For fans of Stephen King, Michael Koryta, and Lawrence Block, Hamelin Bird delivers a stunning debut. In this haunting new horror thriller featuring a down-and-out detective, solving the case of a lifetime and tracking down a dangerous killer is only half of the story.
Former detective Michael Lunsmann is about to lose everything. Still in love with his ex-wife, estranged from his teenage son, and now fresh off the wagon once again, rock bottom has never felt closer. But things are about to get worse. Following another Father’s Day disaster with his son, Lunsmann wakes from a drinking binge with a bullet in his arm and no earthly idea how it got there. That same night, four teens go missing and are later found dead, brutally murdered by a madman.
Drawn into the investigation, Lunsmann launches an effort to catch the killer. But to repair the damage to his family, he’ll have to confront his own demons. When the most unlikely detective becomes the only man to crack the case, dark and sinister forces will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from surfacing.
A supernatural thriller and compelling meditation on addiction and fatherhood, Double Vision is a gripping story that will keep readers turning pages late into the night.
Assessment:
Plot: Former detective Mike Lunsmann is an alcoholic on the brink; as his life crashes around him, he is confronted by a mystery in the Harlow Boonies that causes him to question his own reality. Double Vision features an engaging plot that touches on the supernatural, the nature of evil, and the often tenuous relationships of fathers and sons.
Prose/Style: Bird's prose is clever, well-written, and elegiac at times as his characters often ponder their own broken lives and inner demons. It is only near the end of the story that the supernatural comes fully into view, awakening the reader to the clever duality throughout the story.
Originality: While stories about broken-down alcoholic cops are a dime a dozen, what makes this story stand apart is its well-developed and likable, albeit flawed, characters. Fathers and sons, "scars that never heal," and the insidiousness of the past cleverly combine to form an enjoyable tale where a man hell-bent on revenge lives in a house on the threshold of worlds.
Character Development/Execution: Bird paints a vivid picture of all his characters, from the main characters like Dougie, Mike, and Saul Jessup, to the one's on the periphery like Ryan Mills and Natalie Hollister. The characters are definitely the backbone of the story; their flaws and introspections make them both realistic and sympathetic, while also making this story a joy to read.
Date Submitted: April 03, 2021
