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The Devil's Dream #1
The Devil's Dream
Perhaps the smartest man to ever live, Matthew Brand changed the world by twenty-five years old. In his mid-thirties, he still shaped the world as he wanted, until a few cops gunned down his son on the street.
Brand's life changed then. He forgot about bettering Earth and started trying to resurrect his son.
Eventually, Brand's mind even overpowered death's mysteries; he discovered how to bring back the dead--he only needed living bodies to make his son's life possible again. Why not use the bodies of those who killed his son?
In the largest manhunt the FBI's ever experienced, how do they stop a man who can calculate all the odds and stack them in his favor?
In the largest manhunt the FBI's ever experienced, how do they stop a man who can calculate all the odds and stack them in his favor?
Brand's life changed then. He forgot about bettering Earth and started trying to resurrect his son.
Eventually, Brand's mind even overpowered death's mysteries; he discovered how to bring back the dead--he only needed living bodies to make his son's life possible again. Why not use the bodies of those who killed his son?
In the largest manhunt the FBI's ever experienced, how do they stop a man who can calculate all the odds and stack them in his favor?
In the largest manhunt the FBI's ever experienced, how do they stop a man who can calculate all the odds and stack them in his favor?
378 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2014
259 people are currently reading
1523 people want to read
About the author
David Beers
73 books215 followersI used to deliver pizza. I was pretty good at it, too. I mean, it's not that hard, but if I'm not going to brag, who is, right? Anyways, so I'm delivering pizza while I'm in college, and my boss has been in the pizza industry like six years. He's supposed to graduate from college this year, and I ask him, what are you going to do after college? We're all supposed to go out and conquer the world right after college, so this guy has to have some kind of plan.
He looked at me like I was delusional.
"I'm a writer, man."
Those four words changed my life more so than anything else ever spoken to me.
I'd always written, since I was twelve participating in online-wrestling forums in which you acted out your character. I wrote because it came naturally. Never once, in the entirety of my nineteen years did I think that writing could be a career though, until a Pizza Sage said those four words to me.
So what did I do? I went home and wrote a short story and immediately understood that I was the greatest writer to ever touch a keyboard. I brought it to the Pizza Sage and he told me what anyone could have told me--it was horrible. I might be dumb, probably am, but I'm also tenacious.
I spent the next seven years writing almost every day. My first novel grew to the length of 40,000 words, then I threw it away. My second novel grew to 140,000 words. I didn't throw it away, but it was rejected about 50 times by agents. My next novel ended up at around 55,000 words, which I showed to a few friends and shelved. Then I wrote Dead Religion, which is the only reason I have an author page at Amazon.
I have had four short stories published, paid and unpaid. 'Effects May Vary' won an award that was voted on by readers, which was pretty cool.
I'm currently getting my Masters in Business at the University of Georgia's Terry School of Business. I'm doing this in order to not deliver pizzas but still keep the lights on. I have a girlfriend who will soon be my fiancé, and after ten years, I imagine she's ready for that title.
I want to own a yacht.
He looked at me like I was delusional.
"I'm a writer, man."
Those four words changed my life more so than anything else ever spoken to me.
I'd always written, since I was twelve participating in online-wrestling forums in which you acted out your character. I wrote because it came naturally. Never once, in the entirety of my nineteen years did I think that writing could be a career though, until a Pizza Sage said those four words to me.
So what did I do? I went home and wrote a short story and immediately understood that I was the greatest writer to ever touch a keyboard. I brought it to the Pizza Sage and he told me what anyone could have told me--it was horrible. I might be dumb, probably am, but I'm also tenacious.
I spent the next seven years writing almost every day. My first novel grew to the length of 40,000 words, then I threw it away. My second novel grew to 140,000 words. I didn't throw it away, but it was rejected about 50 times by agents. My next novel ended up at around 55,000 words, which I showed to a few friends and shelved. Then I wrote Dead Religion, which is the only reason I have an author page at Amazon.
I have had four short stories published, paid and unpaid. 'Effects May Vary' won an award that was voted on by readers, which was pretty cool.
I'm currently getting my Masters in Business at the University of Georgia's Terry School of Business. I'm doing this in order to not deliver pizzas but still keep the lights on. I have a girlfriend who will soon be my fiancé, and after ten years, I imagine she's ready for that title.
I want to own a yacht.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 6, 2022
Brand was remaking the world in both science and medicine until he started experimenting on live bodies. FBI Agent Allison Moore brings him down and cages his insanity. Or least, they think they did. Nothing could hold Brand forever, and now his body count is climbing. Can Allison capture him again before he goes after her husband and daughter? Nicely written and relatable characters. Excellent plot.
April 28, 2014
Matthew Brand is a man on a mission. Imprisoned for killing those he felt responsible for his son's senseless death, Brand was frozen to be studied and eventually die a slow death. However, Brand was a genius and all he's had was time. Time to plan for his escape. Time to plan for more destruction. Time to plan a resurrection.
Brand is now free to bring his son back to life and wreak more vengeance on those he has deemed contributors to his loss; his wife, his child, and the time he's spent locked away.
