Abyssos

by Raymond Hardie

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. POWER IS DANGEROUS.

The cult of ABYSSOS believes that the Snake was right. Knowledge is Power. Power over money, power over life -- power over death and damnation!

Lieutenant Peter Doolan, NYPD, has come face to face with that evil power.

Investigating the ritual murder and dismemberment of a young pregnant woman. Doolan discovers a desecrated chapel hidden in a consecrated church.

The blood-smeared altar is a foreshadowing of the horrors to come. Doolan is trapped in a deadly race when the woman he loves becomes the cult's next target for sacrifice. He must find and kill the dark priest before Virginia is strapped to the altar of Abyssos!

Genres: Horror

225 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1987

About the author

Raymond Hardie grew up in Donaghadee, N. Ireland. A small fishing town, and the closest port to Scotland, it boasts the country’s oldest pub established in 1610 - a point of contention with every other town in Ireland that also has the oldest pub!

He has had three novels published, Fleet (Hodder & Stoughton, in London), Abyssos (Tor books, New York) and most recently No Man's Land (Endeavour Press, London), a political thriller, set in Los Angeles, Berlin and Washington D.C., during the spring of 1933. He has had a number of plays performed in workshop and onstage, and seven television scripts commissioned by BBC television.

He was the senior editor of Stanford magazine for six years, and founding editor of UC San Diego alumni magazine Triton from 2004 to 2014.

He is a graduate of Queen's University Belfast and U-Conn.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started very strong with a priest discovering an evil cult as old as christianity. In early 20th century New York a showdown between the forces of Abyssos and those of good take place. Who will win? The eerie elements soon were outnumbered by a dragging love story and references to morphine addiction. Somehow I'd expected more here. This novel started like The Exorcist and ended like some story on society. Bit disappointed after such a strong beginning.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite its cheesy cover, this was actually not that cheesy and fairly entertaining. The story takes place in the first decade of 1900s and deals with a crazy (is there any other kind) satanic cult. It was decently written and paced with ok characters, but somehow not particularly engaging. Decent enough to pass some time, though.

[Chris Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow to start but really takes off at the end.