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Dead Eye #2
Dead Eye: The Skinwalker Conspiracies
My name is Mike Ross and I’m a Ferryman – like in the Greek myth. I didn’t ask for, or really want, the job, but I’m trying to make the best of it. Most ghosts are okay and just need a little help to get where they need to go. Unfortunately, there are lots of exceptions, like power-mad psychopaths, spirits still trying to fight battles long since lost, and the worst of the lot – the Skinwalkers. They live vicariously by possessing people and controlling them like puppet masters. Then they toss them aside when they’ve outlived their usefulness.One of them stole my father fifteen years ago, and now I’m going to make that ghost pay.Praise for Jim Bernheimer"I couldn’t put this book down. I was on vacation when I started reading it, but not even going to the beach could entice me away. (I didn’t like taking my Kindle to the beach, even with a protective bag.) The book pulled me in from page one and did not let go, even at the end which had me searching for the sequel." - Red Adept Reviews"A thriller that hits the gut, Jim Bernheimer kept me glued to the pages."- Pamela K. Kinney, author of Spectre Nightmares and Visions
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2011
About the author
Jim Bernheimer
33 books440 followersJim lives in Chesapeake, Virginia with his wife Kim, and daughters Laura and Marissa. By day, he works as a Systems Administrator on a government contract and runs his own side Information Technology consulting firm, EJB Networking, which can be found at www.ejbnetworking.com
Blessed (or cursed depending on your point of view) with an overactive imagination, Jim has long been a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Seeking to put that imagination to use, he has started to write his own orginal works in hopes of making his mark on the literary world.
Jim's literary influences include well known writers such as Robert Heinlein, Edgar Allen Poe, J.R.R Tolkien, and the not so well-known C.T. Westcott.
Blessed (or cursed depending on your point of view) with an overactive imagination, Jim has long been a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Seeking to put that imagination to use, he has started to write his own orginal works in hopes of making his mark on the literary world.
Jim's literary influences include well known writers such as Robert Heinlein, Edgar Allen Poe, J.R.R Tolkien, and the not so well-known C.T. Westcott.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 21, 2012
This was a good read. If anything, it was better than the first in the series, which was also a pretty good book. The paranormal genre is getting full of romance and half-ass attempts at something new, so when an author actually does find an unexplored area to flesh out it is exciting.
January 7, 2012
Mike Ross is a man with two problems: the ghosts he can see and the girlfriend he doesn't have.
Mike is a Ferryman -- a person with the ability to see (and affect) dead people and to help them cross into the next world. That ability helps him on his quest to track down the ghost who possessed his father and ran off years ago, leaving Mike and his mother on their own. Ghosts like those are called Skinwalkers for their ability to steal a person's body and use it to rejoin the living, and they play a dominant role in this installment of Bernheimer's "Dead Eye" series. As you probably guessed from the name.
(I should add a disclaimer: "The Skinwalker Conspiracies" is the second book in the "Dead Eye" series. I intended to buy the first, but, well, I didn't. I haven't read the first book, obviously, so I'm making allowances for questions that arose relating to backstory.)
Accompanying Mike on his journey to find the ghost running his father's body are a Civil War-era ghost named Amos and a blind preacher named Silas, who can see ghosts, Mike and anything Mike touches. Along the way, Mike and his companions meet various spirits, many of them people you'll recognize: Virginia Poe (cousin/wife of Edgar Allen), Lee Harvey Oswald (with a different backstory than you might expect), Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto ... and, you know, they all fit nicely into the plotline. (The concept of skinwalkers made keeping straight who was whom -- and when -- a bit complicated, but I'm not sure how that could have been avoided.)
More mundanely, Mike is lonely. With his life constantly in danger from his paranormal obligations, he wonders, what kind of woman would want to be with him? Considering the glimpses we get into his past romantic attachments, it's a valid question. That's not to say this is a touchy-feely book, just that Mike returns to the idea of companionship throughout his adventures.
We spend a lot of time watching as Mike kicks various ghosts' butts, picks up a few new nifty tricks (I especially liked the ability he learns from honeymooner ghost Tabitha, though I have questions about exactly why that ability works) and builds a new life for himself in the process. He helps several random ghosts find peace and even ensures that a criminally neglectful mother comes to justice, with a little help from the ghost of her son's father. Basically, he's a good guy caught up in a not-so-good situation.