Matthew's pain runs deep. What are a few more bodies when the end result will bring his son back to him? What happens when a man of extreme intelligence focuses all his anger and hatred at you?
Wow. Just...wow.
The Devil's Dream is perfectly told. Period. Every character is thought-provoking on some level; the disgraced scientist, the sex-aholic abuser, the workaholic agent, the alcoholic reporter. They were real people, dissected and painstakingly displayed for out entertainment.
I have not read such a compellingly told tale in quite a while and I doubt that they affected me the way this one did. Yes, it was brutal and Matthew, the main character, might be too dark for some people, but the author made me feel a certain empathy towards this serial killing, some might say, monster. That's a feat in and of itself.
An eye for an eye is what Matthew knows and this makes him a very scary man. With nothing to live for, I'd be crazy to get in his way. People that get in his way don't live very long and the death he has in store for you won't be quick nor painless.
Everything; the pacing, the plot, the ending, was done brilliantly.
I am in awe.
Highly recommended.
Warning: This is a dark read and no one is safe.
I will definitely be reading more of Mr. Beer's work.
Best read of 2014 so far~
Check out www.HorrorAfterDark.com
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Those that know me know my opinion is my own.
Brand is now free to bring his son back to life and wreak more vengeance on those he has deemed contributors to his loss; his wife, his child, and the time he's spent locked away.
Matthew's pain runs deep. What are a few more bodies when the end result will bring his son back to him? What happens when a man of extreme intelligence focuses all his anger and hatred at you?
Wow. Just...wow.
The Devil's Dream is perfectly told. Period. Every character is thought-provoking on some level; the disgraced scientist, the sex-aholic abuser, the workaholic agent, the alcoholic reporter. They were real people, dissected and painstakingly displayed for out entertainment.
I have not read such a compellingly told tale in quite a while and I doubt that they affected me the way this one did. Yes, it was brutal and Matthew, the main character, might be too dark for some people, but the author made me feel a certain empathy towards this serial killing, some might say, monster. That's a feat in and of itself.
An eye for an eye is what Matthew knows and this makes him a very scary man. With nothing to live for, I'd be crazy to get in his way. People that get in his way don't live very long and the death he has in store for you won't be quick nor painless.
Everything; the pacing, the plot, the ending, was done brilliantly.
I am in awe.
Highly recommended.
Warning: This is a dark read and no one is safe.
I will definitely be reading more of Mr. Beer's work.
Best read of 2014 so far~
Check out www.HorrorAfterDark.com
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Those that know me know my opinion is my own.
February 27, 2014
I read this book in one sitting. Very impressed.
David Beers completely impressed me and that is not easy to do. First off, my rating. I am very reserved with a 5 star so it is not an insult. 4 star is a great book that I likely couldn't put down. I save the 5 stars for a book I will read like I breath air and re-read numerous times over. The Devil's Dream is close! So close.
The plot in this book is unique, the action is high and the details are many. David can paint a picture with words from the beauty the character sees in the world to the blood and grime that accompany his actions. The main character, Matthew, is complex to the point of confusing due to the height of his intellect and while one may identify with his plight in life he is thoroughly reprehensible. One can almost see why he does what he does. Almost! It gives the reader a new perspective to follow the bad guy.
***POTENTIAL SPOILERS! (but only kinda, I don't give anything away)***
What I loved: The integration of the man and technology. This was brilliant. It is easy to imagine the human brain integrating with computer and watching this unfold was fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into his psyche via computer. While the nerd in me would have loved to have gotten more involved and detailed with this, I understand that there was a limit for the sake of brevity. Might have lost interest from some with too much computer science.
I also enjoyed the use of Jeffrey's book to flashback. What a great way to follow a character.
How non-perfect everyone in the book seems to be. It made it more real and thus much scarier. It is hard to continue reading when a book is filled with a picture perfect life. I even started to dislike the protagonist a bit because she seemed hell bent on screwing up her life. It makes for a good read in the thriller genre. Side note: Is this thriller? Horror? Both?
What I wanted to be different:
The lack of science. Maybe I should just say I wanted more science. I was just waiting for a solid explanation as to how a human could suddenly exist using other humans. How does the combination of blood types work? What about rejection of tissue? How is he replicated? Is it an actual replication or is it a replication of how Matthew perceived his son to be? Is he capable of original thought? How can you replicate voice? So many questions. I can keep going. The idea of the book was so intriguing I wanted more of it.
That's it. This book was amazing, edge of your seat and totally creepy. Loved it!
David Beers completely impressed me and that is not easy to do. First off, my rating. I am very reserved with a 5 star so it is not an insult. 4 star is a great book that I likely couldn't put down. I save the 5 stars for a book I will read like I breath air and re-read numerous times over. The Devil's Dream is close! So close.
The plot in this book is unique, the action is high and the details are many. David can paint a picture with words from the beauty the character sees in the world to the blood and grime that accompany his actions. The main character, Matthew, is complex to the point of confusing due to the height of his intellect and while one may identify with his plight in life he is thoroughly reprehensible. One can almost see why he does what he does. Almost! It gives the reader a new perspective to follow the bad guy.
***POTENTIAL SPOILERS! (but only kinda, I don't give anything away)***
What I loved: The integration of the man and technology. This was brilliant. It is easy to imagine the human brain integrating with computer and watching this unfold was fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into his psyche via computer. While the nerd in me would have loved to have gotten more involved and detailed with this, I understand that there was a limit for the sake of brevity. Might have lost interest from some with too much computer science.
I also enjoyed the use of Jeffrey's book to flashback. What a great way to follow a character.
How non-perfect everyone in the book seems to be. It made it more real and thus much scarier. It is hard to continue reading when a book is filled with a picture perfect life. I even started to dislike the protagonist a bit because she seemed hell bent on screwing up her life. It makes for a good read in the thriller genre. Side note: Is this thriller? Horror? Both?
What I wanted to be different:
The lack of science. Maybe I should just say I wanted more science. I was just waiting for a solid explanation as to how a human could suddenly exist using other humans. How does the combination of blood types work? What about rejection of tissue? How is he replicated? Is it an actual replication or is it a replication of how Matthew perceived his son to be? Is he capable of original thought? How can you replicate voice? So many questions. I can keep going. The idea of the book was so intriguing I wanted more of it.
That's it. This book was amazing, edge of your seat and totally creepy. Loved it!
July 26, 2016
The Devil’s Dream is a very good horror/thriller (sprinkled with sf) revolving around one man’s quest to avenge the death of his son. Matthew Brand is a genius. Matthew Brand is on a mission. Matthew Brand is a convicted cop killer and if he gets his way he will burn down the whole world in order to get one more chance with his son. Watch out, this one is going to get messy. And nobody is safe.
Written and paced well with plenty of action and thoroughly fleshed out characters. This was my first read from Mr. Beers (thanks for the rec, Nikki!), but definitely not my last. Solid 4+ Stars. Highly Recommended.
Written and paced well with plenty of action and thoroughly fleshed out characters. This was my first read from Mr. Beers (thanks for the rec, Nikki!), but definitely not my last. Solid 4+ Stars. Highly Recommended.
October 26, 2016
I liked the idea behind the book, and initially it started well, with the main character being slowly revealed in the opening chapters. He sounded interesting, and I wanted to learn more. But it quickly descended into one pointless bloodbath after another. The main character was single minded, yes I get it, and nothing was going to stand in his way.. yes got that too. But felt it was just too laboured. I didn't really care enough for the main character to see how things progressed.
Eventually I just gave up about 2/3 of the way through.
Eventually I just gave up about 2/3 of the way through.
November 4, 2014
this book was really well written and I wanted to know what was going to happen so I didn't put it down even though it nearly gave me nightmares. I loved the whole idea but could't get past hurting an innocent child, no matter what his grandfather had done. I also wonder if the author has ever met a child as all the descriptions of the 3-year-old sounded far more like he was an infant.
November 23, 2015
Not as expected. Very slow start. Made it to chapter six and that was grueling. Not taking hold and getting my attention. I very much wanted to like it, the concept is a cool idea, just didn't do it for me.
December 9, 2016
Interesting enough premise, but WAY over the top in the bloodbath scenes and scant character development. I have absolutely no interest in continuing with this saga in book 2.
January 24, 2018
Dream on Devil
(Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of the book without an expectation of a review. I read it and decided to provide my honest review, which I have.) The Devil’s Dream by David Beers is a suspense thriller. The key individuals are the FBI Agent charged with finding the killer and a writer who authored a book about the killer the first time he was captured There are other ancillary characters who are critical (his ex-wife) to the plot as well. The author, David Brees, formatted the book so that the story is told mainly through the two main characters. Other individual's voices are heard but filtered through interactions and/or conversations with one or the other of the two individuals. The way in which the author chose to tell the story works for the type of plot created. This is can be a haunting, suspenseful, thriller, murder mystery, page-turner if the plot had more bandwidth and depth. The Devil’s Dream has good content, it just needs to be filled in a little more to provide an engaging reader experience. RECOMMENDATION: None –Tex.
(Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of the book without an expectation of a review. I read it and decided to provide my honest review, which I have.) The Devil’s Dream by David Beers is a suspense thriller. The key individuals are the FBI Agent charged with finding the killer and a writer who authored a book about the killer the first time he was captured There are other ancillary characters who are critical (his ex-wife) to the plot as well. The author, David Brees, formatted the book so that the story is told mainly through the two main characters. Other individual's voices are heard but filtered through interactions and/or conversations with one or the other of the two individuals. The way in which the author chose to tell the story works for the type of plot created. This is can be a haunting, suspenseful, thriller, murder mystery, page-turner if the plot had more bandwidth and depth. The Devil’s Dream has good content, it just needs to be filled in a little more to provide an engaging reader experience. RECOMMENDATION: None –Tex.
