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Sandman
A NOVEL OF TERROR AND MEDICAL SUSPENSE People put their lives in doctors' hands every day--but in no other situation is this so precisely true as at the moment the anesthesiologist looks down at you and says, "You'll be going off to sleep now . . ." But what if the eyes that gaze at you in that moment of trust and surrender belong to a madman? What if, as you feel yourself slipping away, you see something so rank and terrifying in those eyes you want to leap off the table and scream?
But by then, of course, it's too late.
A novel of terror and medical suspense from the author of Squall and Here After . Pray you never meet the Sandman "A real page-turner. I think you can read any of Sean Costello's books and not be disappointed. It has the twists of Jeffrey Deaver, the suspense of James Patterson, and the depth of characters of Dean Koonz." -- Amazon Reviewer
But by then, of course, it's too late.
A novel of terror and medical suspense from the author of Squall and Here After . Pray you never meet the Sandman "A real page-turner. I think you can read any of Sean Costello's books and not be disappointed. It has the twists of Jeffrey Deaver, the suspense of James Patterson, and the depth of characters of Dean Koonz." -- Amazon Reviewer
300 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
48 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Sean Costello
18 books295 followersSean Costello is the author of nine novels and numerous screenplays. His novel Here After has been optioned to film by David Hackl, director of Saw V. Depending on the whims of his muse, Costello's novels alternate between two distinct genres: Horror and Thriller. His horror novels have drawn comparisons to the works of Stephen King, and his thrillers to those of Elmore Leonard. In the real world he's an anesthesiologist, but, if asked, he'd tell you he'd much rather be writing.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 28, 2021
You know I must be pretty hardcore about horror literature when I decide to read a book about a homicidal anesthesiologist while I'm in the hospital for a cardiac procedure. Just before I was called in to the operating room, I was reading a gruesome detailed description of an open heart surgery where a sabotaged perfusion pump goes haywire. Yep. Either I'm hardcore or in dire need of psychiatric help.
But after my surgery, "Sandman" held no further appeal to me. I was disappointed considering all the positive reviews. There was just too much that didn't click for me.
In the first place, none of the main ensemble is an interesting or relatable character. Let's start with Jack and Will. Yes. Jack and Will, our dynamic duo of doctor desperados. Both are pricks.
Will is a drunken, paranoid anesthesiologist who beats his wife and constantly shows up to work soused, and yet nobody tries to get him any help or report his ass to the Licensing Board. When was this novel written, the '60s?
His boss, Jack, is an equally pitiful narcissistic overachiever. He ran away from home at 15, took on an assumed name, got a job, went to Japan to become expert in three forms of martial arts for ten years, becomes proficient in five different languages, completes four years of medical school and another four years of residency--all by the age of 27. I'm not sure that's believable under the circumstances. I doubt he would have made it to Japanese citizenship as a minor with no parents under an assumed name and no money. At the open of this novel, Jack is now chief of the anesthesiology staff of a hospital and married to a beautiful woman that he seduced when she was 19 by taking her out to a restaurant and ordering in Japanese. He might as well have shouted out, "Look what I can do! Have sex with me now?" He is obsessed with his gun collection and, despite being adopted himself, is not only neglectful but disdainful of his adopted 14-year-old daughter who adores him for who-knows-what reason.
Jack and Will are both married to women we are supposed to empathize with as heroes in bad situations, I assume, but they are painted with equally dull colors. They are well-kept trophies who are perfectly happy leading shallow lives, being controlled by otherwise impotent men with Napoleon complexes, even at the expense of their children's mental health.
Jack's wife, Jenny, has an internal struggle, poor thing, after she runs into a high school sweetheart. She LITERALLY runs into him, backing her car out of a parking space into his Porsche. When she finds out that her neckbeard teenage crush who she never bothered about all these years is now a soave international artist millionaire, she suddenly has fantasies of being right there by his side, proudly holding his arm, if only this were a fair world.
