On the run from the most violent mobster in town, Thomas Marks takes a job driving a mysterious boy halfway across the country. The boy is promising him enough money to settle his debts…but at what cost?
The boy carries a jar filled with his brother’s ashes and claims they are the key to protecting all of mankind. He says that a terrible war is on the horizon—an epic battle between good and evil that will affect the entire planet.
When the mobster who’s been leaving a trail of corpses in his wake shows up possessed with an otherworldly strength and demands the ashes, Thomas is forced to choose between helping the boy…and saving his own life.
***NOTE: This is a companion to the novel HELLO DARKNESS. Different characters; different cities; same evil. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009R5J4YC
Samuel's horror novels usually focus on the epic theme of good versus evil but on a human scale. He likes stories that show ordinary people facing extraordinary odds, with enough heart-pumping action to keep the pages turning.
Many of his books will be or have been revised, enhanced, and re-released under the name Samuel Best.
Thomas is 24 hours from being a punching bag for the local mafia’s bodyguard. In over his head in debt, he’s just about to give up on living when a strange boy named Will offers him a short-term but very lucrative job as a driver. With nothing to lose but his life, Thomas agrees. But Will isn’t all that he appears and the force chasing him across the country makes the mafia boss look like Santa Claus in comparison. This is a very tightly written thriller with all the right ingredients for an intense can’t-put-this-down read. Imagine Dean Koontz with a bit of Stephen King thrown in, and you get the picture. I highly recommend this. After finishing, I had only one question: where’s the sequel? So I contacted the author (no, I wasn’t his friend before reading this book, and no, I’m not a relative, and yes, the 5 star is really deserved). And yes indeed, there will be more. Can’t wait!
Thank you Sam for asking me if I would like to read this. I´m very glad you did - and that I accepted.
Thomas, a not very nice person meets WIll, a young strange boy who is for some reason carrying his brothers ashes. I don´t want to tell you what happens, but as in all novels dealing with good vs evil there is a quest.
I very much enjoyed the story. The characters are credibly and cleverly drawn. The writing is swift and clear and the story has the classic ingredients - good, evil, human shortcomings, human sacrifice, a world showing to be more than we can see.
I did´t want to to stop reading because I wanted to know what was going on and what was going to happen. I loved to see how Thomas grew and how his and Will´s relationship changed him.
There are some very gory parts in the novel, I didn´t mind - evil IS gory.
The author combines adventure, conflict, trepidation, and otherworldly elements in this novel. Thomas Marks is on the run from a mobster loan shark. Thomas needs a lot of money to pay a mobster to prevent the mobster from killing him. He meets a boy who has a jar that contains his brother's cremated ashes. The boy promises Marks a load of money if he will take him and the ashes across country. The mobster, who leaves corpses in his wake, and is after Thomas becomes possessed by a supernatural force. The excitement notches up when Thomas has to choose between saving his own life or giving up the boy and the ashes. You will have to read this novel to find out for yourself what happens.
The author has a great way of describing the settings, the dialogue is powerful, and it is a well-written novel. Ashes is definitely an interesting read.
I just finished an awesome novel, Ashes by Sam Best. If you like horror without senseless gore or scenes that that can be deleted. That makes you think and groan when then the book ends because you want more. That leaves you anxiously waiting for the next book. This is A MUST READ...5 stars.
Totally enjoyed this book. Well written and hard to put down, even for sleep. I will be starting the second book soon. Sam best is a wonderful writer with characters that you relate to.