Rob Blackwell

4.5./5
At some point I was reading this book very late at night in my kitchen, and I got really spooked, started imagining noises and movements and decided I'd better call it a night... The moral of the story - don't read it late at night unless you want to get spooked.

It's such a great mix of thriller where two journalists Quinn and Kate investigate a serial killer in their small town and get targeted by him; and paranormal horror story where aforementioned journalists have to deal not show more only with the killer, but with the legend of Sleepy Hollow and a fascinating Celtic myth about Princes of Sanheim....

Loved the story! And there is a lot to it too. Serial killer's creepy letters to a journalist from 12 years ago when he went on his first killing spree... Quinn's nightmares of headless rider... Kate's past... Spooky Tarot reading... I was shivering with delight.

It was also interesting to explore how debilitating fear can be and how people react to it with fight or flight, how fear freezes you to the spot when you know you have to hurry and get away from the killer.

I'm vague on purpose, peeps. I don't want to give you any spoilers. I just want you to read this book. It's really really good. I couldn't guess the identity of the killer until the very end, and I bet you wouldn't be able too :) show less

I'm not one to read much in the way of thriller-suspense novels, so I'm no expert in the genre. But, I do know a good story when I read it, and this is definitely great. Whether or not the 'whodunnit' aspect is all that clever—I don't know, because I have nothing to compare it to. But, I think it's awesome because I was wrong about who the killer is, and when you guess, then realize you're wrong by the end, you must have read an effective mystery.

We follow around quite a few different show more characters, but most of the time, we're inside the heads of Quinn and Kate, the main characters. They are reporters for a small town newspaper called The Loudoun Chronicle, in Virginia. Kate moves there for very personal reasons because she's connected to the serial killer that terrorized the town twelve years earlier.

But, that killer has started to kill in Loudoun again, and as the story progresses, everybody's trying to find him, and this guy's downright terrifying! He keeps on succeeding and a lot people, despite being super careful, still get picked off by him. He is as sick as you'll ever find because he uses the newspaper to publicize his crimes, and to get the people of the town to tremble in fear every October so he can get off on it.

For some reason, he takes a twelve year hiatus and then starts killing again in October of 2006. It's definitely a thrilling ride as you try to figure out who he is and why he's killing people. But, there's this very original and creative aspect to the story that I loved in how it all connected to Washington Irving's “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” I won't spoil how it's connected, but it intersects with this story in a really neat way, and sort of parallels Irving's classic spooky read.

I think any adult reader would love this, especially during this time of year. Because the events take place only during October, it's the perfect Halloween read. It's not scary in the horror kind of way since there's not much gore. Lots of murder and mayhem, but we don't see every detail of every kill. That made it easy for me to read and enjoy. From what I understand, this is the first book in a trilogy, so there's more to come in future Halloweens.

I received this book for review from the author for my honest opinion.

My score: 4.5 stars out of 5. show less

I read this for the Modern Masters of Horror square for Halloween Bingo

Today is the first day of October. By the end of it, five women, five men and five children will be rotting in the ground. You cannot stop me, just as you cannot stop change. I am night. I am cold. I am flesh rendered and torn. I am steel. I am the harbinger of fail: I am death. You can call me Lord Halloween.

Borrowing heavily from the Headless Horseman legend and adding some Jack the Ripper and Freddy Kruger elements, show more this definitely had a nice Halloween feel to it. Our heroine Kate finds herself having dreams where she is being chased by a headless horseman and her mother is trying to warn and help her. When Kate was little her mother was murdered by Lord Halloween and he always told her he would come back for her. Unable to ignore her dreams Kate goes back to her hometown to try and solve the Lord Halloween mystery.

Quinn works at the local paper and immediately is drawn to the new reporter Kate. He's also been having dreams about a headless horseman chasing him. Coincidence? I think not! What follows is a murder mystery involving a Lord Halloween who writes letters to reporters describing his murders and wanting them printed so he can get the respect he thinks he deserves for everyone celebrating his holiday. There is also a paranormal mystery with the headless horseman chasing Quinn and Kate in their dreams and real life. There is a sizable cast of characters that work to keep you guessing as to who the murderer/s is/are and how Kate and Quinn tie in to it all.

I think adding the paranormal aspect overly complicated matters and gave the story a looser feeling; I couldn't follow along with it. The graphic and at times creepy letters from Lord Halloween were adequate enough to provide some spook factor. This looks to be a continuing series and I imagine the paranormal storyline and connection Quinn and Kate have will be continued on and maybe flushed out a bit better.

The writing was overall good but like I said, the murder and paranormal plot lines had a tendency to get a bit loose. A great October read though to get you in the Halloween mood.

We are night. We are October. We are flesh rendered and torn. We are the rider that was promised long ago, the harbinger of fall: We are death, riding on a black horse. You can call us the Prince of Sanheim. show less

Is fear the most powerful emotion we experience? And if so, do our fears shape us or is it the way we respond to fear that forms and molds our character? Blackwell explores the place of fear in our emotional and psychological arsenal via a supernatural thriller that doubles as a murder mystery. Quinn and Kate are searching for 'Lord Halloween' a serial killer who has long been believed captured and executed. But now 12 years later he is back and killing again. Kate and Quinn are show more investigative reporters searching for clues to the killer's identity. But they are not only drawn to each other, they each have a secret to keep and deep within there is an overarching supernatural attraction as well.

Blackwell weaves a tale that includes a murder mystery, elements of Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and the ancient rites and beliefs of Samhein. His writing draws the reader into tuinhe story with well developed characters and realistic conflicts and interaction. The narrative moves well revealing enough to draw the reader on, but keeping the mystery intact. With all the separate plot lines the reader finds himself wondering how he will bring them together, but he does amazingly well at tying up all the plots. The book is the first in a proposed trilogy and while the story is complete in itself, there is a thread of plot to carry the reader to the next book.

As Quinn and Kate confront 'Lord Halloween' they must also confront the mystery of Samhein and their supernatural relationship that drives their physical attraction. They must also face their fears, exploring the idea of the way fear impacts our character development. The book offers thrills, mystery and a deeper exploration of the human psyche. This reader is looking forward to book two. show less