Nitpicks aside, my only real complaint with this book is that it reads like Bernheimer's editor worked on it the day before he was supposed to retire. Typos? Check. Text in the wrong font? Check. There's even a sentence that looks like it either lead into or ended a paragraph that got cut. I wouldn't go as far as to say there were errors on every page, but if you care at all about the quality of writing, it's prevalent enough to drive you nuts.
I wasn't able to find any information on a sequel to this book, so I'm not sure whether that's in the offing, but at this price point -- I paid $2.99 for the e-book -- I'd read a third entry in the "Dead Eyes" line. I just hope Bernheimer finds a new editor.
Mike is a Ferryman -- a person with the ability to see (and affect) dead people and to help them cross into the next world. That ability helps him on his quest to track down the ghost who possessed his father and ran off years ago, leaving Mike and his mother on their own. Ghosts like those are called Skinwalkers for their ability to steal a person's body and use it to rejoin the living, and they play a dominant role in this installment of Bernheimer's "Dead Eye" series. As you probably guessed from the name.
(I should add a disclaimer: "The Skinwalker Conspiracies" is the second book in the "Dead Eye" series. I intended to buy the first, but, well, I didn't. I haven't read the first book, obviously, so I'm making allowances for questions that arose relating to backstory.)
Accompanying Mike on his journey to find the ghost running his father's body are a Civil War-era ghost named Amos and a blind preacher named Silas, who can see ghosts, Mike and anything Mike touches. Along the way, Mike and his companions meet various spirits, many of them people you'll recognize: Virginia Poe (cousin/wife of Edgar Allen), Lee Harvey Oswald (with a different backstory than you might expect), Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto ... and, you know, they all fit nicely into the plotline. (The concept of skinwalkers made keeping straight who was whom -- and when -- a bit complicated, but I'm not sure how that could have been avoided.)
More mundanely, Mike is lonely. With his life constantly in danger from his paranormal obligations, he wonders, what kind of woman would want to be with him? Considering the glimpses we get into his past romantic attachments, it's a valid question. That's not to say this is a touchy-feely book, just that Mike returns to the idea of companionship throughout his adventures.
We spend a lot of time watching as Mike kicks various ghosts' butts, picks up a few new nifty tricks (I especially liked the ability he learns from honeymooner ghost Tabitha, though I have questions about exactly why that ability works) and builds a new life for himself in the process. He helps several random ghosts find peace and even ensures that a criminally neglectful mother comes to justice, with a little help from the ghost of her son's father. Basically, he's a good guy caught up in a not-so-good situation.
Nitpicks aside, my only real complaint with this book is that it reads like Bernheimer's editor worked on it the day before he was supposed to retire. Typos? Check. Text in the wrong font? Check. There's even a sentence that looks like it either lead into or ended a paragraph that got cut. I wouldn't go as far as to say there were errors on every page, but if you care at all about the quality of writing, it's prevalent enough to drive you nuts.
I wasn't able to find any information on a sequel to this book, so I'm not sure whether that's in the offing, but at this price point -- I paid $2.99 for the e-book -- I'd read a third entry in the "Dead Eyes" line. I just hope Bernheimer finds a new editor.
May 23, 2017
A wonderful seven-hour read. While the Dead Eye series is set up with stand-alone chapters, little short stories in-and-of themselves, I read the book in one sitting. I didn't mean to, but after about half-way through, I couldn't put the book down.
Mike Ross has gone on a road trip to find his father with his blind Pastor friend to keep him on the straight and narrow path while crossing the country following Skinwalkers. A dirty, knock-them-down fight opens the book, but the action is slower than the first book as the magic continues to grow more and more every battle. The first few chapters don't seem to be going anywhere, but are wonderful little vignettes providing the character's powers, history, and introducing the cast without the typical retrospection so common in series books. Nope, Mr. Berheimer completely shows everything instead of telling us. Great storytelling.
Mr. Bernheimer has quite a bit of fun revisiting (Texas) history from a ghost's viewpoint. Episode 17 "Dallas Texas - Paranormal Population: One" and Episode 19 "Trying to Forget the Alamo" adds an aspect of worldbuilding, making the book both tied to the real world and distinctly not Our real world (maybe, at least I hope so).
The strongest thread point of this manuscript is romantic - taking a bit away from the action of the Urban Fantasy. Page 40 captures Mike's problem of finding love after becoming a Ferryman in two sentences, set immediately after meeting with a single-mother stripper he used to date before everything changed: "The fact that she was better off without me was unsettling ... It made me wonder, what kind of gal would be better off WITH me?"
The answers which danced in my head after he asked himself this question went from bad to worse. Dead, crazy, tortured prisoner, someone so desperate and broke (mentally and financially) you never know why they love you. The thing is Mike is such a real person, even as ink on page, you pray he doesn't end up with such a person but at the same time you hope he finds someone because he is so lonely after everything he had seen and done and the Pastor just isn't enough. And when you are hoping, you also don't want the author to sell some perfect person for the perfect love interest. You really do want Mike to meet someone who is better off with him.
Does Mr. Bernheimer pull it off? Well, that would be telling. I'm just going to say Victoria Poe is not exactly the person I want directing my road trip.
Mike Ross has gone on a road trip to find his father with his blind Pastor friend to keep him on the straight and narrow path while crossing the country following Skinwalkers. A dirty, knock-them-down fight opens the book, but the action is slower than the first book as the magic continues to grow more and more every battle. The first few chapters don't seem to be going anywhere, but are wonderful little vignettes providing the character's powers, history, and introducing the cast without the typical retrospection so common in series books. Nope, Mr. Berheimer completely shows everything instead of telling us. Great storytelling.
Mr. Bernheimer has quite a bit of fun revisiting (Texas) history from a ghost's viewpoint. Episode 17 "Dallas Texas - Paranormal Population: One" and Episode 19 "Trying to Forget the Alamo" adds an aspect of worldbuilding, making the book both tied to the real world and distinctly not Our real world (maybe, at least I hope so).
The strongest thread point of this manuscript is romantic - taking a bit away from the action of the Urban Fantasy. Page 40 captures Mike's problem of finding love after becoming a Ferryman in two sentences, set immediately after meeting with a single-mother stripper he used to date before everything changed: "The fact that she was better off without me was unsettling ... It made me wonder, what kind of gal would be better off WITH me?"
The answers which danced in my head after he asked himself this question went from bad to worse. Dead, crazy, tortured prisoner, someone so desperate and broke (mentally and financially) you never know why they love you. The thing is Mike is such a real person, even as ink on page, you pray he doesn't end up with such a person but at the same time you hope he finds someone because he is so lonely after everything he had seen and done and the Pastor just isn't enough. And when you are hoping, you also don't want the author to sell some perfect person for the perfect love interest. You really do want Mike to meet someone who is better off with him.
Does Mr. Bernheimer pull it off? Well, that would be telling. I'm just going to say Victoria Poe is not exactly the person I want directing my road trip.
August 12, 2016
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: The second book starts off quite close to the end of the first one and deals with the revelations which occur in it. Mike has some pretty heavy stuff revealed to him in regards to his powers and his ancestry. These revelations put him on a road to dealing with the people who are called Skinwalkers especially since one of them has interfered with his family in the past leading to the current situation in the Ross household. From here the story escalates wildly as the author tries to enmesh the multiple plotlines introduced in the first book along with those rising in the sequel and make the world settings deeper than they are visible. To further discuss any more of the plot would lead to spoilers about its predecessor and so I'm going to refrain from doing such.
The rest of the review can be read from the link above as I reviewed both books together & its hard to separate the points in the review about each book...
January 14, 2015
Note: While this is Book 2 in the series, I think it stands on it’s own pretty well.
Mike Ross returns in this excellent sequel to Pennies for the Ferryman. He’s still missing an eye, still plagued by ghosts, and his love life is still nonexistent. However, he has been working out so he should be able to punch ghosts with more effectiveness. Perhaps his love life will even come back from the grave.
Mike is on a quest. His dad walked out on him and his mom when he was a kid and he learned in Book 1 that it might not have been by his dad’s own volition. His dad may have been possessed by a skinwalker and Mike has to know the whole truth in order to put his past to bed. In his hunt for his dad, he also has to work through the revelations from Book 1 concerning his genetic ties to Edgar Alan Poe. Mike isn’t the first Ferryman in his family tree. With all that and the ever clinging ghosts dying to chat with a mortal, Mike is in for an adventure.
