Blood in Electric Blue

by Greg F. Gifune

Dignon Malloy lives with his cat Mr. Tibbs in a rundown apartment in the heart of a dreary, nameless, industrial coastal city. Haunted by dark visions, memories of horrific childhood abuse and the recent murder of a coworker, his is a lonely, sad and painful existence...until he ventures into a used bookstore and comes across an old paperback titled Mythical Beings in a Mortal World. Inside, someone has written a name—Bree Harper—and a phone number. Is it an innocent note left by the previous owner, or something far more sinister? As Dignon delves deeper into the book, and who, or possibly what, the beautiful and enigmatic Bree Harper is, he begins to realize finding this book may not have been a random event after all. His life and history may be more complex than he realized, and his role in the universe much deadlier than he ever imagined. As Dignon moves closer to the truth, the lines between pain and beauty, the horrors of the past and the terrifying realities of the present, become strangely malleable, blurring what is real and what is myth, who and what he and those around him may be, what the ghosts haunting him from his past may truly mean, and how the evil mythological creature stalking him may not be a myth at all, but horrifyingly real.

Genres: Horror

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Called "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene, Greg F. Gifune is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. His work has been published in a wide range of magazines and anthologies all over the world, and has recently garnered interest from Hollywood. His novels include The Bleeding Season, Deep Night, Saying Uncle, A View From The Lake, Night Work, Drago Descending, Blood In Electric Blue and Dominion.

Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books. 

The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer.  Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.

The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats. 

Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.

Reviews

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood in Electric Blue is a well-written novel, a journey that is steeped in surrealism. This is one of those books where you don't quite know what is real and what isn't. Is Dignon really being preyed upon by a siren, or has years of physical and psychological abuse, and a hopeless, lonely adulthood broken his sanity? You don't really know. As I read this story, I came to my own conclusion, and it made me sad. I would like for lost and lonely Dignon and his brother Wilma (who is a transsexual) to have an optimistic future... Alas, it doesn't seem likely.

I thought that the writing was evocative, highly visual, and emotive. I found myself being pulled into the narrative, and cared about Dignon, feeling deeply for him. The sadness that enveloped him in his normal life, also infected me. I felt his sense of disconnection and loneliness deeply. He was like a person looking inside through the glass, trapped outside in the cold. As a cat lover, I appreciated his close bond with Mr. Tibbs, his beloved feline companion.

This struck me as a very sad story. It was also effective as a dark fiction/horror novel, even though the horror elements are somewhat ambiguous. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dark fiction with horror elements, written in a fashion that feels 'literary.' As a person who dislikes genre snobbery, I rather dislike using that term. However, I do feel that readers who enjoy character-based stories that plumb the depths of speculative fiction and horror would view this book as a more literary-oriented novel. As such, I'd put this forth as a recommendation to reader with these tastes. If you are like me and prefer upbeat stories, you won't find that here. However, it was worth a read for its exploration of the emotional and psychological effects of abuse and isolation on a person. Essentially showcasing characters that are definitely of the walking wounded variety.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars

Thanks to Jeannie for loaning me her copy and recommending Greg Gifune as a writer to me.

[Yvonne (go.for.a.walk.chuma) · Rating 4 out of 5]

atmosphärisch dichter, melancholischer Roman

Dignon Malloy ist nach außen hin ein absoluter Durchschnittstyp: Ein Mann in den Vierzigern mit Bauchansatz, der mit seinem Kater in einer bescheidenen Wohnung lebt, seiner verflossenen, einzigen großen Liebe nachtrauert und nach einem traumatischen Erlebnis nicht mehr zurück in seinen Job, sein Leben findet. Die Zeit vertreibt er sich mit Lesen, sein einziger Freund und Gesprächspartner ist seine Schwester, mit der er eine tragische Kindheit teilt. Doch dann stößt er in einem Antiquariat auf das Buch »Mystische Wesen in einer sterblichen Welt«, nimmt es aus einem Impuls heraus mit, und findet darin einen Namen sowie eine Telefonnummer. Nach einigem Zögern wählt er die Nummer und verabredet sich mit Bree, der früheren Besitzerin des Buches. Zwischen ihnen entspinnt sich schon bald eine seltsame Anziehungskraft. Doch dann erhält Dignon eine Wahrnung, sich nicht mit Bree einzulassen, die er einfach nicht ignorieren kann.

