Riveting, unforgettable storytelling genius of CW Hawes
Review by Rox Burkey
This is my first book by Author CW Hawes. Even though it is the 7th book in the series, I wasn’t lost by starting at the end. This paranormal fiction on the edge of horror immediately grabs the reader when Sofia seeks professional help with a family problem. Sofia, an angry young woman, who goes to a therapist for family problems. Sofia gets more than she bargained for when her family is gruesomely killed, and she disappears.
Special Agent Pierce Mostyn is brought into the case because of his experience and specialty support team. He learns there are more incidents with similarities which, not easy to understand, cannot be ignored.
Introducing the culprit as a zuvembie is only the beginning of the race to find the culprits, possibly a known enemy seeking world domination. Defining a zuvembie is pivotal to understanding who is at risk. Only women filled with hate and revenge can transform into a zuvembie. The zuvembie creator not only recognizes and cultivates the required female characteristics, but also has a supply of the Black Brew to complete the irreversible transition. Once converted this undead being lives on without any human attributes.
This excerpt convinced me to find out where this multi-threaded investigation would go and if the mastermind behind the evil could be stopped.
“Bardon said. “The FBI has been focused on finding the missing girl in each of the situations, and in the process is overlooking the obvious.”
“Which is?” Mostyn asked.
“In 1938 a story was published in a pulp magazine. It told of a family being wiped out by a creature known as a zuvembie. The story is actually a thinly disguised account of a real event that happened a few years prior to the publication date. Deemed too fantastic for the true crime magazines, the writer submitted the account to a fiction magazine as a story.”
“So you’re thinking we’re dealing with a zuvembie,” Mostyn said.
“Not a zuvembie, my dear boy. Zuvembies. Plural.” “
The character development by CW Hawes is detailed, persuasive, and helped me visualize each personality while reading. Pierce Mostyn, the invincible protagonist, is perfection as he directs his team to the source of the evil. This is a character I want to meet.
The additional players in this tale were perfect in their roles. Non-stop action between good creatures, bad monsters, and the people they work with. Completing this in one sitting was easy, but the ending still has my head spinning in admiration. Well done!
Highly recommended for fans of horror, macabre in settings nearly too real to be fiction. I am now a fan!
About the Author
CW Hawes is a multi-genre author and award winning poet. His interests are wide ranging and this is reflected in his books.
He is the author of over 20 post-apocalyptic, mystery, alternative history, and horror novels and stories.
Among CW’s many interests are a love for fine food, tea, music (classical, swing, folk, and ‘50s and ‘60s pop), philosophy and mythology, art and architecture, books, history, nature, writing instruments (especially fountain pens and dip pens), airships, and steam power technology. All of these find a place in his writing.
He is married to Raihana Dewji, who was a graphic artist for 3M and currently paints and draws fine art and produces book covers.
CW was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and has sojourned in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. For thirty years he was employed by Hennepin County in Minnesota and worked in human service. He retired in 2015, and now resides in the Houston, Texas area.
You can find him online at his website, on Twitter, and on Facebook. Should you wish to email him, you can do so at cwhawes@cwhawes.com.
