Live Cross

by Matt Eaton

Expatriate Australian TV news reporter Cass Loukas is elbow deep in the story of her life. She is on patrol with two Los Angeles cops when they happen upon a man who has committed an unspeakable act of violence.
George Redmond takes flight, leaving a trail of death in his wake.
He's finally shot dead on a Downtown pavement.
It's all captured on camera and only Cass has the footage. While justified, the killing still leaves the LAPD red-faced because the reporter should never have been allowed in harm's way.
Though shaken by what she’s witnessed, Cass knows this is the story to turbocharge her lacklustre career.
Ears ringing from the gunshots, hands still red with the blood of one of Redmond’s victims, Cass keeps it together long enough to tell her story to the world.
She becomes a worldwide phenomenon overnight.
But a shadow stalks her. Turns out death isn't slowing Redmond down.

391 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2017

About the author

I began as a reporter in the Orwellian year of 1984. My first novel is about the end of the world. But I try to look on the bright side.

I live in Brisbane, Australia, with my wife and two daughters.

I’m into swimming, a decent walk, occasionally losing balls on a golf course and all manner of paranormal oddity. I’m a lover of both kinds of music — rock and jazz — and recently got back together with my old band from the ’80s, The Filberts.

Almost but not quite lost deep in the desert, driving a camper van too fast along a corrugated dirt track and afraid my life might be about to end suddenly in a cloud of blood and dust, I started to hear that voice.

The one that holds my sort to ransom, that wakes me in the middle of the night and drives fingers to keyboards despite all rational argument to the contrary.

Chasing the fading sound of that voice across a pitch-black desert is a journey of wonderful discovery punctuated with moments of bone-crushing trepidation when the trail vanishes without warning.

The trick is to pretend not to listen. Then the call grows louder.

Science loves the rational and cares not that fiction loves the fantastic.
Making them meet is like forcing together two repelling magnets.

The gap between them becomes more impossible the smaller it gets.

But sometimes, when they’re almost touching, magic happens.

Reviews

[Astra Astrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this wasn’t at all what I expected. Firstly, the other two things of Eaton’s I’ve read have both been relatively hard SF. Secondly, the description for this one led me to believe that it might be Urban Fantasy. Instead, I found myself reading what I would call a Horror Story! To me, the difference seems to be that UF is more universal, in that the magic affects pretty much the whole world, while Horror is more local.

Now, I don’t, as a rule, read Horror. I don’t like blood and gore, and I don’t enjoy being frightened. However, there isn’t all that much gore in this story, and it’s not all that frightening. So, does this make it a failed Horror Story? I guess it depends on your point of view. Maybe it’s my label that’s off, not the story. Because it’s a good story, a well told, well written story.

The title itself seems to be an Australian term for which I couldn’t find a definitive meaning, but from context seems to be a TV news term meaning going from the anchor in the studio to a reporter in the field. Whether the term applies to both people in this scenario is unclear, but it also isn’t particularly important to the story. I just like to know what things mean.

Now, a couple of quibbles. Our main character is an Australian TV reporter. She and her camera man are on a ride-along with the LAPD, and since there are two cops, the TV people are in the back seat. The caged off back seat. When the cops go to answer a call, the two are told to remain in the car. They decide to get out. They let themselves out of the back seat of a cop car. As I understand it, those doors aren’t operable by the people in the back seat. Who tend to be prisoners. In fact, there’s a scene where the reporter couldn’t open the window, it had to be done from the front. But they can open the door?

Second point is a strange use of the word ‘vision’. It almost seems to be synonymous with film:

”They’ll want to impound that camera and all your vision as evidence”...

“We need you to hand over the vision he shot…:

“Shit, you won’t get any argument from me. They’ve got our vision of the whole thing…”

Except that there’s also this: ”...is there any chance you’d let us inside the building to film the foyer…”. Of course, the first is a noun and the second a verb, still, I find it puzzling.

I do, however, like the author’s use of imagery:

She knows every corner of the place intimately. Something about this bar draws her in like a magnet. The low-hanging rainbow stucco ceiling always captivates her, even though it lends the place a vaguely oppressive air. But given the ‘Hedonist Hideaway’ décor this could just be Christian guilt rising from her hidden depths. The padded barstools don’t look particularly inviting but she’s found them to be a remarkably comfortable place to park her butt for hours at a time under the colored glass lampshades hanging from the ceiling in great profusion, yet offering little in the way of illumination. It all adds to the vibe, that unseen sense of the ghosts of Christmas past that always permeates the space at all times, whether it’s heaving with patrons or, like now, almost empty.

Minor quibbles, major likes!

[Dave Wickenden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) from the author in return for an honest review of his novel.
This novel came with no description, so I was totally unaware of what the subject matter comprised of. What started as a crime novel quickly became a fast paced, intriguing horror story. I was both surprised and delighted. Without giving any details that might ruin the story for other readers, the heroine is faced with one of the most horrifying and dangerous antagonists that one can imagine.
I have to admit that as I came close to the end of the story, I was uncertain how or if the antagonist could or would be beaten.
Bravo to Mr. Eaton for a well thought out story that keeps you guessing right to the end.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great
... paranormal tale
... police procedural
... thriller mystery
... psychological thriller

Let's just leave it as simply "great". A wild mishmash of genres that somehow works very well indeed. Excellent characters and strong writing.

Definitely recommended.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different

Who has the hot potato--the killer. A lot of unexpected twists and turns drive the story. Once one accepts the killer becomes a ghost, the ride begins. Even the closing is unexpected.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a page turner some bland spots. Get past them then you will be glad you keep on reading.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A skillful blend of police procedural, paranormal, psychological thriller, and Hollywood tell-all that doesn’t quite fit the mold for any of them. I’m blown away and still processing the enormity of just how badly this book worked my brain over. This is one of the best screw-with-your-head stories I’ve read in a while. Parts of it seem so straight-forward on the surface, but then it turns a corner and suddenly you can’t trust your own eyes. With an Inception-like ending, it’ll leave you doubting everything you just read and most of what think you know.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

[Faith Sarfaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Live Cross was plausible.

I love Matt Eaton’s books and I’ll continue to read each and every one of them! However this book wasn’t my cup of tea, while it was a great chase and be chased book I just couldn’t embrace it. I kept reading it hoping it would grab me like all of Matt’s other book, and I’m sorry it just didn’t happen for me. But I’d recommend that you read it and judge for yourself.