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.
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A Walk On The Dark Side
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