The former hippie, now man-about-town, also hasn't kept in touch with his childhood sweetheart for almost two decades, and now it's love. Right. The author tries to justify this a bit, later revealing that the guy had painted a portrait of Jenny, hanging it in his exhibition to show off but refusing to sell. So why put it out there if that portrait was so intimate and personal? Well, I'll tell you why. You see, in the brief time they spend reunited after their little "accidental" fender-bender, he wastes no time in telling her how successful and rich he is. Because of course he would. He's already planning on getting her in bed by inviting her to a private party celebrating his gallery opening, where he knows she will see the portrait he made of her. Oh, how romantic--he never stopped thinking of her! But don't you think that's a little creepy? He doesn't really want to rekindle a friendship with the woman he loves, does he? He doesn't respect that she is married, pregnant, and has a teenager that she and her husband adopted from birth. He doesn't yet have any reason to believe she is unhappy and that her husband is a schmuck. So why not break the ice after so many years with something neutral and... well... normal? Why did he not say, "Hey, why don't you and your hubby meet me at this great Thai restaurant I know and we can catch up on old times!" Oh no, because it's all about "me and I" with the characters in this book. Me, me, ME!
Are we supposed to root for these two to get together? Evidently. Ugh! Can we please get back to the murders and out of this silly soap opera?
In the meantime, adopted daughter Kim is hanging out with the most obnoxious set of friends that seem taken straight out of an after-school cartoon special. The teenagers are like every middle-aged upper middle class suburban white man's idea of "kids from the wrong side of the tracks." They're all about punk rock, you know? And that's about all there is to their characterization. The author even has one of the kids ask if there are any Ramones, Daft Punk, or Vandals albums in the house. Because of the apparent lack of awareness found everywhere in this novel, I wasn't sure if the author included Daft Punk with a list of actual punk bands on purpose or if he just mistakenly thought they were "punk" because of the name. Despite her parents not approving of these "punks," Kim is allowed to hang out with them because neither parent can be bothered actually guiding the young lady. They are too busy going to lunch dates, shooting their brand new .44 in their custom sound-proof shooting gallery in the family basement, going to photography classes, getting drunk on martinis at the lake house, flirting with dudes with fabulous hair driving Porsches. And believe it or not, Kim really WANTS to spend time with her parents, unlike today's 14-year-olds who would rather hate their parents because the old racists don't understand their choice to be non-binary and to transition into the opposite sex. Nazis!
Aside from the unbelievable shallowness and narcissism that coats every page like a spilled Starbucks venti quad soy latte over ice, the author also takes a surface-level approach to almost any detail he chooses to give. For example, there is a scene where a new doctor is being interviewed and courted by Jack for the practice. While on a tour of the hospital, the new guy and Jack get pulled into an emergency case, making Jack late for dinner. Wait... What? The candidate for a job was pulled into working an emergency surgery? He wasn't on the medical staff! Was he granted privileges? Who credentialed him? How would he be covered by his liability insurance in case of a malpractice claim? What does Joint Commission have to say about this?
This might seem like a nitpick, but the author himself IS AN ANESTHESIOLOGIST! And as such, you'd think he'd know about these kinds of things. But he just doesn't seem to care. And that's my problem with this novel. Absolutely no care was put into the execution. The whole book is an exercise in shallowness.
The author responsible for all this, Sean Costello, achieved some acclaim as a horror writer late in the paperback horror boom with the 1990 genre piece "The Cartoonist," too late I imagine for his writing career to pay down the medical school debt after the mass market horror craze died off later in the decade. So he reinvented himself by writing thrillers, as many of his horror contemporaries had done after the success of "Silence of the Lambs." As a result, 2003's "Sandman" feels like a rushed cash grab in the newish market, a kind of slasher whodunit that he could easily set within the medical industry in which he was familiar.
I must confess that I am not the biggest fan of thrillers. Perhaps my rating here is lower than that of other readers because I found "Sandman" to be loaded with similar themes that I've disliked in other thrillers, but which fans of the genre tend to accept as part of the narrative structure. Though I'm more of a fan of horror, I see these same issues in the sub-par and mediocre horror (and especially slasher) stories I've encountered as well. Beautiful, wealthy, and wooden people doing shallow things until chased around the woods in a storm by the monster of their own decadent or foolish past choices. Everyday boring folks put in a situation where they are welding shotguns against a sociopath, and you are supposed to root for the good guys not because you have been endeared to their character arc but because you are sick to death of the bad guy and can't wait to see how he meets his comeuppance just before the ineffectual authorities arrive to announce, "Nothing more to see here." The bad guy kills off countless innocent people rather quickly, but then toys with their intended target. Ridiculous character choices to keep the killer around and the adrenaline pumping for just a little longer, increasingly over-the-top kills to increase the stakes and the spirit of sensationalism. All of this can be found in "Sandman," and most of us have seen it all before.
