Self described "Writer, swordfighter and crazy cat lady" on Where the Dead Fear to Tread
The first words that come to mind after reading Where the Dead Fear to Tread are "bleak" and "relentless." The world of William Chandler starts out dark and grim and M.R. Gott is not afraid to make it darker and grimmer with every page. The pace in the first half of the novel is slow but steady as Gott introduces characters and starts weaving various plot elements together with a careful eye for description. The third person present narrative is an interesting choice, something I found distracting at first. But it works and once I settled into the story, it definitely adds to the author's distinct narrative style. Lots of action and gore, monsters and creepy atmosphere (my favorite scene is in an old asylum and is one of the most disturbing and atmospheric things I've read in a long while), with a vigilante hero, a kick-ass female detective, and assorted interesting secondary characters. This book cries out to made into a graphic novel a la Sin City!
Four Stars
Dana Fredsti is the author of Plague City and Murder for Hire
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