Book reviews: Hank Early, Weston Ochse, Joe Hill

I’ve been reading. Here are some thoughts.

In the Valley of the Devil by Hank Early

The second entry in a series, this time we follow hard-boiled P.I. Earl Marcus into the cornfields of America’s Deep South, where a conspiracy of murder is at play that involves local authorities, crooked politicians, and a masked slasher known as Old Nathanial. The plot is a bit pulpier than the book’s predecessor, but as a fan of pulp fiction, that’s not a complaint. Instead of Earl battling his personal history and the family curse of his merciless father, he’s in a race against time to save the love of his life from the clutches of evil. In the Valley of the Devil is a gripping thriller that delivers a cool “horror movie” killer and socio-political commentary ripped right from today’s headlines (which I won’t spoil here). Recommended for fans of Southern noir and gritty mysteries.

 

SEAL Team 666 by Weston Ochse

If you’ve not heard of SEAL Team 666, it’s because—officially—it doesn’t exist. This elite platoon of American commandos engages top-secret black ops missions against a type of enemy that’s never mentioned on the nightly news—or worldwide panic would ensue. When demonic forces from another dimension threaten mankind, SEAL team 666 gets the call.  New recruit Jack Walker is headed for the adventure of his life, as he and the team face an international threat of apocalyptic proportions while he struggles with some very real internal demons of his own. This book was fast-paced, imaginative and action-packed—and Weston Ochse’s personal military experience enhances the writing with a degree of authentic detail that brings it all to life.

A side note about Weston Ochse: In Atlanta a few years ago, I brought a box full of 50 copies of my first horror release to the very first book convention I’d ever attended. The guy sitting next to me introduced himself as Weston, and he was very friendly and affable. He had only brought one single book, so I’m thinking that either I’ve brought way too many, or he knows something that I don’t. I arranged an elaborate marketing display, while he placed his single copy on the table in front of him. The doors to the convention open. Throughout the weekend, my table space was No Man’s Land, while Weston routinely enjoyed a long line of readers at his table—and they’d all brought their own copies of his books for him to sign. Turns out that Weston Ochse is a noteworthy name in writerly circles, and there’s a rumor that SEAL Team 666 is now in development to become a major motion picture with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attached. Good for Weston Ochse. I’ll always appreciate what nice, down-to-earth guy he was to this clueless newcomer, and he’s a fine writer to boot, so I hope he achieves spectacular success.

 

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

This was my first exposure to Joe Hill’s writing, and I enjoyed it. The plot revolves around a mail-order ghost. While that sounds kind of odd, it makes sense in the context of the story: Rock star Judas Coin, collector of all things macabre, is suckered into buying a “heart-shaped box” (a nod to the Nirvana song) that contains a dead man’s suit, and thus his ghost. As the story unfolds, we learn that this is no random haunting, and Judas has essentially been targeted for “otherworldly” assassination by the angry family of one of his ex-lovers. In truth, the plot meandered a bit more than I usually like, but there was a lot to love, and Hill conjures up some memorably creepy scenes. I particularly enjoyed the manner in which the evil ghost Craddock McDermott manipulates any radio within earshot of his would-be victims. While this was a good book, I thought Hill’s writing was stronger than the story itself, so I’m interested in checking out what he unleashes in the future.

— Weber