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Saint's Vigil
Killed in a violent robbery, rescued and revived, a music teacher feels her loss is too much to bear. Panicked and broken, Saundra hides in Saint Michael's cathedral while law enforcement pursues the murderers. As darkness overwhelms her, she can only pray to the distant lights of heaven. Has she been cast into hell? In their terrible conflict, will the warring angels save her or destroy her?
Called to the scene, Deputy Sheriff Hugh Miller entangles his team in a tactical nightmare, and his friends are killed and injured there. He saves Saundra from certain death by positioning himself between her and the assailants, but his use of force earns him a suspension. Inexplicably, the criminals escape. With the threat of more murders, Hugh joins the investigation in secret, obsessed with stopping the killers. His efforts place him in a deadly game poised to lose all he values and loves.
Tracking seemingly supernatural events spiraling out of control, Hugh must find a way to bring them into his hand.
Called to the scene, Deputy Sheriff Hugh Miller entangles his team in a tactical nightmare, and his friends are killed and injured there. He saves Saundra from certain death by positioning himself between her and the assailants, but his use of force earns him a suspension. Inexplicably, the criminals escape. With the threat of more murders, Hugh joins the investigation in secret, obsessed with stopping the killers. His efforts place him in a deadly game poised to lose all he values and loves.
Tracking seemingly supernatural events spiraling out of control, Hugh must find a way to bring them into his hand.
408 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2014
1 person is currently reading
1692 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Phoenix
2 books20 followersBryan Phoenix, a Contemporary American Literature Professor Emeritus now retired from the university, writes Horror and Suspense stories. Secretly writing for years, yet now freed from the confining shackles of his former masters, Bryan has decided to unleash his skeletons upon the public.
Bryan lives with his wife and daughters in Oklahoma--on windy plains at the edge of the decaying City.
Author Review of Saint's Vigil
Bryan lives with his wife and daughters in Oklahoma--on windy plains at the edge of the decaying City.
Author Review of Saint's Vigil
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 20, 2014
From the Author: (Also in book introduction).
This tale is dark, telling of sorrow and bad things. It is terror and thriller. It is a relentless fight with psychopaths. Some who know whisper--while most hold their breath--speechless, knowing that the murderers are vampires, destroyers, terrible reapers of souls. Demons, death, wanderers free in the night, roaming the land hungry for all things to fill their emptiness.
It is also a gripping daytime-drama, a blaze burning in the sunlight. A search for all the things we value, all that shines upon us. A love that heals and makes us grow.
Intense experiences and insane imaginings created this story. I just wrote them down as best I could. The forces of cold, nameless terror given a form through me came forth.
Writing Saint’s Vigil became a labor I loved and hated, because I loved the good people that found pain and loss, and I hated the bad ones for the evil things they wrought; it was a caged-fight between me and fate to get the ink on the page without losing myself in the smothering emotion and madness that the muse offered up in her song.
And yes, it is scary. This is what I lay before you.
-- Bryan
(Additional Author Review available in book's Afterwords)
This tale is dark, telling of sorrow and bad things. It is terror and thriller. It is a relentless fight with psychopaths. Some who know whisper--while most hold their breath--speechless, knowing that the murderers are vampires, destroyers, terrible reapers of souls. Demons, death, wanderers free in the night, roaming the land hungry for all things to fill their emptiness.
It is also a gripping daytime-drama, a blaze burning in the sunlight. A search for all the things we value, all that shines upon us. A love that heals and makes us grow.
Intense experiences and insane imaginings created this story. I just wrote them down as best I could. The forces of cold, nameless terror given a form through me came forth.
Writing Saint’s Vigil became a labor I loved and hated, because I loved the good people that found pain and loss, and I hated the bad ones for the evil things they wrought; it was a caged-fight between me and fate to get the ink on the page without losing myself in the smothering emotion and madness that the muse offered up in her song.
And yes, it is scary. This is what I lay before you.