May 16, 2018
Sheer Brilliance
This book is beyond excellent. It has characters that are so fully realized on the page that one might expect to turn and see them sitting next to you. It deals with multiple issues, such as police racism and brutality against black people; how far would a parent go to be reunited with their lost child ;what is justifiable; and what is possible through genius and madness.
The book moves at light speed and I found myself completely absorbed in this unique book quickly, reading it in one sitting. David Beers has a knack for spinning a reader on their head with his amazing writing skills. I have read nearly all of his books and have been mightily impressed by each one. I cannot conceive of a reader being bored by this author. I can wholeheartedly recommend that you read this and his other books. They are superb, IMHO. As always, I wish happy reads to all!
This book is beyond excellent. It has characters that are so fully realized on the page that one might expect to turn and see them sitting next to you. It deals with multiple issues, such as police racism and brutality against black people; how far would a parent go to be reunited with their lost child ;what is justifiable; and what is possible through genius and madness.
The book moves at light speed and I found myself completely absorbed in this unique book quickly, reading it in one sitting. David Beers has a knack for spinning a reader on their head with his amazing writing skills. I have read nearly all of his books and have been mightily impressed by each one. I cannot conceive of a reader being bored by this author. I can wholeheartedly recommend that you read this and his other books. They are superb, IMHO. As always, I wish happy reads to all!
May 28, 2018
Matthew Brand’s teenaged son was murdered and the killers, four trigger-happy cops, were found not guilty. He took revenge by killing then and using them as part of an experiment to bring the boy back from the dead. Now he has escaped from the high-tech prison in which he has been held for many years and he has restarted the work. Every law enforcement agency is trying to find him and stop him, but how many will he kill before they get him. And will he succeed in resurrecting his son?
August 13, 2021
Thriller
I didn't want to put this down. Told just as much and perhaps more from the antagonist pov as the agents. I couldn't help but want him to succeed even as I was horrified at his acts.
I didn't want to put this down. Told just as much and perhaps more from the antagonist pov as the agents. I couldn't help but want him to succeed even as I was horrified at his acts.
June 13, 2017
Good read
This book was very good. It was enthralling from start to end. I am looking forward to reading the next book.
This book was very good. It was enthralling from start to end. I am looking forward to reading the next book.
November 9, 2017
O what fun
What an exciting read. Best book I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. Exciting is an under statement. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
What an exciting read. Best book I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. Exciting is an under statement. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
April 26, 2018
Smart man turned serial killer to bring son back to life like a modern day Frankenstein. Good read based on dreams and possibilities but reality scary.
November 28, 2018
Awesome read!
I started this book, earlier today. PIcked it back up, and finished it. Sci Fy meets the F.B.I. Frozen serial killer escapes the chamber he was in. Goes on rampage.
I started this book, earlier today. PIcked it back up, and finished it. Sci Fy meets the F.B.I. Frozen serial killer escapes the chamber he was in. Goes on rampage.
February 22, 2019
Scary stuff
This bad guy is so bad. The heroine is good but is she good enough? Twists that'll knock your socks off. Couldn't stop turning the pages.
This bad guy is so bad. The heroine is good but is she good enough? Twists that'll knock your socks off. Couldn't stop turning the pages.
December 12, 2020
Crazy man escaped, ñaw not really. Paycheck is one hell of a ride.
April 10, 2021
Awesome book!
Couldn’t stop reading it!! Love every chapter. Can’t wait to start book 2 and 3. I’m sure they will be as good
Couldn’t stop reading it!! Love every chapter. Can’t wait to start book 2 and 3. I’m sure they will be as good
May 15, 2023
A little unbelievable
October 21, 2014
Meet Matthew Brand. With an intelligence so great that it can't be quantified Brand could do great important things. He has the ability to change what we know about physics, mathematics...any field that draws his interest. Unfortunately he's also a psychopath.
When his son is shot down by the police despite having done nothing wrong Brand wants what any parent in his position would want- his son back, and revenge against the police involved. But he doesn't have to just want; Brand has the power to do both.
After he has murdered all of the policeman involved in the killing, Brand's megalomania overrides his genius- he tells the world where he can be found. He wants an audience as his son regains life. The story gets a little murky here, and for some reason Brand is unable to deliver. Instead he sits laughing, as gunfire destroys the equipment he has set up for his work.
Rather than execute Brand or imprison him, he is sentenced to a new device called the wall. There he sits in suspended animation. He is being kept alive so scientists can study his brain and gain an understanding of how it is different. There he sits for ten years, alive but insentient and unknowing.
Until he escapes ten years later.
Much of this backstory is told in excerpts of a book written by journalist Jeffrey Dillon. His book is considered the definitive work on Brand and has made Jeffrey rich and brought him a modicum of fame.
Brand is still committed to bringing his son back. To do this he needs bodies. He knows just where to get them- the relatives of the cops that killed his boy.
Allison is climbing the ladder at the FBI, at the expense of her family life. She jumps at the chance to lead the detail tasked with tracking Brand down.
Rally was Brand's wife, now remarried. She is his one weakness - his adoration for his ex wife causes Brand to take risks he knows are not smart. Rally still loves Brand, but knows he's insane. She thinks his attempts to bring their son back are an abomination, and she wants him to stop killing.
