his audience's attention. Readers should put Mr. Nassise on their must read list. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: One of This Year's Sleepers
Review: Modern horror writers are under continuous pressure to innovate. Vampires run nightclubs, ghouls haunt the Internet and serial killers are masters of culinary science. It is very unusual for an author to tackle a traditional plot and bring it to successful fruition. So I was much surprised to discover that Joseph Nassise had produced a fine, spirited tale of horror and suspense that could have taken place almost any time in the past 200 years and been just as readable as it is in it's modern setting. In classic form, this story starts out with the discovery of a hidden passageway beneath a river that ran through the cellar of an old New England mansion. Jake Caruso, who restores historic homes discovers the passageway when he drains the river, and follows it to an ancient Blake family crypt. What Jake and Sheriff Damon Wilson find in the crypt is a frightening statue of a weird half-snake half-bat creature and the bloodless body of a would be thief. Unbeknownst to Jake and Damon the corpse's blood has awakened a nightmare creature from humanity's prehistory past. Moloch is the last of one a race that predated humanity; he is a Nightshade, a highly intelligent creature that feeds on blood and terror. To Moloch, we are herd animals, meat to be used and destroyed. Opposing him is Gabriel, once a member of the Elders who battled the Nightshades and sought to help mankind advance. Now he is a dying old man in a nursing home, desperately trying to pass his knowledge on to Jake's friend, Sam Travers. When Jake gives his girlfriend Katelynn Riley a strange necklace he found at the crypt she finds herself able to ride Moloch's mind. As Moloch carves a bloody path through Harrington Falls these three young people, with the help of the sheriff, must find the strength to defeat an almost indestructible horror. Nassise paints his characters with all their humanity, rather than creating two dimensional heroes. As such, their mistakes and fears make an otherwise fantastic tale easily believable. From start to spectacular finish the plot never flags. Moloch's nonchalant and consuming violence steadily builds suspense and momentum. For a first novel, "Riverwatch" is very well crafted with good balance between plot, atmospheric narrative, and characterization. My only gripes are that there a several editing errors, and that a subplot involving the Blake family (owners of the mansion) seems to have been cut down to the bone at some point. Still, I give Nassise's tale a full recommendation, and hope he goes on to write more.
Rating:
Summary: A cut above the rest...
Review: Nassise has captured the most gruesome character from our nightmares and has transformed it into a subhuman character that will raise the hair on the back of your neck, and have you picturing it for months to come. Joseph Nasisse is an author whose future works are NOT to be missed. As his style matures, he could very well be the next King or Koontz.
Rating:
Summary: A Welcome Addition to the Genre
Review: Nassise is a good example proving there's still room in a tough genre for new talents to coexist alongside the big guys, whether we're talking about the mass market titans like King and Barker or the small press gods like Ketchum and Lee. His Riverwatch is a very solid debut, and shows he has the talent and drive to make the long haul. The book tells the tale of three small town friends who find themselves dealing with an ancient evil that predates man after a would-be vandal inadvertently sets a creature known as a Nightshade loose. In the course of their encounters and investigations, they learn of the existence of another ancient race of beings known as the Elders, who, like the Nightshades, predate mankind. Nassise shows a solid command of pacing and his dialogue is solid. His scenes of violence and their aftermath are detailed and gritty, and very much worthy of the horror label. The two male protagonists sometimes come off as a bit dorky, but they are still very likeable characters and the gruff sheriff more than makes up for their inadequacies. The narrative is off a bit at times, but it does not detract from the flow of the story. I'll definitely be looking forward to Nassise's next efforts.
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Debut
Review: Riverwatch is a fine debut novel containing elements from several genres, including horror, dark fantasy and mystery. It is a novel of good vs. evil, the fight between two ancient races and the contemporary lives disrupted by the feud. The thing I liked most Riverwatch was the glimpses into the lives of its characters. Nassise spent a lot of time crafting them and it shows.
Rating:
Summary: A Horror Fan's Delight!
Review: RIVERWATCH is a horror-fan's delight! I couldn't put this one down until I was finished. Nassise breathes life into his characters--and into the genre itself. Nassise's voice is a mixture of Douglas Clegg and Frank Perretti, but uniquely his own. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: If this book doesn't scare you, you're already dead.
Review: Riverwatch is an excellent page turner that gets under your skin. For some of the less fortunate victims in the novel, it literally gets under their skin! The characters jump off the page and the scenes come alive with rich detail. I'm a fan of L.K.Hamilton, Barker and King and now I can add Nassise to my list of must read horror writers.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Horror
Review: Riverwatch was somewhat of a strange experience to read. Although the book does offer some very terrifying moments, and although the plot is very tense and suspenseful, I still found myself feeling somewhat indifferent toward this book. Molok, a Nightshade (a winged beast who hunts living flesh at night) is awakened after a few hundred years in dormancy. And he's hungrier than ever. He starts praying on the habitants of a small town in order to regain the strength he lost during his dormant state. Now, it is up to three friends and a disbelieving police officer to put an end to things before they are too late. The story offers many great moments. There is a scene that takes place at night in a lake that is just amazing. But I still found that the story dragged too much in moments. It could have been a lot trimmer. There is somewhat of a double-ending to this novel that wasn't necessary and there is a subplot about a rich man named Blake that is never fully finished or explained which leaves the viewer in the dark for way too long. But overall, the book, for what it is, does offer many good moments. It's a good read, if only that.
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