I enjoyed this story even more than Book 1. I think it is because Mike is indeed a reluctant hero. He’s still recovering from wounds received in military service and his disability check barely lets him get by while living at his mom’s. So, yeah, he likes to see some financial gain for assisting the numerous ghosts that want him to carry a message or return some family trinket to a long lost niece. But on occasion, Mike feels compelled to do something simply because it is the right thing to do. In the end, it is this sense of good that drives Mike onward even when he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
This adventure featured a Cadillac that broke down more than once (electrical interference from emotionally disturbed ghosts), a wedding ring (haunted with memories of a honeymoon gone awry), a body swap (say ‘Woof!’ for me boy!), and a female ghost hunter turned personal trainer (she’s quite comfortable handling Glocks). Toss in a powerful ghost on the brink of insanity, a few skinwalkers, and the Alamo and you have one wicked crazy adventure.
I’m a fan of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, which is a well known urban fantasy series. I think Bernheimer’s Dead Eye series is every bit as entertaining as the early books in The Dresden Files series and I very much look forward to seeing where he takes Mike next.
Narration: Jeffrey Kafer did another excellent job. He’s a great voice for Mike, sounding like a determined but down and out man who is just trying to get by. Kafer has an array of distinct voices for both men and women. He also carried off accents for the Alamo quite well.
What I Liked: Mike’s powers continue to grow; several storylines in this book pulled together and tied off nicely; Edgar Alan Poe; looking forward to the next adventure!
What I Disliked: Nothing – thoroughly enjoyed myself with this book.
Mike Ross returns in this excellent sequel to Pennies for the Ferryman. He’s still missing an eye, still plagued by ghosts, and his love life is still nonexistent. However, he has been working out so he should be able to punch ghosts with more effectiveness. Perhaps his love life will even come back from the grave.
Mike is on a quest. His dad walked out on him and his mom when he was a kid and he learned in Book 1 that it might not have been by his dad’s own volition. His dad may have been possessed by a skinwalker and Mike has to know the whole truth in order to put his past to bed. In his hunt for his dad, he also has to work through the revelations from Book 1 concerning his genetic ties to Edgar Alan Poe. Mike isn’t the first Ferryman in his family tree. With all that and the ever clinging ghosts dying to chat with a mortal, Mike is in for an adventure.
I enjoyed this story even more than Book 1. I think it is because Mike is indeed a reluctant hero. He’s still recovering from wounds received in military service and his disability check barely lets him get by while living at his mom’s. So, yeah, he likes to see some financial gain for assisting the numerous ghosts that want him to carry a message or return some family trinket to a long lost niece. But on occasion, Mike feels compelled to do something simply because it is the right thing to do. In the end, it is this sense of good that drives Mike onward even when he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
This adventure featured a Cadillac that broke down more than once (electrical interference from emotionally disturbed ghosts), a wedding ring (haunted with memories of a honeymoon gone awry), a body swap (say ‘Woof!’ for me boy!), and a female ghost hunter turned personal trainer (she’s quite comfortable handling Glocks). Toss in a powerful ghost on the brink of insanity, a few skinwalkers, and the Alamo and you have one wicked crazy adventure.
I’m a fan of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, which is a well known urban fantasy series. I think Bernheimer’s Dead Eye series is every bit as entertaining as the early books in The Dresden Files series and I very much look forward to seeing where he takes Mike next.
Narration: Jeffrey Kafer did another excellent job. He’s a great voice for Mike, sounding like a determined but down and out man who is just trying to get by. Kafer has an array of distinct voices for both men and women. He also carried off accents for the Alamo quite well.
What I Liked: Mike’s powers continue to grow; several storylines in this book pulled together and tied off nicely; Edgar Alan Poe; looking forward to the next adventure!
What I Disliked: Nothing – thoroughly enjoyed myself with this book.
April 28, 2012
I enjoyed this sequel to Pennies for the Ferrymanand the story picks up directly from the end of that book. Mike goes after his missing father and along the way finds out how deeply twisted some of the spirit world is. This wraps up the story in book one very well and I'm not sure if there will be any further books in the series, but if there is I'd be happy to read them.
September 12, 2017
Audio book review. Narrator: Jeffrey Kafer
Great addition to the series. Although the story summary doesn't mention it, much of this book takes place in Texas (Dallas, San Antonio, Galveston, and other places). Living in San Antonio and knowing the Dallas and Galveston areas well, it was fun to be able to picture these places as they were described in the story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Great addition to the series. Although the story summary doesn't mention it, much of this book takes place in Texas (Dallas, San Antonio, Galveston, and other places). Living in San Antonio and knowing the Dallas and Galveston areas well, it was fun to be able to picture these places as they were described in the story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
March 11, 2015
I really like this series I hope it continues. jim Berniheimer is a great author the Dead eye series is great!