David Beers weaves a taut psychological thriller. He deftly jumps from one point of view to another, giving the reader a keen understanding of their perspectives. At times he presents Brand in a sympathetic enough light that you begin to feel a bit sorry for him. Then he has him incinerate four FBI agents or kidnap a three year old child and effectively end his life.
So the book goes, whipping the reader first this way and then the other until you can't turn the page fast enough. Beers is expert in his pacing. He brings the action to a boiling point, calamity occurs...and the next chapter is a flashback. The affect leaves the reader in breathless anticipation.
His portrayal of Brand is superb. When Rally tries to stop him by driving a knife in his belly he reacts by breaking her neck. The villain is disconsolate. We sit and what his madness takes over as he goes from tears to rage, determined that their must be someone to blame for Rally's death. He never considers placing the blame where it belongs, on himself.
Likewise, there is never any consideration of whether bringing his son back is appropriate or if there will be a downside. Simply by want of Brand possessing the ability to do so, it must be done- regardless of the death toll it requires.
There are a few small issues keeping it from being a five star work.
For some reason there is no explanation of the science Brand is using to reanimate his son. It requires living but immobile victims, and tubes running from the victims to a large receptacle. But that's all we get.
And there are a couple of implausible situations. For instance at one point a woman on Brand's hit list has layers of police protection- there is simply no way for a civilian to get to her. Brand's answer is kill one of the officers on the detail, disguise himself, and impersonate the officer. This he does, sharing a car ride with the Allison at one point and even having a conversation with his victim-to-be at another. For some reason a policeman no one has ever seen before doesn't ring any alarm bells with the other officers and agents.
But these are minor issues, and are easily over shadowed by the rest of the book. Excellent writing, plausible dialogue, a believable look into the mind of a madman. Just a great read.
When his son is shot down by the police despite having done nothing wrong Brand wants what any parent in his position would want- his son back, and revenge against the police involved. But he doesn't have to just want; Brand has the power to do both.
After he has murdered all of the policeman involved in the killing, Brand's megalomania overrides his genius- he tells the world where he can be found. He wants an audience as his son regains life. The story gets a little murky here, and for some reason Brand is unable to deliver. Instead he sits laughing, as gunfire destroys the equipment he has set up for his work.
Rather than execute Brand or imprison him, he is sentenced to a new device called the wall. There he sits in suspended animation. He is being kept alive so scientists can study his brain and gain an understanding of how it is different. There he sits for ten years, alive but insentient and unknowing.
Until he escapes ten years later.
Much of this backstory is told in excerpts of a book written by journalist Jeffrey Dillon. His book is considered the definitive work on Brand and has made Jeffrey rich and brought him a modicum of fame.
Brand is still committed to bringing his son back. To do this he needs bodies. He knows just where to get them- the relatives of the cops that killed his boy.
Allison is climbing the ladder at the FBI, at the expense of her family life. She jumps at the chance to lead the detail tasked with tracking Brand down.
Rally was Brand's wife, now remarried. She is his one weakness - his adoration for his ex wife causes Brand to take risks he knows are not smart. Rally still loves Brand, but knows he's insane. She thinks his attempts to bring their son back are an abomination, and she wants him to stop killing.
David Beers weaves a taut psychological thriller. He deftly jumps from one point of view to another, giving the reader a keen understanding of their perspectives. At times he presents Brand in a sympathetic enough light that you begin to feel a bit sorry for him. Then he has him incinerate four FBI agents or kidnap a three year old child and effectively end his life.
So the book goes, whipping the reader first this way and then the other until you can't turn the page fast enough. Beers is expert in his pacing. He brings the action to a boiling point, calamity occurs...and the next chapter is a flashback. The affect leaves the reader in breathless anticipation.
His portrayal of Brand is superb. When Rally tries to stop him by driving a knife in his belly he reacts by breaking her neck. The villain is disconsolate. We sit and what his madness takes over as he goes from tears to rage, determined that their must be someone to blame for Rally's death. He never considers placing the blame where it belongs, on himself.
Likewise, there is never any consideration of whether bringing his son back is appropriate or if there will be a downside. Simply by want of Brand possessing the ability to do so, it must be done- regardless of the death toll it requires.
There are a few small issues keeping it from being a five star work.
For some reason there is no explanation of the science Brand is using to reanimate his son. It requires living but immobile victims, and tubes running from the victims to a large receptacle. But that's all we get.
And there are a couple of implausible situations. For instance at one point a woman on Brand's hit list has layers of police protection- there is simply no way for a civilian to get to her. Brand's answer is kill one of the officers on the detail, disguise himself, and impersonate the officer. This he does, sharing a car ride with the Allison at one point and even having a conversation with his victim-to-be at another. For some reason a policeman no one has ever seen before doesn't ring any alarm bells with the other officers and agents.
But these are minor issues, and are easily over shadowed by the rest of the book. Excellent writing, plausible dialogue, a believable look into the mind of a madman. Just a great read.
