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The BookViral Review:
An extremely affecting reading experience, down to the very last page. True crime Fiction rarely gets better than Saint Bloodbath with Frederick Douglass Reynolds once again demonstrating a prodigious talent for writing in his chosen genre.
In telling the true story of the monstrous killer David Ponce, Reynolds achieves a novelistic power and intensity as he puts the reader at the scene with vivid prose and attention to detail. It’s as gripping and fast-paced as a bestselling fictional mystery and it’s hard not to draw favourable comparisons to classics like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood for Reynolds’ ability to get beneath the veneer of his characters.
On this level, he portrays the snuffed-out lives of Ponce’s six victims with the same care he devotes to the uncompromising pursuit of their killer as he drops a massive, writhing knot of sorrow, desperation and revulsion in the reader’s lap. And if that doesn’t sound like entertainment to you, you’re right because Reynolds does something far more profound because he finds the tragic universal core of a contentious issue. Namely the huge numbers of unresolved murders.
Saint Bloodbath is the kind of True Crime Fiction that spoils us for other books because it reveals so starkly how the majority quickly fall into a conventional routine and lull us with the reassurance that they will not look too hard, or probe too deeply, or make us think beyond the boundaries of what is comfortable. Reynolds doesn’t have those concerns and he is at his best as he delves into the dark twisted mind of Ponce.
Here Reynolds creates a nice rhythm to his narrative as he explores his street and home life, his interviews with investigating officers and the details of his unsettling murders as he tightens the noose of inexorably mounting tension.
Such are the merits of Saint Bloodbath, it seems perfectly crafted for the basis of a film, which will lend the tragic story of Ponce’s victims an even greater sense of immediacy. It is unreservedly recommended.
A wonderfully rich, dark and emotionally engaging Fantasy novel with the flavour and appeal of the genre’s best it’s rare that a novel leaves you glued to your seat, wanting to read it again, but The Shade Of Highfall is certainly one of them with O’Dell delivering an exquisitely crafted narrative.
Readers looking for a genuinely original read need look no further than MAX – Hide and Seek Champion of the World. A novel that makes its readers feel like active participants in its unfolding narrative as the mystery of the Sasquatch’m unfolds.
I was recently introduced to sleep stories. Not that I have a problem sleeping; as an early riser with avid exercise habits I am definitely ready to grab 7 hours of blissful slumber by the end of the day.
Having a strong relationship with Europe has allowed British publishers to enjoy the financial benefits that come with exclusive English-language rights to books sold continent-wide. Britain risks losing these benefits post-Brexit.
Whilst there is undoubted value in considering historical context, not least because past forces, individuals and trends both shape the present and provide valuable lessons for our future decisions, is historical fiction of any value?
Have you ever come home to a hot bath strewn with rose petals and filled with bubbles, in a bathroom bedecked with scented candles and an ice cold glass of champagne fizzing invitingly on the side. If not you might be thinking poor me but you might want to think again!
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