RUSSETTE'S REVIEWS #3

THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY by Barry Reese delivers everything that I was hoping it would. There is plenty of action, occult, happenings, a quartet of interesting characters and even a guest star from Mr. Reese’s other, likely better known character, The Rook.


I have read elsewhere that this is a character that is a sort of homage to the classic pulp character The Avenger. I’ve never read anything of said character so I went in blind save for the knowledge that Mr. Reese knows how to spin a yarn.

There are seven stories to be found within this collection. Some have seen print before elsewhere but they were all new to me. I won’t say that I liked them all equally (or disliked ANY) but that is only because we all have preferences. I lean towards the supernatural side of things and those tales Mr. Reese wrote involving Mr. Gray and Assistance Unlimited were great fun and interesting to read.

The pacing in every story is breakneck and frankly it makes the book rather hard to put down. I won’t give away anything as far as the plot goes. Pertaining to the characters of Gray’s team I will say that I find each every bit as interesting as the lead in the tales. I particularly thing that Samantha could hold a story or two all by her lonesome.

As far as being worthy to be included among the great tales coming forth from the New Pulp movement, Lazarus Gray and his crew have their place of honor cemented.


C. William Russette

Pa.

2012

RUSSETTE'S REVIEWS #2

DRACULA LIVES! By Joshua Reynolds has been on my to-read list for some time. I am a fan of Mr. Reynolds work, have been for some time but I have been fond of the vampire mythos for much, much longer. I was not about to forgive any mucking about with my beast of legend.


The tale stars a man named Cream. He is an assassin and very good one. I must give points to Reynolds for writing not a show-boaty kind of action star of an assassin but rather a lean killer that does enough to come out on top,often using his brains before his other dangerous abilities. Not a layer of frosting here to make him seem cool. Cream is just cold, proficient and quite lethal. My expectations on the handling of a man in this sort of profession were exceeded.

Come to think of it the entire tale is lean. Nothing frivolous or distracting about the story, characters or prose style. There’s very little backstory getting fed to you, the reader, bogging you down and slowing things up. It’s hit the ground running and you better move fast or it’s your life!

That is very much what Cream is up against. He is running for his life for the entire book. There are a multitude of factions working against him, all of which underestimate him again and again to their regret, that is for certain. Whether it is against man or monster, Cream holds his own quite well. A very impressive man by all accounts.

There is plot, action, horror and intrigue in spades in this cross-genre, well-spun tale. It is a bargain at full price and a book not to be missed.

I must find a way to get Mr. Reynolds to hammer out the damned sequel immediately!



C. William Russette
Pa.
2012

Some Great News!

Is what I got today involving a large piece of writing I've been hammering at for years.

I can't say much more at this time.

Stay tuned.