March 20, 2017
Bad violent over board
Way too descriptive and violent. Stopped reading halfway. Not as described prior to download just bad!!!! Hope he doesn't write more!!
Way too descriptive and violent. Stopped reading halfway. Not as described prior to download just bad!!!! Hope he doesn't write more!!
February 29, 2016
I won a copy of this from Goodreads First Reads. My review has not been influenced in any way.
Favorite part: The "flashbacks" to Jeffrey's previous book at the beginning of each chapter. This was a great way to give backstory without making it seem forced and like an information dump.
Lease favorite part: The rampant racism. I'm not naive; I know racist people exist in the world. I am in no way saying it should have been removed from the book. However, I am saying that it was a bit overboard.
Good example of racism in the book: "He could probably even hire a little Mexican to come in here and squeeze fresh oranges for the juice if he wanted." This helped to show what a jerk that character is and how his mind works; this is how racism should be used in a book.
Bad example of racism in the book: When Matthew is on the beach, he briefly talks to a boy. The boy is only in the book for one page, but we know what color his skin is in that one page! It just seemed contrived how nearly every character introduced was defined by his/her skin color immediately. I'm not saying take it out; I'm saying tone it down to a realistic amount.
There was a lot of suspension of disbelief necessary to get through this book. That doesn't bother me because I read a lot of books that require suspension of disbelief. For example, how is Matthew buying all of this stuff? I realize he was filthy rich before he was arrested the first time, but how is that relevant now? I'd think his accounts were frozen upon his arrest or, at the very least, as soon as he escaped The Wall. Yet, he somehow has bought tons and tons of equipment? You also have to suspend your beliefs on what is or is not possible (bringing someone back to life by using four other bodies in a way that's never really explained).
Also, I find Matthew's character himself to be rather unbelievable. For example, we have someone who is supposed to be the smartest man alive who continues to do stupid crap, such as call his ex-wife and arrange to meet her. Such as not chase after someone who had been following him. Et cetera.
Now, it seems like I'm doing nothing but bashing the book, but I really did enjoy it, as is evident by my 4-star rating. However, it's little things like those mentioned above that kept it from being a 5-star book for me.
I really enjoyed what happened to Jeffrey at the end. Now that I think about it, THAT might actually be my favorite part of the book. Honestly, I feel like he was the true "devil" in the story. What Matthew did was done out of (screwed up) love. What Jeffrey did was done out of selfishness and greed. He was a deplorable human being.
I enjoyed the suspense of the book. I kept wondering what would happen to Matthew's son. Would he get resurrected or would Matthew be stopped beforehand? If he did get resurrected, would he be allowed to live? Would he become a test subject? Would Matthew go back to The Wall or would he be killed? So this book was great at making you wonder.
Overall, this was a good book. Not world-changing amazing, but definitely worth reading!
Favorite part: The "flashbacks" to Jeffrey's previous book at the beginning of each chapter. This was a great way to give backstory without making it seem forced and like an information dump.
Lease favorite part: The rampant racism. I'm not naive; I know racist people exist in the world. I am in no way saying it should have been removed from the book. However, I am saying that it was a bit overboard.
Good example of racism in the book: "He could probably even hire a little Mexican to come in here and squeeze fresh oranges for the juice if he wanted." This helped to show what a jerk that character is and how his mind works; this is how racism should be used in a book.
Bad example of racism in the book: When Matthew is on the beach, he briefly talks to a boy. The boy is only in the book for one page, but we know what color his skin is in that one page! It just seemed contrived how nearly every character introduced was defined by his/her skin color immediately. I'm not saying take it out; I'm saying tone it down to a realistic amount.
There was a lot of suspension of disbelief necessary to get through this book. That doesn't bother me because I read a lot of books that require suspension of disbelief. For example, how is Matthew buying all of this stuff? I realize he was filthy rich before he was arrested the first time, but how is that relevant now? I'd think his accounts were frozen upon his arrest or, at the very least, as soon as he escaped The Wall. Yet, he somehow has bought tons and tons of equipment? You also have to suspend your beliefs on what is or is not possible (bringing someone back to life by using four other bodies in a way that's never really explained).
Also, I find Matthew's character himself to be rather unbelievable. For example, we have someone who is supposed to be the smartest man alive who continues to do stupid crap, such as call his ex-wife and arrange to meet her. Such as not chase after someone who had been following him. Et cetera.
Now, it seems like I'm doing nothing but bashing the book, but I really did enjoy it, as is evident by my 4-star rating. However, it's little things like those mentioned above that kept it from being a 5-star book for me.
I really enjoyed what happened to Jeffrey at the end. Now that I think about it, THAT might actually be my favorite part of the book. Honestly, I feel like he was the true "devil" in the story. What Matthew did was done out of (screwed up) love. What Jeffrey did was done out of selfishness and greed. He was a deplorable human being.
I enjoyed the suspense of the book. I kept wondering what would happen to Matthew's son. Would he get resurrected or would Matthew be stopped beforehand? If he did get resurrected, would he be allowed to live? Would he become a test subject? Would Matthew go back to The Wall or would he be killed? So this book was great at making you wonder.
