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Gecko
He knows the doctor did it, but has no proof and can't get any behind bars. While in jail he learns about Donna, a woman in trouble who desperately needs to be rescued. She is the victim of the same doctor who has stolen his wife. It has been a long time since his days in the violent Vietnamese jungle, a long time since he's had to call on skills he'd put to rest. He's rusty, he tells himself, but not useless. He has to escape, has to rescue both Donna and his wife, has to save them from a horrible fate. However the doctor is as evil as Lucifer himself and calls forth an ancient horror to end Jim's life, once and for all. Jim escapes from jail and goes after the doctor with the police hot on his trail. He knows what's after him, but he has no idea about what's waiting ahead.
- GenresHorror
340 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 22, 2025
These little lizards are definitely not cute!
Jim Monday, a retired Vietnam veteran, thought he was happily in love. He was wrong. His wife has left him for Bernd Kohler, a rather slippery German doctor; they're suing him for all the money and property in sight; and his best friend and lawyer has just been killed by a hit and run driver. Monday, convinced that the accident was a set-up intended to kill him, attacks Kohler and finds himself in jail for his trouble. When the murder attempts continue inside the jail, Monday knows he was right. He escapes calling on his long dormant but now instinctive Vietnam survival and killing skills.
In the opening paragraphs, Jack Priest shows himself to be a pretty darn capable spinner of that typical fast-paced police procedural or suspense thriller. But then Monday hears voices in his head. Somehow he's in communication with the spirit of Donna Tuhiwai, a young Maori woman who needs to be rescued from the same evil doctor who stole Monday's wife. As Monday searches for Donna and evades the ongoing police search, the killings continue and Priest begins to litter the landscape with a series of odd gecko sightings, brilliantly foreshadowing the really creepy stuff that has yet to happen. But, come it does, and Gecko makes the transition from suspense to horror.
GECKO is an ambitious horror novel and covers a lot of ground in a relatively small number of pages - pornography, murder, rogue police officers, white slave trade, mental telepathic communication, gruesome oversized lizards, Maori legends and more. Priest has certainly succeeded to the extent that he's produced a fast-paced enjoyable goose-bumper that will put a smile on the face of anyone who enjoys a good horror story but GECKO does have a couple of noticeable shortcomings. Unresolved loose threads at the end of the novel will leave the reader frustratingly puzzled about what happened to two major characters that simply disappear from the plot line with nary a trace. Monday's ability to move from one seemingly perfect romantic relationship into another without a shred of remorse or concern could most charitably be called unrealistic.
That said, GECKO was enjoyable and Jack Priest has made it onto the list of authors that I'll look for in the future. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
Jim Monday, a retired Vietnam veteran, thought he was happily in love. He was wrong. His wife has left him for Bernd Kohler, a rather slippery German doctor; they're suing him for all the money and property in sight; and his best friend and lawyer has just been killed by a hit and run driver. Monday, convinced that the accident was a set-up intended to kill him, attacks Kohler and finds himself in jail for his trouble. When the murder attempts continue inside the jail, Monday knows he was right. He escapes calling on his long dormant but now instinctive Vietnam survival and killing skills.
In the opening paragraphs, Jack Priest shows himself to be a pretty darn capable spinner of that typical fast-paced police procedural or suspense thriller. But then Monday hears voices in his head. Somehow he's in communication with the spirit of Donna Tuhiwai, a young Maori woman who needs to be rescued from the same evil doctor who stole Monday's wife. As Monday searches for Donna and evades the ongoing police search, the killings continue and Priest begins to litter the landscape with a series of odd gecko sightings, brilliantly foreshadowing the really creepy stuff that has yet to happen. But, come it does, and Gecko makes the transition from suspense to horror.
GECKO is an ambitious horror novel and covers a lot of ground in a relatively small number of pages - pornography, murder, rogue police officers, white slave trade, mental telepathic communication, gruesome oversized lizards, Maori legends and more. Priest has certainly succeeded to the extent that he's produced a fast-paced enjoyable goose-bumper that will put a smile on the face of anyone who enjoys a good horror story but GECKO does have a couple of noticeable shortcomings. Unresolved loose threads at the end of the novel will leave the reader frustratingly puzzled about what happened to two major characters that simply disappear from the plot line with nary a trace. Monday's ability to move from one seemingly perfect romantic relationship into another without a shred of remorse or concern could most charitably be called unrealistic.
That said, GECKO was enjoyable and Jack Priest has made it onto the list of authors that I'll look for in the future. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
June 16, 2012
Ken who? that was my first thought when I happened upon this little gem on a kindle ebook download site. I do love good horror and am also a great crime fan so if you can combine the two and throw in a smidgen of eroticism then you must have the perfect recipe for a good fast read (and that is what the kindle is there for good fast reading)The book description says it all but in addition Jim Monday is receiving telepathic messages from a woman in New Zealand who he can also communicate with telepathically...now here we have a perfect example of what makes a good book adding a "quirky" little sub story all wrapped up in an ancient Maori curse. Needless to say this book moves at a relentless pace, it's just a fun read that does not take itself too seriously but is there simply to entertain. It's also great to see that Jim, a man in his mid 50's,has great sexual prowess with the ladies and being a reader in my mid 50's I am most heartened by this news :)) Simply put read this little gem and enjoy!
June 18, 2011
This one is right between four and 1/2 and five stars. The irony of this book is the dedication to Richard Laymon and if it was read author unseen it would be hard to differentiate this from some of Laymons work. The scenario is straight Laymon with the supernatural invading the normal mundane world and real life characters having to accept and deal with the fact that there are more things in heaven and earth than are in their normal philosophy. Excellent characterizations and rocket sled pacing make this and excellent and fast read and highly recommended for fans of the horror-terror genre-especially fans of Richard Laymon
March 9, 2013
Strange but good.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews