It’s going to be one of those days. Detective Zorn Stephenson’s phone started
ringing at 4:30 AM, his superior, Captain Grady screaming on the other
end. A body had been found at a local
warehouse and Zorn’s presence was needed immediately, if not sooner.
Zorn dutifully got up,
dressed, and drove to the crime scene.
The body was found inside the warehouse, laid out on the floor
like a mummy—a young male, lying on his back, hands crossed serenely across his
chest.
Zorn recognized the youth at
once – Rayland Spangler. He was one of
three boys who had gone missing a while back.
A long while back. Ten years ago.
Why did his body only show up
just now? And where are the other two
missing boys?
What’s To Like...
Mirage
is a psychological thriller novel set mostly on High Island, Texas. It features three protagonists: a reclusive
biker named Colton, a savvy detective named Zorn Stephenson, and a local
waitress named Georgia.
Strange things are happening on High Island, but they mostly go unnoticed.
See the first excerpt below for an glimpse of their subtlety. The discovery of the long-dead corpse causes
a few residents to begin to take note of the inconsistencies. Our heroes find
themselves tasked with not just determining what’s going on, but also who’s the
brains behind all this, and what is their final objective.
The character-building is
excellent. Colton has a troubled past
and Zorn talks to his deceased mentor via a hat. My favorite bizarre character was Birdie
Blackburn. He definitely marches to the
beat of a different drummer.
It was fun to tag along with
our three protagonists, plus a few others, as they become aware of the weird
goings-on. A nearby lighthouse becomes a
suspected source of mental shenanigans.
Alas, being aware of rogue vibes does not make you immune to their
influences. Our heroes quickly become
prime targets for whatever skullduggery is being wreaked.
As befitting a compelling
Psychological Thriller, the tension builds to a desperate climax where the outcome
is always in doubt. Happily, Order is
vanquished, and Chaos returns, and no, that is not a typo. Things close with an Epilogue that will leave
a lump in your throat.
Ratings…
Amazon:
x.x/5
based on 0 ratings and 0 reviews..
Goodreads: x.xx/5 based on 0
ratings and 0 reviews.
Excerpts...
Life carried on.
Steady.
Unbroken.
And just beneath it . . . something else.
It brushed him—thin, unfocused—like a
thought that wouldn’t quite take shape.
Then it slipped.
Everything moved the way it should—people,
traffic, doors opening and closing—but it felt . . . timed.
A fraction too smooth.
Like the town had found a rhythm . . . and
settled into it. (pg. 14)
“Explain the pickaxe, Colton. You always carry one around for
decoration?” (…)
“I don’t recall there being a law against
carrying one,” he said finally.
Zorn’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe not.
But there’s a fine line between a tool and a weapon, and right now,
you’re standing on the wrong side of it.”
Colton looked away, jaw tight. “Story of my life.” (pg. 137)
Kindle Details…
The Kindle version of Mirage currently sells for $4.95 at Amazon. Marlin Williams offers seven other e-books
for your Kindle, including novels, short story collections, and anthologies. They range in price from $0.99 to $4.95.
“Kids get curious,
crawl where they don’t belong, and the earth swallows them whole.” (pg. 20)
There’s moderate amount of
profanity in Mirage; I noted 18 instances in
the first 10%, primary of the eschatological ilk. There was also a roll-in-the-hay early on,
but that’s the only adult situation I recall.
I noticed about a dozen typos,
such as builds/buildings, itb/it,
statements/statement’s, tat/rat, and spinet/spine. Fortunately, they weren't a distraction for me.
I don’t read a lot of Psychological Thriller novels, but this one kept me turning the pages, as I tried to beat the protagonists in figuring out what was going on. Alas, I was way wrong in my guess as the identity of the Ultimate Evil.
I think this was Marlin Williams’s first entry into this genre, and it is an impressive debut. Here’s hoping that he has more Psych-Thriller ideas in his head.
9 Stars. One last thing. High Island, Texas is a real place. It sits on the Bolivar Peninsula, on the shores of Galveston Bay. It even was chosen as the burial grounds by a serial killer back in the 1970s. Deja vu all over again.
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