**** An Evilly Good Story review by Rox Burkey
Author Charles W Jones is new to me, yet I delighted in his wild imagination. He grabs the reader’s attention immediately with vivid descriptions that set the stage for this paranormal horror tale. Even though Pablo is a minor character, the setup for the mystery, fantasy, and illusion begin here.
“Clancy couldn’t believe what he’d witnessed Pablo do and feared that if the man saw him gawking through the door, he’d be next. Stepping back, he rushed to his desk where he couldn’t be seen without effort and lifted the phone.
Pablo dropped the wrench, shocked by what he’d done. Yes, the boy had made him upset, but not to the extent that he’d killed him.
“Well done,” a voice said from near the backdoor.
He looked up from Mark’s destroyed head to find a woman wearing a dark dress, smiling at him. Her tan skin, glistening with a layer of sweat, called to him with silent innuendo. Pablo couldn’t believe that someone so beautiful was in the shop. Her almost masculine hand reached toward him, but he didn’t notice as he was mesmerized by her strange, dark eyes twinkling with pinpricks of light like a starry sky.
“I can’t believe you’ve put up with him for this long,” she continued as he stared back at her with disbelief. She didn’t move from her spot, shadows billowing around her. “I’m proud that you stood up for yourself.” Her eyes didn’t move from him. “Take my hand. I don’t think you want to hang around for the police, not with your record.”
The author distinctly characterizes the players in the paranormal adventure. I enjoyed the concept of the Fallen Angels and how they interact with the other characters. The good versus evil concepts between angels, demons, and humans hints at the power of free will and if the characters are strong or weak.
I found Eli Thompson a fascinating, complex character. He arrives on the scene, almost driven to help, though the details of how are unclear. He sifts through the events, characters, and situations assisting the reader in learning right along with him.
The paranormal aspects of this story kept me interested and turning pages. Near the end, the author pulls the threads together, making me appreciate the excellent character development of Bella and Karen. The surprises along the way were superbly timed all the way to the unexpected conclusion. I am not typically a horror genre fan. As a noted warning from the author upfront, this book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. However, this story has a strong storyline that fans of the paranormal will appreciate. There were some word choices and editing issues, which resolved, could make this outstanding.
About Charles W Jones
I grew up in a small town of five hundred people in Wyoming that everyone always pronounces wrong or spells incorrectly, Shoshoni; I swear it’s a real place. My first novel, Dreamwalker: The Second Plain, is LGBTQ+ as are HOME and Daughter of Illusion.
My other books include the Circus Tarot Trilogy (it’s Clowns and Tarot, what’s not to love), Hunger, Hydrangeas on the Lanai and Darkness is Coming. And last, but not least, I have two anthology collections, An Unnamed Acquaintance and Liaisons Macabre. Oh, yeah, I currently live with my husband of twenty-one years in Colorado with our three cats, ten crested geckos, and one saltwater fish tank.
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2 replies to "Daughter of Illusion: An Eli Thompson Thriller"
Thank you for the great review!
A good book deserves a good review. Nice work.