Author: James L. Grant

Publisher: StoneGarden.net Publishing

ISBN: 1-60076-051-1

Who is Becks? That is the question on Charlie’s lips when he receives a phone call from a woman who he doesn’t even remember. Why is she calling him and perhaps more importantly why does she say she loves him? Charles wonders at these questions but comes up with no answers by himself. He’s still trying to trace Trish and Douglas who had befriended him.  Charlie has enlisted a Detective  Heese in his efforts to retrieve his valuable paintings which they had stolen. An old school photograph maybe holds the clue as to who Becks is but Charles struggles to recall. How did she know about “dead dog sundaes”?  

Moving house was a priority Charles had to act on as he is an artist.

Lunch with the mystery woman revealed how well informed about him she was and Charlie began to have flash backs also he realised how attracted to her he felt.

How did she know about the vulture?  This is the stuff of nightmares.

All these events took place in 2004 but the memories take him back to 1993, when as a teenager Charlie and Becks go on an expedition into the hills. Birds don’t sing and his dog trembles.  How can a cabin have concrete foundations yet not be in the same spot the next visit. Two pennies are also to figure largely in this tale.

He was not to see Brecks for five months.  Who or what is Wagner, is he the reincarnation of another being?

An underlying theme of restrained passion runs through the build up. Burning the cabin down seemed a good idea but did it actually happen? Charlie finds himself naked in the forest and doesn’t know how he got there.

Is it ghosts or an alien being of some sort that they keep seeing, is it all a dream or a nightmare and the outlook for Smokey the dog doesn’t look too good.

This book would make a brilliant film. It has unexpected twists that hold your attention as the tension slowly builds up. It sets your imagination free with it’s atmospheric feeling.

I felt that later on in the book the flashbacks got a bit confusing but all is eventually revealed and you won’t be able to put the book down.

Cleverly crafted, what an imagination James Grant must have to have created this grotesque, graphic tale. Read it , you won’t be able to get it out of your mind and do try not to have nightmares, you never know what might happen.

The above review was contributed by: Jessica Roberts: Jessica has been a book reviewer for a newspaper and a national women's magazine and is working on a novel.