Official Review: A Walk On The Dark Side by A von Gerhardt

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Bluebird03
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Official Review: A Walk On The Dark Side by A von Gerhardt

Post by Bluebird03 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Walk On The Dark Side" by A von Gerhardt.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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A Walk on the Dark Side falls under the horror genre as well as mystery, thriller, and romance. Cilla (short for Drucilla) is a member of a paranormal group that has just agreed to enter a near-collapsing cabin in the woods and scout out any spirits there. This group of techies, psychics, and cameramen have their internet program, aptly named Walk on the Dark Side. Many members of the group are also romantically linked, which adds another layer of intrigue to this story.

Once inside the cabin, the group quickly realizes that this will not be their typical paranormal investigation. Immediately the three psychics perceive and experience bone-chilling evil. Soon this unique blend of characters will be joined by a vengeful cast of channelers, skinwalkers, fox shifters, and otherworldly beings. Central to this drama is Haseya Libahii, a Native American, and her descendants. Members of the group will turn on one another, disappear and reappear. Why are there segments of missing time on the video? Why does the forest house a humongous tree with huge exposed roots and large claw marks etched into its bark? Why does the cabin door need so many locks?

I loved that the author briefly explained the otherworldly beings, as she introduced each one. There were only a few times in this 352-page mystery that the pace seemed to slow a bit. However, that gave me a much-needed chance to catch my breath before I encountered more suspense and yet another twist.

Gerhardt had a wealth of characters to portray and did a thorough job of bringing personalities to each of them. Each one seemed believable- in spite of some of their unique characteristics. She also used the device of foreshadowing, notably when she penned “…they were unaware that by stepping through that front door, they were about to trigger events they had no way of controlling, and that once they entered the forest, there would be no stopping what they’d awakened.”

Reading this book on my Kindle, I found numerous instances of two words combined into one (such as throughher, behindhim, and thatmay). Also, the beginning of some paragraphs was indented while others were not. While some of these issues may have been more of a result of the Kindle format, there were just too many of them to ignore. As far as actual grammar errors, I only located two. However, with so many formatting issues, I feel compelled to deduct one point. Other than these errors, I could find nothing to dislike about this page-turner.

Often the story references a previous paranormal venture in Oklahoma and some of the fallout from it. I can easily see a prequel regarding that experience. The end of this story resolves the significant plots. However, there was a hint of a new development that could lead to a sequel. I certainly hope so! I am pleased to rate A Walk on the Dark Side by A von Gerhardt 3 out of 4 stars.

This book will appeal to those who love horror, mystery, and thrillers. Anyone not interested in these genres may wish to make another selection. There are no sex scenes, and even the references to violence are amazingly toned down. There are some instances of profanity, but these can easily be overlooked. I enthusiastically recommend this thriller and hope that the author will consider a prequel and sequel.

******
A Walk On The Dark Side
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RaeReadsandReviews
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Post by RaeReadsandReviews »

This sounds like a lot of fun! I'm always iffy about paranormal books because a lot of the time they don't properly build suspense. This sounds like one that does.
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Post by Helene_2008 »

I have watched plenty of shows about paranormal investigations but never read a book about them. I'd love to read about it and how the characters are romantically linked. I also had a problem with the formatting of a kindle book I downloaded recently. I wasn't sure whether to reduce my rating because of it or not since I didn't know if it was a mistake of the author or just the way it downloaded.
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Post by Laila_Hashem »

I always love how detailed your reviews are. They leave me wanting to know more every time. I am not a fan of horror usually but the fact that there is romance and spirits involved might just change my mind about this specific book.
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Post by Areej Tahir »

Wow This review was amazing. Honestly I never had a single book in the paranormal genre that was worthy of more than 2 stars. Seems like this one may be THE one.
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Post by Tomah »

Cabins in the woods are rarely good places to be in when you find yourself in a horror story, are they? Then again, the only safe spots are well-lit rooms with lots of people, and even then one must take several precautions. Jokes aside, this sounds like a good novel that takes its time establishing and developing characters, something that many books in the genre fail to do. Thanks for the review!
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Post by kdstrack »

This is the perfect setting for a horror/paranormal story. Your high praise for the author's character development and plot twists is impressive. Hopefully, you won't have to wait too long for the sequel!
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Post by Bluebird03 »

RaeReadsandReviews wrote: 16 Jul 2019, 15:34 This sounds like a lot of fun! I'm always iffy about paranormal books because a lot of the time they don't properly build suspense. This sounds like one that does.
The author does an amazing job building the suspense again and again. Thank you so much, Rae, for reading my review and commenting! :)
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Bluebird03
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Post by Bluebird03 »

Helene_2008 wrote: 16 Jul 2019, 21:25 I have watched plenty of shows about paranormal investigations but never read a book about them. I'd love to read about it and how the characters are romantically linked. I also had a problem with the formatting of a kindle book I downloaded recently. I wasn't sure whether to reduce my rating because of it or not since I didn't know if it was a mistake of the author or just the way it downloaded.
I was on the fence about rating the formatting as well. But the deciding factor for me was that there were numerous different instances of it and that it did distract at times. However, the story was fascinating! Thank you, Helene 2008, for your comments! :)
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Bluebird03
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Post by Bluebird03 »

Laila_Hashem wrote: 17 Jul 2019, 01:48 I always love how detailed your reviews are. They leave me wanting to know more every time. I am not a fan of horror usually but the fact that there is romance and spirits involved might just change my mind about this specific book.
I thought I was not a fan of horror. However, I've read three from this genre since joining the book club and loved all three.... And thank you, Laila, for your lovely compliment! :)
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Bluebird03
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Post by Bluebird03 »

Areej Tahir wrote: 17 Jul 2019, 15:40 Wow This review was amazing. Honestly I never had a single book in the paranormal genre that was worthy of more than 2 stars. Seems like this one may be THE one.
This was definitely one that I enjoyed. Thank you, Areej Tahir, for your very kind words! :)
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Bluebird03
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Post by Bluebird03 »

Tomah wrote: 17 Jul 2019, 16:14 Cabins in the woods are rarely good places to be in when you find yourself in a horror story, are they? Then again, the only safe spots are well-lit rooms with lots of people, and even then one must take several precautions. Jokes aside, this sounds like a good novel that takes its time establishing and developing characters, something that many books in the genre fail to do. Thanks for the review!
You are spot on regarding safe places to be and those to avoid :lol: Thank you for reading my review, Tomah, and for your very thoughtful comments! :)
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Post by Bluebird03 »

kdstrack wrote: 17 Jul 2019, 20:45 This is the perfect setting for a horror/paranormal story. Your high praise for the author's character development and plot twists is impressive. Hopefully, you won't have to wait too long for the sequel!
Just reading the description of the cabin and the woods was frightening enough. Thank you, kdstrack, for your visit and your comments! :)
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Post by MrsCatInTheHat »

Do you feel this is the kind of story that will invade one's dreams? And then keep them up?
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Post by Gathoni1991 »

Nice review but I would rather watch horror than read the same.
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