Therefore, putting aside my other quibbles, this novel is mediocre as a thriller alone. Anonymous patient after anonymous patient is bumped off by a faceless physician while on the operating table with few to no repercussions. And when events start to impact the main characters, the reader no longer cares because the story is boring and the people involved are mostly despicable until the frenzied third act. Also, the narrative is entirely predictable, and there was no point in hiding the identity of the killer in the beginning. Anyone who reads this will know who's the man behind the surgical mask from the get-go.
The pace does start to pick up by the end, and there is some pretty disturbing torture as well as tense suspense sequences that showcase Costello's talent. Thus, this novel does not earn a one-star review.
But unless you are a die-hard thriller fanatic, I recommend you avoid this one, whether or not you are scheduled to go under the knife yourself. Don't be a masochist like me. "Sandman" lives up to it's title and will be sure to put you to sleep.
But after my surgery, "Sandman" held no further appeal to me. I was disappointed considering all the positive reviews. There was just too much that didn't click for me.
In the first place, none of the main ensemble is an interesting or relatable character. Let's start with Jack and Will. Yes. Jack and Will, our dynamic duo of doctor desperados. Both are pricks.
Will is a drunken, paranoid anesthesiologist who beats his wife and constantly shows up to work soused, and yet nobody tries to get him any help or report his ass to the Licensing Board. When was this novel written, the '60s?
His boss, Jack, is an equally pitiful narcissistic overachiever. He ran away from home at 15, took on an assumed name, got a job, went to Japan to become expert in three forms of martial arts for ten years, becomes proficient in five different languages, completes four years of medical school and another four years of residency--all by the age of 27. I'm not sure that's believable under the circumstances. I doubt he would have made it to Japanese citizenship as a minor with no parents under an assumed name and no money. At the open of this novel, Jack is now chief of the anesthesiology staff of a hospital and married to a beautiful woman that he seduced when she was 19 by taking her out to a restaurant and ordering in Japanese. He might as well have shouted out, "Look what I can do! Have sex with me now?" He is obsessed with his gun collection and, despite being adopted himself, is not only neglectful but disdainful of his adopted 14-year-old daughter who adores him for who-knows-what reason.
Jack and Will are both married to women we are supposed to empathize with as heroes in bad situations, I assume, but they are painted with equally dull colors. They are well-kept trophies who are perfectly happy leading shallow lives, being controlled by otherwise impotent men with Napoleon complexes, even at the expense of their children's mental health.
Jack's wife, Jenny, has an internal struggle, poor thing, after she runs into a high school sweetheart. She LITERALLY runs into him, backing her car out of a parking space into his Porsche. When she finds out that her neckbeard teenage crush who she never bothered about all these years is now a soave international artist millionaire, she suddenly has fantasies of being right there by his side, proudly holding his arm, if only this were a fair world.
The former hippie, now man-about-town, also hasn't kept in touch with his childhood sweetheart for almost two decades, and now it's love. Right. The author tries to justify this a bit, later revealing that the guy had painted a portrait of Jenny, hanging it in his exhibition to show off but refusing to sell. So why put it out there if that portrait was so intimate and personal? Well, I'll tell you why. You see, in the brief time they spend reunited after their little "accidental" fender-bender, he wastes no time in telling her how successful and rich he is. Because of course he would. He's already planning on getting her in bed by inviting her to a private party celebrating his gallery opening, where he knows she will see the portrait he made of her. Oh, how romantic--he never stopped thinking of her! But don't you think that's a little creepy? He doesn't really want to rekindle a friendship with the woman he loves, does he? He doesn't respect that she is married, pregnant, and has a teenager that she and her husband adopted from birth. He doesn't yet have any reason to believe she is unhappy and that her husband is a schmuck. So why not break the ice after so many years with something neutral and... well... normal? Why did he not say, "Hey, why don't you and your hubby meet me at this great Thai restaurant I know and we can catch up on old times!" Oh no, because it's all about "me and I" with the characters in this book. Me, me, ME!