Overall, this was a good book. Not world-changing amazing, but definitely worth reading!
September 6, 2014
Matthew Brand... A desperate father who wants to reunite with his son or a mad scientist and serial killer??
Matthew Brand was one of the people in the Wall, well until he escaped after 10 years of being in a Silo. Now only 2 remained. Arthur Morgant (a rapist) was immune to the AIDS virus and someone else who's name escaped me at the moment, but don't worry he's still there.
The Devil's Dream was written by Jeffery Dillon. The book was about Matthew Brand's side of the story and the two collaborated on it.
Meanwhile, Agent Allison Moore was tasked to find Matthew Brand. Hopefully her husband and daughter would understand that this was big, bigger than anything she'd done before. She had to go, and could possibly be gone for a month or more. Her first stop was to visit The Wall..
Matthew's first stop was to call Rally his ex-wife, his weak spot, to tell her he was bringing his son back and then continue on with his mission.
I thought that the first part of this book was slow because of the multiple points of view between the characters and the back story about Matthew Brand. But once Matthew got to work on his plan the suspense nabbed me. Nothing happened the way I thought it would turn out in my head, there are some great twists and turns! All the characters eventually meet each other in different weird life changing ways and the ending blew me away.. I had to get the second book.. I couldn't handle the end!
*I was given a copy to review by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
"The Wall would keep the people you couldn't kill away from society. Forever. The one's that you couldn't let die, for whatever reason, but couldn't let live either, they would be kept behind the Wall for as long as needed." "A building that stretched across an acre and inside it held 3 men." A building that was supposed to be inescapable.
Matthew Brand was one of the people in the Wall, well until he escaped after 10 years of being in a Silo. Now only 2 remained. Arthur Morgant (a rapist) was immune to the AIDS virus and someone else who's name escaped me at the moment, but don't worry he's still there.
The Devil's Dream was written by Jeffery Dillon. The book was about Matthew Brand's side of the story and the two collaborated on it.
This story and thus this book, is a love story between a father and his son, and the depths that such love could take them. I didn't know when I began writing. I thought Matthew Brand was insane and the cops were probably criminals. Maybe Matthew Brand is insane, but if so, love brought him there. I dedicate this book to the four cops that lost their lives. I dedicate this book to the person who killed those cops, Matthew Brand, who lost his son.Jeffery wanted to write another book and conveniently turns on TV and see's Matthew Brand Escapes "This is your book, right here, Jeffery. You don't have to wait until he's caught to write it."Lecia (his agent) says. Jeffery goes on a quest to find out where Brand is going to set up shop, and who his next victims will be. Jeffery has done extensive research and probably knows Brand better than anyone, he already has a clue as to what Brand's plan is. This places him in a tough situation... because if he tells the info to the Feds... no book. Yet he has a conscious.
Meanwhile, Agent Allison Moore was tasked to find Matthew Brand. Hopefully her husband and daughter would understand that this was big, bigger than anything she'd done before. She had to go, and could possibly be gone for a month or more. Her first stop was to visit The Wall..
Matthew's first stop was to call Rally his ex-wife, his weak spot, to tell her he was bringing his son back and then continue on with his mission.
I thought that the first part of this book was slow because of the multiple points of view between the characters and the back story about Matthew Brand. But once Matthew got to work on his plan the suspense nabbed me. Nothing happened the way I thought it would turn out in my head, there are some great twists and turns! All the characters eventually meet each other in different weird life changing ways and the ending blew me away.. I had to get the second book.. I couldn't handle the end!
*I was given a copy to review by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 5, 2017
I had high hopes starting this book. The premise & the blurb about it were intriguing. I was a little disappointed once I got into it that I kept putting off finishing it. I guess I just expected more from the story, like maybe some discernible scientific or medical information as the basis on which Matthew Brand, the protagonist in the book, built his premise of resurrecting his son. On the other hand, the book isn't classified as a sci-fi thriller, so I guess the lack of medical or scientific basis was fine. Reminiscent of Frankenstein's monster, Brand wanted to bring back his son from the dead using different people's vital fluids & body parts & what appears to be a Plexi glass like container that sounds like Brand's version of a sarcophagus. Considering we live in an age where scientific & medical facts are readily available with a few keystrokes & Google, a little bit of research would've made this story more believable. There were also some inconsistencies that belied the time setting of the book which, I assumed, was several decades into the future. I may be wrong in that assumption as the author himself didn't purport that to be the case, but the whole thought of recreating a dead body from others' organs & body parts does give you the idea this is decades, if not at least a century, ahead in the future. It would have been nice if some sort of advanced technology was also present in the story. For example, Skype-ing now isn't so reliable & that's why not a lot of people use it, but it seems to be the accepted video communication in Brand's future. You'd think they'd do face time with an app or something. Disposable cameras are a thing of the past; people normally use cellphone cameras, especially when furtively taking pictures inside places they broke into. The resolution alone in a disposable camera is nothing compared to an 8-mp cell camera. But I'm nitpicking here. The story flow is fast, there's some gore & violence but not too much as to put you off, & it ends with a satisfying cliffhanger that pulls you into the next book in the series. The POVs, though, sound just like one third person's POV instead of several, especially with the interspersed chapters of the character, Jeffrey Dillan's, book; I expected his POV to have a totally different voice from the writer's POV, but they write & sound alike. Other than the above, the book was okay and worth a read.
