XIII
Now Available
Genre - Supernatural Thriller
Publisher: Wings Press: www.wings-press.com
A supernatural thriller, XIII by author D. K. Gaston, thrusts the reader into a realm where the spiritual and physical worlds collide. Follow a thief from rooftop, to break in, to murder—and to a sell-your-soul deal that opens the gates of hell.
Gaston's easy-to-read style paints vivid action scenes and crafts a cunning maze of suspense for readers who follow bounty hunter Avery Hudson in his search to locate Jason Peters, a rich, successful actor, who's left everything behind. Hudson is a rugged character with the charm, looks and lone wolf characteristics of a Clint Eastwood type. He has the experience and tools to elude unwanted FBI involvement, hordes of media and even police corruption while trying to nab his high-profile fugitive. But after a few bizarre encounters with the renegade, Hudson learns too late that this job has supernatural connections which threaten to end his life if he doesn't complete the job.
If you're looking for an adventure/thriller, XIII hits the ground running. The plot takes twists into the spiritual world with explosive battles against nefarious foes that survive every weapon imaginable. Gaston finds the magic to keep the story believable as Hudson fights to accept the reality of a spiritual realm, while coming to terms with his own lost faith.
This book is not preachy or religious and does contain violence and some adult language. However, it's a story that crosses genres to entertain many. Whether you're looking for an action adventure thriller, suspense, mystery, horror or even romance, you'll find it in the pages of Gaston's XIII .
–Reviewed by author Donna Sundblad
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Avery Hudson is a professional bounty hunter. When he takes the job of hunting down a missing actor, Avery thinks he's just tracking another villain who has managed to escape from the law. However, nothing is quite as it seems. Actor Jason Peters is running from a pact, and becoming something other than human. He will stop at nothing to win his freedom.
Assisted by Mary, a small town Sheriff with a tragic past, Avery tries to hunt down his target. As the body count rises, it becomes evident to all those involved that there is much more going on than the pursuit of a renegade actor. The truth may be unbelievable, but when a second, and evidently supernatural bounty hunter is brought in, Avery has to admit that he's up against something very nasty indeed. Avery must catch Peters before the other hunter, Mr Dark gets to him. The police are after Peters too, as are other individuals with an interest in seeing him brought down, but if Avery doesn't get there first, a grim fate awaits him.
XIII is a high paced thriller. The action comes thick and fast as the manhunt becomes more violent and desperate. Gaston's story is exciting – something of a page turner. While I'm not going to risk any plot spoilers, I will say there are plenty of unexpected turns along the way, and a satisfying ending. The paranormal elements are well handled. This book feels like a high octane action movie, you can almost hear the explosions and imagine the special effects.
Gaston uses a lot of minor characters to tell his story. There are times when this can get a little disorientating, but on the whole, the bit parts are well sketched, giving an impression of real people and encouraging you to care about the individuals who get hurt along the way. The lead characters, Avery and Mary, are engaging and sympathetic.
The copy of XIII I've read is in its pre-edits stage, so I'm cautious about commenting on the fine detail of Gaston's writing. I know what my unpolished stories look like. I found the book very readable and I think once it's been polished up a little, it will be very good indeed. While it is a violent story, I'm not sure I'd call it horror. I read more horror than I do thriller fiction, so it's hard to judge, but Gaston passes up several opportunities to write horrible things, and does not go into stomach churning detail over the darker elements of his story. Still, it's not for the faint hearted. A good yarn, told with energy and enthusiasm. Definitely worth a read.
–Reviewed by author Brynneth N. Colvin |
