Rating: 
Summary: A little confusing.
Review: A gave this book a four because of the first 3/4 of it which ws a lot like a Dean Koontz book. After that it changed gears so drastically I got whiplash. It also got far too technical, info overload!
Rating:
Summary: VALLEY OF DEATH
Review: BLACK VALLEY starts off reminiscent of some of the earlier works of Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Dan Simmons. Adolescent pranks instigate revenge and so on when they become adults. The opening sequence involving the initiation rites for nasty Whitey Dobbs is tense, chilling and quite well done.
Once the boys grow up, though, it becomes a Twilight Zonish nightmare, with Whitey obviously out for some nasty revenge. Dobbs' character is effectively nasty, and the heroics of Piper Blackmoore and Dean Truman are appropriately chivalrous. However, by the time we realize what's happening, Brown falls into the trap of trying to explain time travel, and gets lost in his own revelations. But taken as a sci-fi creepfest, it works and Brown does well with developing his characters and the frightening scenarios. Brown's second novel is actually a little better than 24/7, and I think once he finds his "voice," he'll be a better writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely fantastic book--a classic page turner!
Review: I grew up in Oregon, and fictional Black Valley is all too believable. The settings, characters, dialogue, are recognizable to any small-town Oregonians. Of course, Jim Brown used to anchor the news in the area where I lived, so he should be capable of painting an accurate picture.Oh, and what a picture he paints! "Black Valley" is the epitome of suspense fiction. Full of bizarre scenarios, walking dead men, and gruesome deaths, this book will take you by the throat and shake that slumber from your eyes. I tried to go to sleep a few times, but, no, "Black Valley" insisted that I press on to the wild finale. As with Brown's "24/7," the story is tightly plotted, and he juggles his characters without dropping the reader in the process. Also, as in his debut novel, he allows only brief moments for us to care about these characters. Intermittently, I was touched by their inner dilemmas, but Brown relies on the plot to chase us through each chapter. In the end, despite the flurried page turning, I had little concern or connection with those thrust into this horrendous maelstrom of suspense. If you want intelligent storytelling that takes your breath away, Brown is a master. Both his novels will satisfy. He comes up with terrific premises, and, just when you think the ideas are too farfetched to believe, he comes up with ways of making them palatable--even frightening. No time for deep characterization here, but no time for sleeping either. These books will grab you by the throat.
Rating: 
Summary: Amateur Writing Effort
Review: I have not read Jim Brown's previous effort (24/7)...perhaps if I had I would not have spent good money on this book. Black Valley is so full of grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, context errors and malapropisms (example: "collective conscience" instead of "collective conscious") that I found the book nearly impossible to read. How anyone could compare Jim Brown to Dean Koontz is beyond me. Koontz is a master of the language, whereas Brown could benefit from a remedial English class. If you are even halfway literate, you will not enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: My Highest Recommendation
Review: I was riveted from the first sentence to the last. Black Valley is without a doubt one of the best books I've read this year. It kept me guessing, kept me terrified and, most importantly, kept me reading. According to the bio, Jim Brown is a television anchor man (now I know what they do durrng the commercials -- they come up with bone chilling ideas -- or at least this one does. I liked it so much I'm going and read his first novel, 24/7.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected...
Review: I'm not a big thriller reader, but this book looked really good, and it was...until about 3/4 the way through. At that point it goes from scary to weird. I was very disappointed with the ending of this book. It did not keep up with flow of the whole beginning of the novel. Aside from the end...it was a great page turner. An ok quick read.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic book--a classic page turner!
Review: Jim Brown's first novel 24/7 impressed the heck out of me, so I was excited to see that his second book, Black Valley, was now available. I went out, bought a copy, and began reading. Fortunately, this happened on a day when I didn't have much on my agenda, because once I started Black Valley I could not put it down. Having to abandon Black Valley midway, even for a few hours, would have been hard to do! If you like mysteries, this book is definitely for you--Jim Brown has woven an intriguing tale that mystery lovers will enjoy trying to solve (although Black Valley has so many fun twists and turns I didn't even come close to guessing any of its secrets!) If you love horror, Black Valley will not disappoint you--Jim Brown's imagination rivals that of Stephen King. If you love science fiction, you are definitely in luck as Black Valley is filled with fascinating explanations and plots. If you like suspense, then all I can say is hang on and buckle your seat belt, as this book will literally make your pulse pound--I see from reading other reviews that I am not the only one who had such a reaction while reading this incredible book. I won't bother going into the plot, as it has already been well-described up above, but I do want to comment on the villain, Whitey Dobbs. Dobbs is easily one of the most evil and creepy bad guys I have ever encountered in literature, and I loved every heebie-jeebie filled minute of him. Part "Killer Bob" from Twin Peaks, part "the Ghost" from Harlan Coben's novel "Gone for Good" and part Freddy Krueger, Dobbs is still a unique and original villain that may just haunt you for days long after the book is finished. I highly recommend giving Black Valley a try--you won't be disappointed! And I cannot wait for Mr. Brown's third novel--please keep them coming!
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: Kudos to Jim Brown for coming up with this truly entertaining horror/sci-fi thriller. This would be awesome to see on the big screen with todays special effects.
Many reviewers are comparing Jim Brown to Koontz and King. Well the reason must be that he comes darn close.
This novel was better than his first and I suspect his next one will top this one. Keep'em comin' Jim. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: Mr. Brown does a fine job with this book. Keeps you quessing right to the end. How are the murders happening? Who is the real killer? And whats up with the Bum with the biblical name? Highly recommended Fast read IE a Page turner. I just love time travel books and this one has it all Past Present and Future. And he makes it all seem likly. However the ending sets up a paradox. But that could be solved by a time line split.
Rating:
Summary: Black Valley ~ Great book!!!
Review: My dad whom is a fire fighter and a 'tough' guy read the first few chapters and said it was too scary, so I would keep that in mind. I on the other hand read the whole book in 2 days, it was that good. It's a book that will definately keep you on edge but hooks you right from the start. Hope you read and enjoy it, I know I did.
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