Black Fire

Rating:
Summary: a fast paced thriller
Review: Black Fire by James Kidman was a fast paced and gripping thriller, probably one of the best I read all year. Kidman tells the story in three ways, through the past and the present and the main character's journal. Now a journal may not sound interesting or scary, but hearing this anguished and tortured character's thoughts in his own words, just days after something so traumatic it isn't explained until the end of the book, really got under my skin.

The story moves quickly after a few slow chapters that introduce the cast, and I found both the past and the present material intriguing enough that I read this in one sitting. The ending caught me off guard, and I have to admit that I went back to read the book a second time just to see all the clues I missed. It definitely messed with my head a bit!

I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: might make a good made-for-tv movie...
Review: James Kidman plays with the idea that evil can be passed on from one generation to the next...like father, like son and so on and so forth...

Seven years ago Eddie Farris had what he calls "The Showdown" when he killed his father in self defense and has been trying to come to terms with it. Here is a man with skeletons in his closet. There are several people: The town sheriff, Eddie's employer, and his old girlfriend who were also involved in the incident but have never blamed Eddie for what happened even though they have suffered their own personal demons from it. Everyone else in town however are not as forgiving and local children even sing a nursery rhyme about Eddie the killer. Each chapter is written as either "Now" or "Then" and we gradually (frustratingly) learn about the events leading upto The Showdown.

There are no new scares here. In fact there's no scares at all. The paper thin cut-out characters with whom I had no empathy had me skimming the last half of the book just so I could find out the ending(which I had already guessed)and get on to something better.

This book would probably make a good screenplay for a thriller. However, if Mr. Kidman wants to keep writing novels, then he needs to create characters whom one can actually give a damn about.



Rating:
Summary: Quite a debut for Kidman
Review: The mind of a child is very easily molded. But what happens when you have an abusive father that works out to be more fit than the criminals he watches over in the prision? What happens when that father brings all of the rage home with him? How long until the family crumbles? Nothing you own can be hidden from a dad like this, not even your most personal posessions. When the dam breaks, all hell breaks loose with it. Eddie was left without a family the night that the strain broke the already fragile family. But if Eddie's father died that night, who is haunting him now, and why is he stalking Eddie's ex-girlfriend? Did his dad really die that night seven years ago or is this some kind of horror filled dream? Is there any escape for Eddie from this never ending nightmare?

This book is quite readable and enjoyable. Even though I figured out the ending was about 1/2 way through the book, it was still an entertainging ride. Well written and a very noble start for a budding star in horror.