Are we supposed to root for these two to get together? Evidently. Ugh! Can we please get back to the murders and out of this silly soap opera?
In the meantime, adopted daughter Kim is hanging out with the most obnoxious set of friends that seem taken straight out of an after-school cartoon special. The teenagers are like every middle-aged upper middle class suburban white man's idea of "kids from the wrong side of the tracks." They're all about punk rock, you know? And that's about all there is to their characterization. The author even has one of the kids ask if there are any Ramones, Daft Punk, or Vandals albums in the house. Because of the apparent lack of awareness found everywhere in this novel, I wasn't sure if the author included Daft Punk with a list of actual punk bands on purpose or if he just mistakenly thought they were "punk" because of the name. Despite her parents not approving of these "punks," Kim is allowed to hang out with them because neither parent can be bothered actually guiding the young lady. They are too busy going to lunch dates, shooting their brand new .44 in their custom sound-proof shooting gallery in the family basement, going to photography classes, getting drunk on martinis at the lake house, flirting with dudes with fabulous hair driving Porsches. And believe it or not, Kim really WANTS to spend time with her parents, unlike today's 14-year-olds who would rather hate their parents because the old racists don't understand their choice to be non-binary and to transition into the opposite sex. Nazis!
Aside from the unbelievable shallowness and narcissism that coats every page like a spilled Starbucks venti quad soy latte over ice, the author also takes a surface-level approach to almost any detail he chooses to give. For example, there is a scene where a new doctor is being interviewed and courted by Jack for the practice. While on a tour of the hospital, the new guy and Jack get pulled into an emergency case, making Jack late for dinner. Wait... What? The candidate for a job was pulled into working an emergency surgery? He wasn't on the medical staff! Was he granted privileges? Who credentialed him? How would he be covered by his liability insurance in case of a malpractice claim? What does Joint Commission have to say about this?
This might seem like a nitpick, but the author himself IS AN ANESTHESIOLOGIST! And as such, you'd think he'd know about these kinds of things. But he just doesn't seem to care. And that's my problem with this novel. Absolutely no care was put into the execution. The whole book is an exercise in shallowness.
The author responsible for all this, Sean Costello, achieved some acclaim as a horror writer late in the paperback horror boom with the 1990 genre piece "The Cartoonist," too late I imagine for his writing career to pay down the medical school debt after the mass market horror craze died off later in the decade. So he reinvented himself by writing thrillers, as many of his horror contemporaries had done after the success of "Silence of the Lambs." As a result, 2003's "Sandman" feels like a rushed cash grab in the newish market, a kind of slasher whodunit that he could easily set within the medical industry in which he was familiar.
I must confess that I am not the biggest fan of thrillers. Perhaps my rating here is lower than that of other readers because I found "Sandman" to be loaded with similar themes that I've disliked in other thrillers, but which fans of the genre tend to accept as part of the narrative structure. Though I'm more of a fan of horror, I see these same issues in the sub-par and mediocre horror (and especially slasher) stories I've encountered as well. Beautiful, wealthy, and wooden people doing shallow things until chased around the woods in a storm by the monster of their own decadent or foolish past choices. Everyday boring folks put in a situation where they are welding shotguns against a sociopath, and you are supposed to root for the good guys not because you have been endeared to their character arc but because you are sick to death of the bad guy and can't wait to see how he meets his comeuppance just before the ineffectual authorities arrive to announce, "Nothing more to see here." The bad guy kills off countless innocent people rather quickly, but then toys with their intended target. Ridiculous character choices to keep the killer around and the adrenaline pumping for just a little longer, increasingly over-the-top kills to increase the stakes and the spirit of sensationalism. All of this can be found in "Sandman," and most of us have seen it all before.