Greg F. Gifune beherrscht die melancholische Erzählkunst wie kein Zweiter. Seine Geschichten berühren tief, wenn man sich auf sie einlassen kann und bereit dazu ist, zwischen den Zeilen zu lesen und mit einem gewissen Interpretationsspielraum umgehen kann. Er kaut dem Leser nichts vor, deutet allerdings viel an und untermauert auf der emotionalen Ebene. Seine Bücher kann man fühlen, seine Protagonisten sind stets tragische Figuren, die Settings entsprechend düster und trist. So auch hier und gerade diese tieftraurige Verzweiflung treibt einen durch die Seiten, stets begleitet von einem bangen Gefühl, dunklen Vorahnungen und viel Gänsehaut.

Auch wenn dieses Buch als Thriller bezeichnet ist, so würde ich selbst es eher unter Roman einordnen. Ja, es gibt einige brutale Szenen, doch größtenteils ist es eher ein Psychogramm. Der Leser taucht tief ab in Dignons Persönlichkeit, gerät in einen Strudel mit Sogwirkung, der einen von der ersten Seite an gefangennimmt und bis zum Ende hin nicht mehr loslässt. Man schlägt das Buch zu und hat das Gefühl, sich ein Stück weit, darin verloren zu haben. Die Geschichte kreist noch lange in den Gedanken, die tiefe Melancholie hallt gleichermaßen noch lange nach.

Fazit
Nicht mein erster und definitiv nicht mein letzter Gifune. Mit seiner besonderen Art zu schreiben, fesselt mich der Autor immer wieder aufs Neue. Er nimmt den Leser buchstäblich gefangen, trifft ihn tief und nachhaltig auf der Gefühlsebene, ohne dabei plump oder fordernd zu Werke zu gehen. Sein Stil ist von starken und eindringlichen Bildern geprägt, seine Geschichte nur schwer einem bestimmten Genre zuzuordnen. Alles in allem ein nachdenklich stimmendes, spannendes und berührendes Buch, das mir aber vor allem zum Ende hin ein wenig zu vage blieb.

3.5 / 5⭐︎

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 1 out of 5]

First let me say...Jeannie, I'm sorry. I wanted to like this book. When I have someone on my friends list who really love a book or an author and I don't I tend to feel bad. I will try not to be too...aggressive in y criticism here.

In other words, I'll try not to trash it.

This is I believe a case of taste. Some will like this book and the author's style. Some like me won't be as thrilled. Personally I found nothing scary, eerie, or all that suspenseful here. There is some fairly heavy handed foreshadowing here.. the story and the characters are of the "life is crap and then you die" school. Living in a vaguely Urban Fantasy or Urban Horror setting the main character here are in such depressing situations that had Cthulhu himself appeared and driven them insane or eaten them outright it would probably have seemed a step up.

There is a mild twist at the end that only received (I believe) three episodes of foreshadowing (though those did pretty much spell out things in detail). It sort of gave things an alternate take, but for me didn't really help much.

Again Jeannie, I know you love this writer and I am in no way criticizing your taste. it seems to me that this is just a case of "coffee drinkers and tea drinkers". Some people drink both some love one and don't care for the other. Here it's probably just that I'm a tea drinker and you're a coffee drinker (or whatever). I just really didn,t care for the book.

I'd say maybe it's just that I picked the wrong book to start with...but you rate this one a 5 and I'm giving it a 1... I probaly won't follow the book up with another. Sorry, I really am.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of BLOOD IN ELECTRIC BLUE by Greg F. Gifune

If you've read anything by Greg Gifune, you know to expect cutting-edge, off-the-mainstream fiction that will delve deep into the reader and carve its own unforgettable niche. Mr. Gifune presents several enduring (in more senses than one) characters in BLOOD IN ELECTRIC BLUE, a novella I believe has and will impact me as powerfully as did his novel SAYING UNCLE.

BLOOD IN ELECTRIC BLUE weaves mythology with loneliness, death, violence, childhood horrors, transgender/transsexualism, the longing for love (in many stripes), domestic violence, and so much more, including the backdrop of a city with its selective neighborhoods, a low-rent "red light" district, and a suspicious chemical manufactory that never ever stops. It is unforgettable, literally and metaphorically.