-- Bryan
(Additional Author Review available in book's Afterwords)
August 20, 2017
Saint's Vigil by Bryan Phoenix
This horror/thriller was a read that was on my bookshelf for quite a long time. I tried picking it up a few times but it wasn't doing it for me. Finally, I forced myself to sit down and finish it - and it was quite the treat. It just took a little bit to get starter.
This book is brutal (in a good way, I guess? It's meant to be). It's not lighthearted, and I dare say it deserved an NC17 or R rating if it was rating through the MPAA. There's lots of pain and loss within the story, but I wouldn't say this horror lives up to a Stephen King kind of horror. This kind of horror was very brutal, bloody and cruel. It's not a scare you psychologically, it's more of a realistic, disgusting kind of horror. Some people like that, I personally don't. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good horror novel that scares me, but this one seemed more wrong than scary. There's corpses and mutilation and things you don't typically see in books (or I'm reading all the wrong ones...or right ones? I guess...)
The style of this book flows smoothly, and it keeps moving at a relatively medium-pace the entire novel. I thought it could have moved a bit faster (due to how large this book is) but it was okay.
I found the characters kind of dull. I didn't connect with them like I do other characters (villainous and heroes/antiheroes alike). Within this story, these characters could have been real winners - the brutal nature of this story leaves so much room for characters with real motives and crazy storylines, but it didn't hit it out of the park for me.
Overall, this book has good themes but wasn't my top novel of the year. It's a good read for someone who wants something brutal and "disgusting" (in a good way, I promise!! Like a brutal Quenten Tarantino sort of book).
Three out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This horror/thriller was a read that was on my bookshelf for quite a long time. I tried picking it up a few times but it wasn't doing it for me. Finally, I forced myself to sit down and finish it - and it was quite the treat. It just took a little bit to get starter.
This book is brutal (in a good way, I guess? It's meant to be). It's not lighthearted, and I dare say it deserved an NC17 or R rating if it was rating through the MPAA. There's lots of pain and loss within the story, but I wouldn't say this horror lives up to a Stephen King kind of horror. This kind of horror was very brutal, bloody and cruel. It's not a scare you psychologically, it's more of a realistic, disgusting kind of horror. Some people like that, I personally don't. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good horror novel that scares me, but this one seemed more wrong than scary. There's corpses and mutilation and things you don't typically see in books (or I'm reading all the wrong ones...or right ones? I guess...)
The style of this book flows smoothly, and it keeps moving at a relatively medium-pace the entire novel. I thought it could have moved a bit faster (due to how large this book is) but it was okay.
I found the characters kind of dull. I didn't connect with them like I do other characters (villainous and heroes/antiheroes alike). Within this story, these characters could have been real winners - the brutal nature of this story leaves so much room for characters with real motives and crazy storylines, but it didn't hit it out of the park for me.
Overall, this book has good themes but wasn't my top novel of the year. It's a good read for someone who wants something brutal and "disgusting" (in a good way, I promise!! Like a brutal Quenten Tarantino sort of book).
Three out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
December 28, 2014
"Saundra-you dont believe that-thats why I picked you.You dont believe in anything."
Its an awesome thriller,fiction book.It would be a perfect movie to watch,too.I liked the way author keeps readers curious between the parts of the boook.The writing style is easy reading,smooth and catchy.I liked the characters and the way that the writer expressed their inner conflicts.Faith and disbelief,demons and angels and a strong woman,Saundra.I liked the character Saundra mostly.She is desperate,questioning but courageous.I felt sorry for Dan and Roy.Its is weird that I somehow felt sorry for Andrew too.The book gives a satisfying final.I would love to read more books of the author,good job.5 stars.
Its an awesome thriller,fiction book.It would be a perfect movie to watch,too.I liked the way author keeps readers curious between the parts of the boook.The writing style is easy reading,smooth and catchy.I liked the characters and the way that the writer expressed their inner conflicts.Faith and disbelief,demons and angels and a strong woman,Saundra.I liked the character Saundra mostly.She is desperate,questioning but courageous.I felt sorry for Dan and Roy.Its is weird that I somehow felt sorry for Andrew too.The book gives a satisfying final.I would love to read more books of the author,good job.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews