From the award winning & best selling author of "Gated" and "Asylum - 13 Tales of Terror" comes a new supernatural thriller.
Jane Parkes had always considered her ability a fine line between a gift and a curse. She calls it The Shadow World, a place where she can see through the eyes of killers and help bring them to justice.
The country cowered in fear as the serial killer christened "The Crucifier" wreaked bloody havoc. Her desperation to prove herself led to a basement confrontation that she wasn't prepared for. As a result the Detective that had allowed her to work on the case ended up dead alongside the killer.
After that terrible night her guilt caused her to put away the ability to see inside the minds of monsters, to try and lead a normal life. But now someone else has taken up The Crucifiers' mantle. Someone is killing again, only this time The Shadow World is now a two way street and he wants to play.
Sucked into a desperate race for survival Jane is going to learn that sometimes when you stare into the darkness, someone stares back.
Born in Bath, England in 1974, a self-professed "funny onion", equal parts sport loving jock and comic book geek.
Awards & Achievements:
"ABRA-CADAVER" is the 2017 Readers Favorite Silver Medal Winner for Horror Fiction. It is also a 2015 Kindle Book Review Finalist, an Indie Book of the Day winner and the 2016 Book Excellence Award Winner for Horror Fiction.
"GATED" is the 2015 Readers Favorite Gold Medal Winner. It is also a UK & US Horror Chart Top Ten Best Seller & winner of the Full Moon Awards 2014 Horror Book of the Year.
"ASYLUM - 13 TALES OF TERROR" was a US Horror Chart #5. It was also voted #5 on The Horror Novel Review's Top 10 Books of 2013 & was the Readers Favorite 2014 Gold Medal Winner for Anthology Fiction.
"THE LAST RESORT" is the 2019 Readers Favorite Silver Medal Winner for Horror Fiction & The 2019 Kindle Book Review's Winner for Horror/Suspense
I want to start off with saying that I'm just not one of those fan-girling bloggers that are waiting, breath held, for the next novel from their favorite author to come out. BUT (there's always a but, isn't there?) ... there are a few - a very few - authors that, yes, I will fangirl about (and I can't believe I'm admitting that now). Matt Drabble is on that list. So, when I received an email from Sage (at Sage's Blog Tours), there was no way I was saying no. And I am SO GLAD that I didn't.
This book ... was awesome!! Seriously. I was sucked in from the very beginning and, before I knew it, it was the next morning, I had not slept, and the book was over. The descriptions ... the stories ... the characters ... the freaky stuff ... I have so much to say, and yet I have no idea where to start. The description of what happened before was pretty powerful, and the girl that visited Jane at her home was, yeah, perfect. The identity of the serial killer kept me guessing throughout the ENTIRE story - every time I thought I figured it out, another twist appeared that had me rethinking my choice - and the ending - WOW! Definitely a must-read.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Please remember that this review is my opinion based on my personal impressions of the book.
I'm afraid that this one was not for me. I felt like it just dragged, and I was reading forever. I found it quite repetitive at times and a lot of parts were overexplained. The characters were all pretty annoying too.
This book sort of falls between two genres melding a supernatural tale with a more straightforward thriller - well, as straightforward as any serial killer tale can be said to be. It was moderately successful in bridging the gap between the two but just seemed to have something missing. One of the most jarring things was British police carrying guns, simply doesn't happen, and for a story set in the UK and written by a British author this annoyed me.
The supernatural elements of the story centre around Jane Parks, a psychic who was instrumental in capturing The Crucifier. Now, 8 years later he seems to be back and terrorising the same small English town. Unfortunately for Jane his victims seek her out to get their justice and it seems that The Crucifier also has a link to her. Jane's sections are actually quite well written and have been thought through. She is a sympathetic character and there are definitely "legs" to a series of stories featuring her.
The real problems come from the Police procedural sections. The author's research seems to have come from watching TV shows, mainly American, rather than actually speaking to anyone even peripherally associated with the police. Detective Meyers Junior is a reasonably strong character but never really comes alive on the page; there's always something missing about him and he does seem to be defined by his sense of duty and his sexuality.
Unfortunately, as things progress and the body count rises I did find myself losing interest in finding out who was behind this latest spate of murders. This was mainly because it felt like a series of set pieces bolted together and each murder grows gradually more gruesome. I voluntarily read Richard Laymon so gruesome isn't an issue for me but when it is merely there as an intention to shock it grates; regrettably that is how this book felt.
Enjoyable enough but there were just too many ideas battling for page space to satisfactorily explore any of them. Nice twist to the identity of The Crucifier but the final showdown is cluttered and has some gaping holes in it's execution.
What an excellent and rollercoaster of a story! Such a clever and thrilling read this was. It absorbed me from the first page. Was definitely hard to put down. Brilliant.