[Paul Preston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried but could not get through this book. It is nothing like what I expected. Prologue starts with some creature coming out of the ocean and preparing to go after someone but then it becomes a depressing story of Dignon, that’s the main character’s name. He was hurt by love when he was 20 and can’t get over it. Now he is in his 40’s and is desperate for someone to love him. He may have met someone when he bought a used book with a name and a phone number were written inside. He contacts her and they agree to meet and shortly after that I quit. I made it to 52% and had to stop. The writing was good and the story was sappy but interesting but I really thought I was going to be reading a horror or a thriller. It was not for me, at least not the first half of the book.

[Jeannie Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book.Interesting view on mythology.This hasn't been done before.
This author never lets up on the tension even when not much is happening which doesn't happen often in his books.
I am never disappointed in his works and can't rate them any higher than I have in the past.If you have been following my reviews on Greg Gifunes books you know that he is my all out balls to the wall favorite author from the last 10 years.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood in Electric Blue is an intriguing and thought provoking story about centered on the lonely and damaged, Dignon. Dignon's father always told him that he killed his mother because she died during childbirth. As children Dignon and his brother Willy were horribly and regularly beaten. Throughout childhood and into adulthood they only had each other. As adults, Dignon suffers a traumatic PTSD inducing work event and Willy, who is now his beloved sister, is his only friend/family. Suddenly Dignon's life begins to change when he buys a book about mythical beings in a used book store. Inside the book he see's "this book belongs to Bree Harper, followed by a phone number". Suddenly, all he can think about is this Bree Harper. He calls her to return her book and finds her to be friendly, open, beautiful and enchanting. Even more amazing, she seems to be interested in him! She's not repelled by him like he was so sure she would be. Something troubles Dignon about this apparent miracle though, something about Bree's "lost" book and the face that, when he opened it to a random page he found himself reading about "the Siren". Turning to another page he finds, "The Death Maker". Could it be.....could Dignon, killer of his mother and by stand stander to the death of others, be a Death Maker? Could Bree be a Siren, the beauty whose song will lure him to his own death? We want all the best for Dignon, and for his lovely sister Willy, a sweet character who loves her brother. We want to know......are these just people trying to get through this lonely life or are they...mythical beings? #netgalley #BloodInElectricBlue

[Ryan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An examination of the decaying properties of trauma and loneliness, Blood in Electric is an emotionally devastating journey through the life of 40-something Dignon, a sad, lonely man cut off from the world after a traumatic experience, and his chance encounter with a woman who tries to pull him out. As the story goes on, we're left to question the true intentions of this woman, as well as the other figures in his past, present, and future..

A Lynchian-style deep dive into the human psyche, Blood in Electric Blue is brutal - perhaps, too brutal. That isn't to say it's a violent novel, because on the whole it's not, there are only a handful of paragraphs that contain any violence at all. Instead, it's a novel interested in experiencing emotional brutality, taking us deep into the emotional internality of its protagonist and then pulling us into the quagmire. This is only exacerbated by the fact that Gifune has an exquisite ability to make us empathize with each of its characters, making this painful journey into madness hit all the harder. It leaves ones feeling like you, not just the character, have just experienced something horrifying.

Blood in Electric Blue is an excellent novel, but it's also a hard one. It's enough to leave one emotionally drained by the last few pages, especially if you're especially sensitive. It's beautifully empathetic and well rounded, if a little loose in its final stages, and in the end it's a unique, emotionally satisfying experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crossroad Press for getting to experience this excellent novel.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

What about Mr. Tibbs? WHAT ABOUT MR. TIBBS!

Dignon is a nice guy who loves his cat (Mr. Tibbs) but people around Dignon, through no fault of his own, (except for one guy) keep dying.

Blood in Electric Blue is one of those horror books where it's hard to tell if the horror is really happening or if it's a figment of the protagonist's imagination. There is a prologue where a siren comes out of the sea, but since Dignon has several horrible nightmares throughout the story, it's hard to know what's really happening and what he thinks is happening.

This is not a bad thing. There are lots of classic horror stories where the reader isn't sure if it's a ghost story or a mental instability story. Are his siren and his criminals monsters or are they regular people that Dignon has imagined to be monsters?

