Deathgrip

I'm surprised that I haven't read more of Hodge's books; I really enjoy them and they are pleasantly surprising. And judging by the lack of reviews on Amazon, there aren't currently tons of people reading his books. On the plus side, I have a bunch of his books on my "to be read" stack so I will get to enjoy more of his works soon enough. But back to DEATHGRIP. Similar to MAD DOGS, the story didn't quite go where I expected. This time though the story was more serious with less hilarity and craziness.

Paul Handler is a DJ in St. Louis and has a pretty good life. He likes his job. He's single but has a not-so-secret crush on a co-worker. He's happy getting drunk with his friends. But one day while on a remote site for a store opening, show more life changes drastically as someone crashes their car into the crowd, killing and seriously injuring many. Through some weird but logical steps, Paul realizes that he can heal people and he helps the victims from that day. Then he realizes there is a balance and that he can take lives as well as save them. With the new knowledge, Paul leaves his old life to try to do good at Donny Dawson Ministries, a popular televangelist. There are a few more twists and depth to the story as the source of the power is revealed to be centuries old. At the end, the story is complex and detailed.

As I mentioned, the story goes in directions that I didn't predict. It very easily could have followed three totally different directions. Instead Hodge does a masterful job of blending all three potential stories into one single tale with more punch to it then expected. The emotional punches at the end were direct and subtle but most importantly powerful. The book could have ended before the last two chapters, but the redemption that they provided was the perfect ending. Very satisfying and highly recommended. show less