Therefore, putting aside my other quibbles, this novel is mediocre as a thriller alone. Anonymous patient after anonymous patient is bumped off by a faceless physician while on the operating table with few to no repercussions. And when events start to impact the main characters, the reader no longer cares because the story is boring and the people involved are mostly despicable until the frenzied third act. Also, the narrative is entirely predictable, and there was no point in hiding the identity of the killer in the beginning. Anyone who reads this will know who's the man behind the surgical mask from the get-go.
The pace does start to pick up by the end, and there is some pretty disturbing torture as well as tense suspense sequences that showcase Costello's talent. Thus, this novel does not earn a one-star review.
But unless you are a die-hard thriller fanatic, I recommend you avoid this one, whether or not you are scheduled to go under the knife yourself. Don't be a masochist like me. "Sandman" lives up to it's title and will be sure to put you to sleep.
February 6, 2023
Solid shocker with some truly unnerving medical scenarios and a bad guy who is very bad.
Costello is fast becoming one of my favorites.
Costello is fast becoming one of my favorites.
May 10, 2020
When he’s not writing suspense novels (Sandman is the third of his I’ve read), Canadian author Sean Costello is Dr. Sean Costello, an anesthesiologist. Like his literary brother Michael Crichton, his training is in medicine but he has a gift for writing fiction, especially thrillers.
Sandman tells the terrifying story of an anesthesiologist who’s a madman murdering his hospital’s patients. It’s not so much a mystery (the suspects are narrowed down to two) as an example of some very entertaining writing. Dr. Costello writes with the authority of a physician when he describes in graphic detail what happens to these patients, and against my will but due to his skill he had me laughing at some tragic scenes, though this is not a comedy and many parts are heartbreaking. I won’t elaborate so as not to ruin your pleasure at discovering them for yourself.
He also uses similes very effectively. My favorite: “Jack squeezed the reservoir bag, watching Dan’s scrotum inflate like a hideous party favor.” Now all he needs is for filmmaker Steven Spielberg to turn one of his books into next summer’s blockbuster.
To my disappointment, as of today’s date Sandman has received only 73 ratings on Amazon and 127 on Goodreads, excluding my own. This book deserves a larger audience. I’m no Spielberg, but I hope that my enthusiastic comments encourage more readers to enjoy the writing of Sean Costello.
Sandman tells the terrifying story of an anesthesiologist who’s a madman murdering his hospital’s patients. It’s not so much a mystery (the suspects are narrowed down to two) as an example of some very entertaining writing. Dr. Costello writes with the authority of a physician when he describes in graphic detail what happens to these patients, and against my will but due to his skill he had me laughing at some tragic scenes, though this is not a comedy and many parts are heartbreaking. I won’t elaborate so as not to ruin your pleasure at discovering them for yourself.
He also uses similes very effectively. My favorite: “Jack squeezed the reservoir bag, watching Dan’s scrotum inflate like a hideous party favor.” Now all he needs is for filmmaker Steven Spielberg to turn one of his books into next summer’s blockbuster.
To my disappointment, as of today’s date Sandman has received only 73 ratings on Amazon and 127 on Goodreads, excluding my own. This book deserves a larger audience. I’m no Spielberg, but I hope that my enthusiastic comments encourage more readers to enjoy the writing of Sean Costello.
January 7, 2019
I loved this, read it in slightly more than a day. It was creepy fun, but might not be a good one to read right before having surgery. LOL I also liked “Squall” by the same author.
February 3, 2016
Another winner by Sean Costello.
April 1, 2022
A solid 4 star thriller. From the cover and the write up, three book is obviously about an anesthesiologist gone mad. However, that becomes irrelevant in the last third of the book. In a sense, it "leaves the hospital" behind. That to me at least, comes across as a loss of focus. Nonetheless, it's still a fun read.
August 26, 2017
What a roller coaster ride
Mr Costello keeps you on the edge of your seat. I read this in two nights...I couldn't put it down. I only have one more book to read and I look forward to his next book.
Mr Costello keeps you on the edge of your seat. I read this in two nights...I couldn't put it down. I only have one more book to read and I look forward to his next book.
April 23, 2020
No operations for me!
This was one heck of a book. From the first page to the last O couldn't put it down. Reminded me of Robin Cooks early medical thrillers. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful books!
This was one heck of a book. From the first page to the last O couldn't put it down. Reminded me of Robin Cooks early medical thrillers. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful books!
January 24, 2021
It was alright. I liked it more in the end than I thought I would at the beginning. It was quite slow to start and jumped around to so many different characters. Eventually it did pick up and was quite suspenseful, though I did find it fairly predictable.
July 15, 2018
Pretty good book.
February 4, 2023
The sandman, very good !!
A very good read. The story kept you wanting to turn the next page. Stayed up all night to finish it.
A very good read. The story kept you wanting to turn the next page. Stayed up all night to finish it.
September 11, 2023
Sorry, this is one of Costello's books I did NOT like. In my opinion it was too disturbing, morbid and not an enjoyable read for me.
April 21, 2018
Another great story!
This author gets better with each book. He has a grasp on different
subjects and makes his characters so believable that makes one ready for the next book. Real page turners!
This author gets better with each book. He has a grasp on different
subjects and makes his characters so believable that makes one ready for the next book. Real page turners!
May 5, 2024
Wicked thriller! A little too much killing, a LOT too much evil! Dang, it just didn’t let up! I thought I wanted to read more from this author, but I don’t think so now.
Want to read
June 25, 2018Unsure how I could have reviewed this when I haven't read it yet...
February 10, 2015
Don’t read any of Sean Costello’s books if you’re looking for one of those novels that sends the egghead crowd Ooo-ing and Aahh-ing. You know the type of book I’m talking about, the ones reviewers refer to as ‘multi-layered’ and ‘luminous’ or then tell you to ‘linger and savour’ the ‘quiet passages’. Damn, if it’s lingering and savouring you’re after then grab a slice of cheesecake and a nice cup of tea … but forget about Costello's novels because each one begins by laying down a long strip of rubber and then screams toward the far horizon. When you’re strapped into the passenger seat of one of these babies, you better hang on to the By-the-Jesus handle because you’re in for the ride of your life. And while the vector may seem like 180, you'll find the plot takes a sharp 90 before you can say boo.
If you’re looking for an old-school good read, turn to Costello. Like Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, Georges Simenon or John D. MacDonald, his prose is tough, his dialogue is tight and his action is swift. But hold on, just because I’m saying you can easily read his work doesn’t mean you can turn off the old brain box. I’m not accusing Costello of creating a cowboy world of white hats and black hats. Just like Stephen King, Costello creates believable protagonists with some likeable traits … and some very dark stuff happening inside their heads (dare I say, ‘souls’). Take Peter Gardner (Captain Quad), the high school wunderkind who after being paralysed descends into a hellish world of rage and blood-soaked revenge. Or how about Scott Bowman (The Cartoonist), the psychiatrist who kills a child and then falls victim to the worm of guilt that chews through his sanity? Or Peter Croft (Here After), whose obsession with finding his child’s kidnapper leads him into an alternate reality? All these guys (and they are all guys) started out ordinary but then something happened to them. But what? That’s the silent question Costello poses, just as he asks if you can draw the line between normalcy and insanity, between the brightly-lit everyday world and the nightmare. How much does it take to push us across that line? I don’t know, do you? Costello suggests all it takes is a porcupine crossing the road (Captain Quad), a sudden winter storm (Squall), a moment of inattention (The Cartoonist), or a call in the night (Eden’s Eyes). Like the anaesthetist in Eden’s Eyes, will you find yourself looking down at an inert body you’re keeping alive only long enough for the scavengers to swoop in and take the eyes, the kidneys, the….? As with Edward Albee, Costello asks if we live our lives in a delicate balance and, if so, how little might it take to tip us to the dark side?