His nightmares and his reluctance to be out in the world stem from horrific child abuse--terrible child abuse. This may cause triggering, so beware.

The writing was very good. A few times Dignon's sister seemed a little preachy, kind of like one of those affirmation folks, but, as she was a victim of child abuse (and abuse as an adult as she was attracted to that kind of man) I think she was trying to make herself and her brother feel better.

But, damnit, leave some food and water out for Mr. Tibbs and a note for your sister to come and take care of him. After all, Mr. Tibbs deserves it.

Thanks to Netgalley for loaning me this ebook in return for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dignon lives in an apartment with his cat in a coastal city. He is on disability due to seeing his partner killed at
work. He reads as he enjoys it. He visits a used bookstore and buys a book on mythical beings. When he opens the book he sees a woman’s name and phone number. Dignon is fascinated by it. He decides to call her using the book as an excuse. He is so curious about her. They do meet.but she is dealing with an ex-boyfriend that refuses being an ex. They end up separating before he can give the book to her. What will happen? When they meet again, he finds reality becoming pliable. He doesn’t know what to believe.

The author has written an intriguing horror novel. I did find it confusing at times — maybe my reality was blurring as I read it. I am glad I had the opportunity to read it. It’s definitely “twilight zone” story.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, wow. I wasn't sure about this book when I first started it, as it seemed like a very slow-burn even for someone like myself that loves slow-burns. There's a melancholy tone to the book from the beginning, and while it doesn't seem horrific at first, little bits and dribbles of horror are spattered throughout and then it REALLY gets going.

What I expected was a supernatural horror novel, but what I got was a much more open-ended and surreal portrait of the horrors of mental illness and the scars that life can leave on us. I love that the interpretation of the ending is heavily implied, but still somewhat left to the reader.

I would definitely recommend this book to others, especially those who enjoy quieter, more human-based horror, and will very much be looking for more from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Great characters, and great pacing. I wasn't able to tell which way the story was going to go, whether the horror was real, or if the character had some mental issues going on (or both), until the end. This worked very well, drawing me in, and wanted to get to the end to see how it turn out. Will need to read more of Greg Gifune. #BloodinElectricBlue #NetGalley

[Josef Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very dark but very good novel

For a full review, please go to https://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/... and follow me on twitter @josenher

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg F. Gifune, Blood in Electric Blue (Delirium Books, 2009)

I've been a huge fan of Greg Gifune's short fiction for almost a decade, since I first read Heretics. Until now, however, my experiences with Gifune had always come in the realm of short fiction; this is the first chance I've had to sample one of his novels. It was to my great delight that I found him to be equally proficient with feature-length work. Blood in Electric Blue is short (just over two hundred pages), sharp, well-drawn, and leaves just enough unanswered questions at the end to keep the reader thinking about this one for a long, long time after s/he turns the last page on it.

Plot: Dignon Malloy and his transgendered sister, Willie (it's never mentioned whether Willie is pre- or post-op, but I always got the feeling she is the latter), grew up in a household that can kindly be called “horrifically abusive”, and both have major problems as a result; Willie is drawn into relationships that mirror those the children had with their father, while Dignon has spent the past two decades mourning the loss of his first, and only, true love. Now Willie lives in a fleabag apartment building in the bad part of town with her newest nasty boyfriend, while Dignon has a small apartment in a slightly nicer section, with a view of the local chemical plant. On indefinite leave from his job after a traumatic event landed him in the arms of the PTSD crowd, Dignon mostly spends his days watching his pretty, punky neighbor Nikki through the bathroom window and haunting used bookstores. It is in the latter pursuit that he happens upon the book Mythical Beings in a Mortal World, which once belonged to a woman named Bree Harper, who wrote her name and phone number inside the front cover. Dignon uses the book as a ruse to meet her, and she turns out to be the epitome of “all this and brains too”. But Bree, as well, comes with baggage, in the form of jealous ex-boyfriend Kyle. Kyle, in one of his confrontations with Dignon, insinuates that Bree is not exactly what she seems to be—and Dignon, when he starts thinking about it, realizes Kyle may in fact not be crazy after all.