I had a bit of a roller coaster with this book. Things I loved and parts that went on a little too long AND SUCH A LOT OF DEATH!!!!
It's a real page-turner, easy to get into, engaging and intriguing. The characters are likeable and developed well. The plot is cool, and the cross-over with psychic abilities is right my cup of tea.
Overall very enjoyable. I like Matt Drabble, I've read the Gated trilogy which is excellent.
This book is amazing... it needs to be read; I hope these characters are coming back for a sequel!! I will definitely be reading more Mr Drabble novels. This book has a bit of everything... the supernatural, serial killers, police corruption and an awesome, page turning thrill ride! Read it; you can thank me later 😊. TTFN
I received this book for free not particularly expecting much, especially given the cover art, and was very surprised. The plot kept twisting and turning every time I thought I knew what was about to happen. I'd very much like to know what happens next in the characters lives as we're left with an ending with plenty of power left for a sequel.
Jane Parkes can see through the eyes of killers and help the police capture them if she is allowed to. Several years ago a Detective who allowed her to help on a serial killer case was killed. She felt responsible for his death and her guilt caused her to quit using her gift. But now a copy cat killer is back and her vision has become a two way street. There are a lot of good twists and turns!
I could not put this book down. Great suspenseful story, constantly left you trying to figure it out. Great characters and exceptional storytelling combine to take you on a wild ride.
This is a quick paced story with well defined characters. I couldn't put it down. And you won't either. I won't spoil the ending but it was so good. I didn't see it coming. What a great story!!!!!!
This was a great book! It is a mystery, sci fi, and a bit of horror all rolled in one and it worked. I will be reading more by this author. Not sure if there is a sequel, but it would be interesting to see where Jane goes from here.
I was captivated by this story! I wanted to draw it out almost as much as I couldn't wait to finish it. Mr. Drabble has an amazing mind to be able to write like this! I absolutely loved this book!
I found this book to be the best read. There is so many twists and turns , the ending was beautifully done. I will be reading more of this author and recommended this book!
Super - race along 100 miles an hour - brilliant. The characters were cool - I didn't expect so many of them to croak it but that will be those serial killers for you. Great book - looking forward to reading more by Mr Drabble
He's done it again! Matt Drabble has written a suspenseful story that has you gripping the edge of your seat while flipping through each page. Double Visions was a bit different read for me than Drabble's previous works, and it was just as fulfilling. The growth of his writing is awesome. The plot revolves around a psychic, police officer, and killer. The trio have been connected for years through the police officer's father who was murdered while attempting to solve a serial case. Jane (our psychic) receives snippets of the killer's movement and unbelievably, he can bounce into her mind as well. This isn't your classic "whodunit?” book. It's full of rage, desperation, and a complex cast of characters that leaves you guessing who the murderer is until the very end.
This is my first experience with Matt Dribble and I enjoyed the book. The story is about a copycat serial killer and the psychic who helped end the reign of terror of the first Crucifier eight years previously.
The body count is high as Jane, the psychic, tries to get into the mind of the killer. Her only help is from Danny, the only cop who even attempts to believe her.
If I had proofread this book, I would have made at least 103 corrections. Except for one instance, "superintendent" was spelled "superintendant." Other examples include: "cubicle" was written as "cubical," "editor-in-chief" was written as "editor and chief," and "one fell swoop" was written as "one foul swoop."
I've read literally thousands of books over nearly six decades, but I'm hard pressed to remember any that kept me guessing as strongly as did Matt Drabble's DOUBLE VISIONS. Truly one of the most convoluted horror mysteries I've ever met, from one moment to another I tried to guess at the killer's identity, and every time, the story shunted me in another incredible and totally unexpected direction. Mr. Drabble's creative imagination is vast; I want to give this book twenty-five stars rather than just five. I'll reread it just to savor the pleasure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I didn't see that conclusion coming, but the plot was diabolical and genuinely sinister. The way the connections were so tight yet so far apart in the reality of the entire story. Jane and Danny's relationship was so sad and brave in one. The sacrifices that were made, the coercions from the superior killer was frightening. Having the type of power demonstrated in this book isn't uncommon, it's just not publicly practiced. The whole story centers on taboo and religious slavery. I can't go into details without giving away important points and the conclusion, but this book is a page turner! The author captured the essence of insanity, power,and the supernatural just right. All the characters were apart of the same path to destruction, but on different levels of obscurity. All that death and mayhem because love and rejection raged war with a psyche.
Funny enough, I realized that I had read this book before, when it first came out, years ago. Matt never fails to draw the reader into his stories! Visions of dead people, along with corrupt Police officers, and roadblocks facing those trying to solve murders by a supposedly dead serial killer, will keep you reading to the epic ending!!