If you’re looking for an old-school good read, turn to Costello. Like Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, Georges Simenon or John D. MacDonald, his prose is tough, his dialogue is tight and his action is swift. But hold on, just because I’m saying you can easily read his work doesn’t mean you can turn off the old brain box. I’m not accusing Costello of creating a cowboy world of white hats and black hats. Just like Stephen King, Costello creates believable protagonists with some likeable traits … and some very dark stuff happening inside their heads (dare I say, ‘souls’). Take Peter Gardner (Captain Quad), the high school wunderkind who after being paralysed descends into a hellish world of rage and blood-soaked revenge. Or how about Scott Bowman (The Cartoonist), the psychiatrist who kills a child and then falls victim to the worm of guilt that chews through his sanity? Or Peter Croft (Here After), whose obsession with finding his child’s kidnapper leads him into an alternate reality? All these guys (and they are all guys) started out ordinary but then something happened to them. But what? That’s the silent question Costello poses, just as he asks if you can draw the line between normalcy and insanity, between the brightly-lit everyday world and the nightmare. How much does it take to push us across that line? I don’t know, do you? Costello suggests all it takes is a porcupine crossing the road (Captain Quad), a sudden winter storm (Squall), a moment of inattention (The Cartoonist), or a call in the night (Eden’s Eyes). Like the anaesthetist in Eden’s Eyes, will you find yourself looking down at an inert body you’re keeping alive only long enough for the scavengers to swoop in and take the eyes, the kidneys, the….? As with Edward Albee, Costello asks if we live our lives in a delicate balance and, if so, how little might it take to tip us to the dark side?
May 23, 2011
Sandman was what I always thought Robin Cook novels were supposed to be; that is medical thrillers. Maybe I have read the wrong Robin Cook books but this one was terrifying in a medical thriller kind of way. I know for a fact that it will make me a lot more nervous if I ever have to get surgery. The incidents described in this short horror novel are brutal and memorable and they seem to be the kind of scenes in a book that will come back to you at the worst possible times, like when that needle goes in deep and starts filling you with “I will soon be powerless to defend myself” juice. A crazy doctor who is brilliant, mystery, gore, horror, fun…yet another winner by Costello.
June 16, 2016
A terrific read that has you putting your foot down on the gas pedal as a chilling murderous tale plunges full tilt to the end. A host of characters all via for your attention and consideration as the treacherous perpetrator of unspeakable horrors is quietly unveiled. A word of caution, you need to pay close attention to the early chapters to better savor the ending. Start it now, but save time to go at the the final chapters when you have the time to concentrate, and enjoy what Mr. Costello has created.
January 20, 2016
I didn't see it coming
Wow. Mr. Costello just keeps me on my toes. I got a touch confused in the beginning due to an introduction of many characters, but after a few got killed off, I was able to keep up. I really enjoyed this book. Many twists, and I love how Sean gives the underdogs a chance at hero-ship. Love that! Kim is my child, so easy to connect with her character.
Keep up the imagination Sean & I'll keep buying your books. Favorite new author hands down.
Wow. Mr. Costello just keeps me on my toes. I got a touch confused in the beginning due to an introduction of many characters, but after a few got killed off, I was able to keep up. I really enjoyed this book. Many twists, and I love how Sean gives the underdogs a chance at hero-ship. Love that! Kim is my child, so easy to connect with her character.
Keep up the imagination Sean & I'll keep buying your books. Favorite new author hands down.
February 8, 2015
Evil Meets Innocence!
The unimaginable is what horror is all about and Sandman is full of the unimaginable! This fast-paced thriller by Sean Costello will have you shaking your head in disbelief as evil meets innocence! Just before your surgery starts, if you hear these words, “You’ll be going to sleep now…”, GET OFF THE TABLE NOW!!
The unimaginable is what horror is all about and Sandman is full of the unimaginable! This fast-paced thriller by Sean Costello will have you shaking your head in disbelief as evil meets innocence! Just before your surgery starts, if you hear these words, “You’ll be going to sleep now…”, GET OFF THE TABLE NOW!!
June 8, 2016
I'm pretty sure I will never want to be put under thanks to this book. The characters were deep and believable and had me guessing who the bad guys was for some time. it's a grisly tale of murder and jealousy and hatred. A truly creepy tale. Costello is wonderful!
January 9, 2016
No more hospitals for me
This is a great book. The pacing is fast but not too fast, and the plot is horribly plausible. I hope I don't get sick any time soon.
This is a great book. The pacing is fast but not too fast, and the plot is horribly plausible. I hope I don't get sick any time soon.
January 20, 2016
Loved it. Great writer. koontz meets fern Michael's.
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