May 13, 2012
Fun fun fun! Fun characters, exciting story, original premise. I raced through both books in a day, and can't wait for book three!
June 14, 2012
Great book
February 13, 2013
Mike Ross is back with a vengeance!
It was a great ride into this exciting world!
Hope we will see more of Mike and soon!
It was a great ride into this exciting world!
Hope we will see more of Mike and soon!
April 4, 2020
Dead Eye: The Skinwalker Conspiracies by Jim Bernheimer and narrated by Jeffrey Kafer is great second to the series. I loved this one more than the first- it’s one wild ride with Mike this time around. Can we get a third book please?
What’s it about? Mike is back and solving cases of vengeful/waiting spirits and is on a mission to find his father who has been possessed by a skinwalker. Eventually Mike teams up (sort of) with Lee Harvey Oswald, a previous nemesis, and some friends to take down Hernando De Soto, but things don’t go as planned. I’ll leave it at that due to spoilers. This is a fairly fast-paced book with lots of twists and turns. The flow is smoother than the first book.
The narrator, Jeffrey Kafer, did a great job once again. He really brought the characters and story to life.
I hope there is more of this world in the future. If you’re like me and enjoy tales that are out of left field, you should def check this series out.
“Everyone always jokes about the phrase, ‘The Lesser of Two Evils,’ but after experiencing it firsthand, I’d never look at it the same way again.”
“It never ceases to amaze me how often the root cause of a ghost’s problems end up being the living.”
“If Hell did exist and Cassandra finally made it there, I wondered if she’d look around and say, “I could run this place better.”
Parental guidance/trigger warnings: war mentions (Iraq/Civil), death, taking control of others bodies, drugging, or similar things. Language used: Sx17.
*I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you for allowing me to listen and review the book!
What’s it about? Mike is back and solving cases of vengeful/waiting spirits and is on a mission to find his father who has been possessed by a skinwalker. Eventually Mike teams up (sort of) with Lee Harvey Oswald, a previous nemesis, and some friends to take down Hernando De Soto, but things don’t go as planned. I’ll leave it at that due to spoilers. This is a fairly fast-paced book with lots of twists and turns. The flow is smoother than the first book.
The narrator, Jeffrey Kafer, did a great job once again. He really brought the characters and story to life.
I hope there is more of this world in the future. If you’re like me and enjoy tales that are out of left field, you should def check this series out.
“Everyone always jokes about the phrase, ‘The Lesser of Two Evils,’ but after experiencing it firsthand, I’d never look at it the same way again.”
“It never ceases to amaze me how often the root cause of a ghost’s problems end up being the living.”
“If Hell did exist and Cassandra finally made it there, I wondered if she’d look around and say, “I could run this place better.”
Parental guidance/trigger warnings: war mentions (Iraq/Civil), death, taking control of others bodies, drugging, or similar things. Language used: Sx17.
*I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you for allowing me to listen and review the book!
August 26, 2024
This was a pretty good book. it reads as a direct continuation from the first one so chapter one is called "Chapter Thirteen" or whatever number it was. I hadn't listened to the first book in ages and could really have used some recap lines. i.e. instead of saying "Silas was with me." say "Silas Parker, my blind preacher friend who could see the ghost realm, was with me." That would've helped.
The author also shoehorns what seem like his politics and views in often and not subtly. The story will be progressing and then you'll get "I'd been told to see a psychiatrist but they're all useless quacks" or "communist state, unlike America although it's harder and harder to tell the difference these days". These asides were really jarring and often broke my immersion.
The plot was good. It was slightly predictable but I was listening while doing other stuff so didn't devote any brainpower to figuring any of it out in advance. It was a good yarn although the main character is a poor beat-up guy who lives with his mother yet I can only think of one female character that wasn't interested in him.
The narration was really good and it sounded like the same narrator from last time which is always nice. I had no problems with sound levels or anything.
I'm struggling to rate this. Four stars almost seems too high but three would definitely be too low. If you want a fairly light, fun read that won't tax you then give this a go.
The author also shoehorns what seem like his politics and views in often and not subtly. The story will be progressing and then you'll get "I'd been told to see a psychiatrist but they're all useless quacks" or "communist state, unlike America although it's harder and harder to tell the difference these days". These asides were really jarring and often broke my immersion.
The plot was good. It was slightly predictable but I was listening while doing other stuff so didn't devote any brainpower to figuring any of it out in advance. It was a good yarn although the main character is a poor beat-up guy who lives with his mother yet I can only think of one female character that wasn't interested in him.
The narration was really good and it sounded like the same narrator from last time which is always nice. I had no problems with sound levels or anything.
I'm struggling to rate this. Four stars almost seems too high but three would definitely be too low. If you want a fairly light, fun read that won't tax you then give this a go.
April 5, 2019
I'm either developing a thing for Necromancers or I really like Mike the Ferryman.
Mike comes from a family of necromancers with questionable motivations. He operates in a world were ghost can wear humans like sweaters as well as basic haunting. Some ghost have found a system to ensure they are damn near immortal and a lot of bother to kill. Mike goes in hard and puts them down with extreme prejudice. Mike is my kind of hero because he is unpredictable. He is also not willing to die crying in a corner without going lethal.
I have to give the author props for his knowledge of historical characters and scores they might stick around to settle or why death is only the beginning for them. So cool to meet the ghost of Lee Harvey Oswald in this one along with a host of old as hell Texas ghost. He has his a few friends that didn't die in the first book so they're back. It's a blast!
If you like heroes that come hard, this is a must read series.
Mike comes from a family of necromancers with questionable motivations. He operates in a world were ghost can wear humans like sweaters as well as basic haunting. Some ghost have found a system to ensure they are damn near immortal and a lot of bother to kill. Mike goes in hard and puts them down with extreme prejudice. Mike is my kind of hero because he is unpredictable. He is also not willing to die crying in a corner without going lethal.
I have to give the author props for his knowledge of historical characters and scores they might stick around to settle or why death is only the beginning for them. So cool to meet the ghost of Lee Harvey Oswald in this one along with a host of old as hell Texas ghost. He has his a few friends that didn't die in the first book so they're back. It's a blast!
If you like heroes that come hard, this is a must read series.
August 2, 2019
The pacing in this sequel was a little better, as evidenced by my incredulity at the fact that it ended so "quickly" despite being the same length as the previous. This one didn't have an open ending like the previous novel did so I can't predict what the next big adventure will be (but then again a more final ending is good when the next book isn't out yet!). In general a fun listen and the narrator didn't include the overly dramatic movie trailer tones in his voice this time.
August 31, 2020
Solid 3.5 stars if that were available. I'm a huge fan of this author even though I've only read a small percentage of his books. There are only 2 books in the series (available at audible anyway) but I would continue the series if he writes another installment. I have a feeling this is your typical monster hunter series where the protagonist has to get stronger and stronger to beat stronger and stronger opponents.
September 27, 2019
Fun story with an interesting premise about a "Ferryman" who ushers ghosts to the other side.
February 8, 2020
I didn't like it as much as the first one, but that's not unusual for me. If there's a third one I'll definitely read it.
January 18, 2016
The Dead Eye series by Jim Bernheimer follows the adventures of Mike Ross, Ferryman to the dead. Bestowed the ability to see and communicate with ghosts due to an eye transplant from a psychic. Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman chronicled Mike's struggle with the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe's brother plus a Civil War battlefield full of spooks.
The premise of The Skinwalker Conspiracies is Mike settling into his role as the world's Ferryman. Having gained a number of allies, he sets upon his most important mission yet: to find his father who had been possessed by a Skinwalker during his teenage years. This gets him involved in a massive conflict between Lee Harvey Oswald (!), Hernado De Soto (!!), Virginia Wolfe (!!!), and his best friend's stripper ex-girlfriend's ghost.
The number of historical personages who show up in the Dead Eye series is one of the series' main appeals. Despite the fact Mike discovers that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't the party responsible for Kennedy's death due to possession, he's still portrayed as a sociopath radical Marxist nutjob. While none of the character's portrayals are historically accurate, they're enjoyable and work for the context of the world.
The Skinwalker Conspiracies is far more linked together than its predecessor, less like a series of funny vignettes and more like a single coherent narrative. Hernando De Soto is an excellent villain who possesses numerous abilities which are both plausible as well as fascinating to watch. I also like the insight this book provides into ghost metaphysics, stating that the more famous a ghost is as well as the older, the more powerful they are.