To me, the mark of a truly great mystery is not that it keeps you guessing until the end, but that once you get there, you realize you were trying to guess the answers to the wrong questions after all. Gifune doesn't get quite that far here; the setup for the main mystery is a little too obvious, so you know from the beginning what questions you're supposed to be asking. But he does manage to keep things interesting by not giving you all the necessary details; not so much that you have to fill in huge pieces of the puzzle, but some of the minor details are left just obscure enough to have you wondering which of the possible answers Gifune had in his head by the time you turn the last page (or if he kept himself from asking those questions in order to be able to truthfully say “I don't know” if ever asked). This is very good stuff from first page to last. Gifune, it turns out, is equally skilled writing short stories and novels, and I hope I'll be reading a lot more of both from him in the future. ****

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nachdem ich im Frühjahr 2011 „Blutiges Frühjahr“ von Greg F. Gifune gelesen habe und ich von dem Buch so dermaßen begeistert bin, dass es sogar mein Halbjahresfavorit geworden ist mit voller Punktzahl in allen Kritikpunkten, war es absolut klar, dass ich auch das 2. Buch von ihm lesen werden, welches jetzt im August im Festa Verlag erschienen ist.

Wie ich es von Gifune gewohnt bin, ist auch in „Die Einsamkeit des Todbringers“ der wunderbare Schreib- und Erzählstil zu loben. Gifunes Geschichten lassen sich einfach so runter lesen und es ist für mich ein großes Stück Lesegenuss. Er schreibt sehr klar und düster, traurig und leicht verzweifelt. Auf der einen Seite schildert er seine Figuren und deren Erlebnisse neutral und objektiv, auf der anderen verleiht er ihnen sehr viel Menschlichkeit, sodass sie sehr nahbar und authentisch sind.
Bei Gifune heißt es „zwischen den Zeilen lesen“, denn wirklich viel Blut oder fassbares Grauen findet man bei ihm nicht. Bei ihm muss man wirklich mitdenken und sich auf die Geschichte einlassen und so war es auch hier wieder.
Dignon ist ein sehr interessanter Charakter, der gleich zu Beginn an traurig, ernst und einsam wirkt. Er lebt nur mit seinem Kater alleine in einer Stadt ohne Namen und ist durch einen schrecklichen Arbeitsvorfall arbeitsunfähig. Eines Tages erlangt er ein mysteriöses Buch und mit da mit nimmt sein Schicksal, besonders, was seine Vergangenheit anbelangt, seinen Lauf. Mysteriös vor allem auch deswegen, weil sich der Autor hierbei dem Genre Fantasy und Horror bedient, weswegen das Buch für mich auch kein wirklicher „Psychothriller“ war, sondern eher ein Horrorbuch. Das Grauen lebt quasi zwischen den Seiten, was genau es ist, verrate ich nicht, das muss selbst gelesen und besonderes selbst erfahren werden. Mit diesem „Horror/Fantasyaspekt“ hatte ich auch ein paar kleinere Probleme, weswegen ich dem Buch keine volle Punktzahl geben kann.

Bei Gifune ist es wieder einmal so, dass die Vergangenheit seiner Charaktere im Mittelpunkt steht, obwohl sie – jedenfalls anfangs – kaum Erwähnung findet. Erst nach und nach vermittelt der Autor dem Leser, was hinter seinen Charakteren für ein Bild des Grauens steckt und erneut waren die Erlebnisse von Dignon aus der Kindheit sehr verstörend und grausam. Hierbei kommt der Leser voll auf seine Empathie-Kosten, denn Gifune schaffte es erneut, mich zum Mitleiden und Mitfiebern zu bringen.

Gifunes zweites in Deutschland veröffentlichtes Buch „Die Einsamkeit des Todbringers“ hat mir zwar nicht so super gut wie „Blutiges Frühjahr“ gefallen, war aber absolut wieder ein MUST READ für mich, was ich keinesfalls bereut habe. Ich bin gifunesüchtig und hoffe sehr, dass im Festa Verlag noch viel, viele weitere seiner Titel erscheinen werden, denn er ist inzwischen zu einem meiner Lieblingsautoren geworden, deren Bücher ich ausnahmslos alle verschlingen will!

[Clashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good description of someone trapped in their life, with no way out.
If I am reading it correctly, the story is about someone eventually cracking, with the madness manifesting itself as a transition into a new world containing the mythical siren and the attendant horrors. My main problem with the book is that is was all over too soon.