3 out of 4 stars
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The Madness of Robin Randle by Glen Dickinson is a suspenseful thriller. The story follows Robin Randle, a young women who has just been released from a mental asylum. As she returns to what she thinks is to be her life, she finds herself straddling two worlds. She must ask herself, "What is real and what is not?" while trying to piece together the twisted fragments of her memories. Along the way, she battles demons and monsters, and quickly must learn who to trust.
I thoroughly enjoy books that play with time, and in The Madness of Robin Randle, Dickinson does a masterful job. He constructs the plot so that it tells the story of a young woman who has lived three lives. He transitions between the past, present, and future so seamlessly that sometimes I questioned Robin's sanity as much as she did. In casting such a wide net over time, Dickinson has managed to weave a plot that is full of twists, turns, and suspense.
The book is written using first person, so Robin herself is telling the story. There are several areas which are a bit graphic, and would in fact border more on horror than thriller. The word "gothic" is probably best used to describe the book. Profanity is used frequently, and Robin references/experiences several erotic encounters. A warning for those with conservative tastes: most of those encounters are homosexual in nature. Many of the other characters are not well-developed, briefly appearing for two or three chapters and then disappearing. Only one other character remains somewhat constant, but even she appears and disappears throughout the book.
This is not a book for those with strong theological beliefs in any particular religion. To create Robin's backstory, Dickinson pieced together bits and pieces from at least three different religions--Christianity, Paganism, and a bit of Hindu (I think). He also added in some mysticism and witchcraft. I personally found this disturbing, as it portrays an underlying disrespect to the people who actually do follow those beliefs.
All in all, I would rate this book 3 out of 4. The storyline and writing are excellent and deserving of a high rating, but there are several proofreading and grammatical errors that interrupt the reader's ability to read fluidly. If those were corrected, than it would be a full four. I would recommend this book to adults only due to content and language.
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The Madness of Robin Randle
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