There's some truly great moments spread throughout the book. Mike Ross' brief romance with a ghost from the 1960s is a high point, showing that what he really wants most in his life is stability. I also loved an utterly surreal moment when his soul is imprisoned in a dog. The book pays a lot more attention to Mike's social life and we get a sense he is a very lonely person who just wants to have friends who don't try to kill him.
My favorite characters from the previous novel, Jenny and Candy, don't make an onscreen appearance here and this was disappointing. I was a big pusher for Mike and Candy's relationship, which ended rather abruptly in the previous novel. I was doubly surprised to see Jenny not play a role in the novel given how important she was to the narrative. Despite this, there's many interesting female characters in The Skinwalker Conspiracies and I enjoyed the return of Karla especially.
Unfortunately, there is one serious flaw in the book I would be remiss in not mentioning. Jim Bernheimer sets up a character as a morally bankrupt but "fun" rival to Mike Ross. Cassandra, a Skinwalker from the previous book, becomes less of an enemy and more of an uneasy ally to our hero. Unfortunately, said character's actions are unforgivable and horrific.
In the TV show Supernatural, there was a fan outcry when protagonist Sam started sleeping with a demon named Ruby, mostly due to the fact any body she was inhabiting was getting sexually assaulted due to being a hostage by Ruby. We get to see the aftermath of Cassandra's rampage in one young woman having been confined to a mental hospital for her years of abuse. This is in addition to the betrayals, murders, and torture she commits as an unrepentant monster.
She is, in a word, irredeemable.
Mike treats her more like the mean girl at his local high school.
It's...really dissonant.
Despite this, I'm not going to complain too much. The book is a bit rough to start and has the curious quality of using "Episodes" instead of Chapters (carrying over from the previous book no less) but has a mostly enjoyable narrative. Mike Ross is an enjoyable protagonist and he has a fun collection of supporting players.
I just hope he sends Cassandra straight to hell next book
8.5/10
The premise of The Skinwalker Conspiracies is Mike settling into his role as the world's Ferryman. Having gained a number of allies, he sets upon his most important mission yet: to find his father who had been possessed by a Skinwalker during his teenage years. This gets him involved in a massive conflict between Lee Harvey Oswald (!), Hernado De Soto (!!), Virginia Wolfe (!!!), and his best friend's stripper ex-girlfriend's ghost.
The number of historical personages who show up in the Dead Eye series is one of the series' main appeals. Despite the fact Mike discovers that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't the party responsible for Kennedy's death due to possession, he's still portrayed as a sociopath radical Marxist nutjob. While none of the character's portrayals are historically accurate, they're enjoyable and work for the context of the world.
The Skinwalker Conspiracies is far more linked together than its predecessor, less like a series of funny vignettes and more like a single coherent narrative. Hernando De Soto is an excellent villain who possesses numerous abilities which are both plausible as well as fascinating to watch. I also like the insight this book provides into ghost metaphysics, stating that the more famous a ghost is as well as the older, the more powerful they are.
There's some truly great moments spread throughout the book. Mike Ross' brief romance with a ghost from the 1960s is a high point, showing that what he really wants most in his life is stability. I also loved an utterly surreal moment when his soul is imprisoned in a dog. The book pays a lot more attention to Mike's social life and we get a sense he is a very lonely person who just wants to have friends who don't try to kill him.
My favorite characters from the previous novel, Jenny and Candy, don't make an onscreen appearance here and this was disappointing. I was a big pusher for Mike and Candy's relationship, which ended rather abruptly in the previous novel. I was doubly surprised to see Jenny not play a role in the novel given how important she was to the narrative. Despite this, there's many interesting female characters in The Skinwalker Conspiracies and I enjoyed the return of Karla especially.
Unfortunately, there is one serious flaw in the book I would be remiss in not mentioning. Jim Bernheimer sets up a character as a morally bankrupt but "fun" rival to Mike Ross. Cassandra, a Skinwalker from the previous book, becomes less of an enemy and more of an uneasy ally to our hero. Unfortunately, said character's actions are unforgivable and horrific.
In the TV show Supernatural, there was a fan outcry when protagonist Sam started sleeping with a demon named Ruby, mostly due to the fact any body she was inhabiting was getting sexually assaulted due to being a hostage by Ruby. We get to see the aftermath of Cassandra's rampage in one young woman having been confined to a mental hospital for her years of abuse. This is in addition to the betrayals, murders, and torture she commits as an unrepentant monster.
She is, in a word, irredeemable.
Mike treats her more like the mean girl at his local high school.