May 21, 2014
See my full review at http://mysterysequels.com/devils-drea...
The premise is quite interesting: Matthew Brand is a genius, his mind is at a completely different level than that of most humans on this planet. He IS the smartest guys on this planet, period. At a young age he was getting various Ph.Ds while others were still struggling with their first bachelor’s degree. However he was not really getting anywhere with his life, although many had predicted that he could literally change the world – all by himself.
Matthew was enjoying a rather simple life, got married and adopted a child that he loved very much.
But everything changed on a fateful day when his son (a young black teenager) was gunned down by 4 policemen in error of thinking he is a criminal.
This is when Matthew’s life changed completely. Now he let go of his boring life and became a man on a mission – on two missions really: to get revenge for the death of his son, and to become a modern Frankenstein and bring back his son from the dead.
I loved the premise which intrigued me right from the start. A genius who can do what no man on Earth (except in books, of course) could do: revive a dead one and mastermind a plan so cunning that nobody has even the slighted idea on how to stop him from doing what he has set out to do. An unstoppable force of nature.
The Devil’s Dream is a suspenseful thriller that kept me turning the pages one after another to see what happens next. I was curious whether Matthew would actually bring back his dead son and how he would go about it. To be honest I’m still not quite sure of the details, the science behind it was lacking. However it is a suspend your belief kind of book, so I just read it for what it was: a delightful edge of your seat novel that deserves being read by anyone who loves a good sci-fi thriller.
Btw the ending almost calls for a second book to be written – it definitely opens up a few interesting possibilities…
The premise is quite interesting: Matthew Brand is a genius, his mind is at a completely different level than that of most humans on this planet. He IS the smartest guys on this planet, period. At a young age he was getting various Ph.Ds while others were still struggling with their first bachelor’s degree. However he was not really getting anywhere with his life, although many had predicted that he could literally change the world – all by himself.
Matthew was enjoying a rather simple life, got married and adopted a child that he loved very much.
But everything changed on a fateful day when his son (a young black teenager) was gunned down by 4 policemen in error of thinking he is a criminal.
This is when Matthew’s life changed completely. Now he let go of his boring life and became a man on a mission – on two missions really: to get revenge for the death of his son, and to become a modern Frankenstein and bring back his son from the dead.
I loved the premise which intrigued me right from the start. A genius who can do what no man on Earth (except in books, of course) could do: revive a dead one and mastermind a plan so cunning that nobody has even the slighted idea on how to stop him from doing what he has set out to do. An unstoppable force of nature.
The Devil’s Dream is a suspenseful thriller that kept me turning the pages one after another to see what happens next. I was curious whether Matthew would actually bring back his dead son and how he would go about it. To be honest I’m still not quite sure of the details, the science behind it was lacking. However it is a suspend your belief kind of book, so I just read it for what it was: a delightful edge of your seat novel that deserves being read by anyone who loves a good sci-fi thriller.
Btw the ending almost calls for a second book to be written – it definitely opens up a few interesting possibilities…
February 14, 2017
Good read
Keeps you on the edge wondering what this crazy man will do next ! A true terror sci Fi story!
Keeps you on the edge wondering what this crazy man will do next ! A true terror sci Fi story!
February 14, 2017
Great Book
Could not put the book down...loved the never ending thrills and a real page turner..
Can't wait to read sequel
Could not put the book down...loved the never ending thrills and a real page turner..
Can't wait to read sequel
March 29, 2015
Great bit of escapism, many interesting high tech, science fiction style ideas in here. Digs deep into the psyche of all the characters especially Brand's. The moral dilemmas are interesting too, dealing with Brand's love of his son and desire to avenge his unlawful killing against the killing spree he goes on to attempt to achieve his resurrection.
I like the fact that this is a stand-alone story as well as part of a series, and you are not required to read the second book to complete the story, though there is a big cliffhanger at the end, so if you enjoyed this you will certainly feel compelled to read the following books.
There are several characters stories running through this and the many twists and turns will grip you and keep you reading and wanting more.
Whilst you do expect credibility to be stretched, especially in a high tech near future story such as this, this would deserve a 5 star rating if it did not stretch that credibility and the ineptitude of the FBI to the limit.
I like the fact that this is a stand-alone story as well as part of a series, and you are not required to read the second book to complete the story, though there is a big cliffhanger at the end, so if you enjoyed this you will certainly feel compelled to read the following books.
There are several characters stories running through this and the many twists and turns will grip you and keep you reading and wanting more.
Whilst you do expect credibility to be stretched, especially in a high tech near future story such as this, this would deserve a 5 star rating if it did not stretch that credibility and the ineptitude of the FBI to the limit.
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