AN OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE...
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This is an intriguing chiller thriller by Great Britain's master of horror and the supernatural. Written as a first person narrative by the protagonist, James True, a successful graphic artist with his own business, the reader discovers that for years James has been capable of having out-of-body experiences. He is able to project his essence, leaving his body behind, as he wanders around totally unfettered by physical constraints. Unfortunately, on his last such foray, he returns to his body only to discover that he had been brutally murdered and mutilated while he was out-of-body.
At first, the police believe his murder to be the work of a serial killer, and, despite his obvious limitations, James sets out hell-bent to find his murderer. What he finds, however, is betrayal, heartbreak, and fear, as he discovers things about his wife, his beloved daughter, and his business partner that he never knew. He also meets the serial killer, a decidedly creepy character that will have some surprises in store for the reader. Just when the reader has it all figured out, the author pulls a rabbit out of the hat.
Peppered with wry, macabre humor, the plot is so inventive that the reader cannot help but keep turning the pages of this book, despite its falling somewhat short in terms of character development. It is an entertaining, quick read.
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Read better, read worse
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After a promising start the story becomes predictable and you can see the ending coming a mile off. Interesting ideas are produced but then barely explored. Not as good as his older stuff but still better than a lot of the drivel which is out there today.
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Difficult to get into, but well worth the perserverance
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I found this book difficult to get into at the start as the author's descriptions of his main characters problems were incredibly repetitive. Although I appreciate this might be needed, I thought this could have been trimmed significantly and the reader would still understand the significance. The second half of the book is excellent and this really becomes a page turner once the main character stumbles across the serial killer. Solid ending. Enjoyable stuff.
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Great read!
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This is one of my favourite James Herbert books. Herbert draws you in from the first page without any hope of escape! I couldn't put it down. If you like supernatural stories then you will not be disappointed with this book, thoroughly entertaining!
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Deathtastic!
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Having read some James Herbert books which I felt fell short of his usually high standard, this re-affirmed him as the best horror writer this side of the moon.
The book is interesting as at its core it is a story about a man finding out that the life he had eventually found happiness with, was actually not the life he believed it to be. The fact that he does this from the grave allows him a different insight to the daily goings on at his home and work.
This is a gripping story from start to finish. For all its paranormal happenings - it still feels gritty and has a foot firmly in reality.
I am not going to go into any more detail as I don't want to ruin it for anyone - but there is a twist at the end, and lots of action leading up to it.
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