It's...really dissonant.
Despite this, I'm not going to complain too much. The book is a bit rough to start and has the curious quality of using "Episodes" instead of Chapters (carrying over from the previous book no less) but has a mostly enjoyable narrative. Mike Ross is an enjoyable protagonist and he has a fun collection of supporting players.
I just hope he sends Cassandra straight to hell next book
8.5/10
September 22, 2015
I was gifted this audiobook by the author, Narrator or publisher in return for an unbiased review through Audiobookblast dot com. Ok, legalese over, here's the review. This is the second book in this Series, following Pennies for the Ferryman. Mike Ross, the Main character, is a Ferryman, meaning he can see ghosts and has power some over them, a lot of which entails helping them pass from this world to the next. He has a group of Civil War Ghosts he is friendly with, but there are a lot of ghosts out there, and they possess people, and have their won Hierarchy, which Mike upsets. In this book, he has to try and stop a really powerful ancient ghost who is actually working with Mike's missing father, with some old enemies and new allies as his only help. Will he succeed? Well, you'll have to read it to find out. You should, though, since the characters are endearing, and complex, especially Mike, who is torn about his role and abilities. The plot is fast moving, never seeming to drag, and you keep wanting more after it ends. The writing is excellent, with snappy dialogue and a lot of humor, especially considering the subject. The villains in this book, and even one of the protagonists, are just as loathsome as you would expect from a Jim Bernheimer book. As far as the narration, Jeffrey Kafer is fast becoming one of my favorite narrators, on a par with Luke Daniels, Michael Kramer, Nick Podehl and Michael Page. He really brings you into the story, bringing it to life. I actually think he sounds a lot like a younger Charlie Sheen, which to me is a good thing, since he can go from serious to funny as hell just like that. Anyone who likes Simon R. Green's Urban Fantasy books should enjoy this one.
March 22, 2014
This second installment is better than the first. It does start right where the previous novel left, even starting with the next "Episode." This story was tighter and more coherent than the first and at the end am a little more interested in finding out where Mr. Bernheimer is taking this. I wonder if the two books could have been combined, tightened up and the first half of the first book removed and the important information integrated into the story a different way. This may have made the entire ordeal a little easier to swallow. I still find it difficult to recommend because you can't jump right into this as the first book provides much of the necessary detail, and that one is still a chore to get through. If a third book ramps up and continues to improve then maybe it is worth the slog. 4 stars for this. 2.5 for the first which averages to 3.25 for the two.
August 16, 2015
This is the second in a series.I really enjoyed the first book and this is nearly as good.Mike can see and deal with ghosts.He gets bombarded with requests from them to get messages ,etc to their loved ones.He gets to settle skirmishes,save people etc.A ghost or skinwalker may have killed his father years earlier and now he is out to get that one.Skinwalkers live thru the people they inhabit.He runs into interference from many sources.It is a laugh out loud kind of book.Jeffrey Kafer brings Mike and everyone to life as the narrator.He's great at his job."I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast or MalarHouse dot com"
May 9, 2015
If it had been a print book, I would probably have dumped it after the first 100 pages (my personal litmus test). However. I came back to it after a few days of family madness, and decided that I was the problem, not the writing. Does not grab the reader like Iron Druid, but improves as it goes along. No spoiler alerts here, just read the publisher's quick summary for plot basics. Know that there is good plot development and characterization.
JK does his usual high grade work interpreting the characters and bringing depth to their personalities.
This book was provided in exchange for an honest review, but I will probably purchase other books in the series.
JK does his usual high grade work interpreting the characters and bringing depth to their personalities.
This book was provided in exchange for an honest review, but I will probably purchase other books in the series.
October 15, 2013
JBern's humor and story telling abilities shine in this book. Lots of crazy fantastic happenings and you start to grow with the character who's stumbling in the dark and learning his abilities while discovering quite a bit of his own mysterious family legacy.
July 16, 2015
What a fun book! Kept my interest to the end and didn't flag at all. In fact, I was surprised that so little time had seemed to elapse when I got to the end. I'm probably not going to get the paper copy - it was good, but not good enough to reread. Gave me some good ideas for a story.
February 13, 2013
still needs better editing - more tightly plotted, bit meandering.
June 6, 2013
Again, I love every book written by this author
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July 16, 2015Wasn't anything spectacular.
March 5, 2013
A supremely fun read and a great protagonist you want to root for.
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