Paradox

by Donald Gorman

This is Gorman's darkest and most powerfully human novel to date. He intentionally neglects to name the city that serves as the setting for this disturbing tale of a man who is trying to rid the streets of sin. The man sees himself as an agent of God. But the cops view him as a vicious serial killer. He thinks he is haunted by spirits, mostly those of his victims. And these ghosts claim to represent either God or Satan as they encourage him to continue his murder spree. The story alsofocuses on a dysfunctional family. For some reason, the killer is always near as they try to sort out their many problems.

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2009

About the author

I love how this bio-site asks for the date of my death. I haven't chosen a date to die yet. Quite honestly, I've been hoping to put it off for a while...still, I have lived in upstate NY all my life. I was raised in a small town called East Greenbush. I graduated high school in '79 and attended a few local colleges. My love of the horror genre began early with ghost stories and movies about haunted houses. Cheesy '80s slasher flicks fueled my passion for violent content. and I love the psychology and ancient lore that led to our belief systems in the subjects of ghosts, violence and the paranormal. I still reside in upstate NY and work for The State in Albany.

Reviews

[Grammy 1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

To name this book Paradox was essentially a wonderful choice. To know the meaning of the word, “it is not at all which it seems”, lends well with this riveting novel. Mr. Gorman’s choice of introducing his story and his character ensemble is also very interesting. We begin each chapter with another piece of information. It is quite enthralling to be only given bits and pieces like crumbs of bread to follow.

We meet Mark and Cassandra first, and then we are pulled into the mind of a killer. We journey through this story, living through his pain, his turmoil, his fears and his murders. The first grizzly murder is a young prostitute, whom he mutilates and then pins a note to her chest. At the murder scene we are introduced to our two city detectives Paczecki and Grogan. As all the members of the story unfold, we learn Cassandra is a daughter of Betty Stark, matriarch of a dysfunctional family. Her siblings are Michael Stark single and living at home, Stephanie Stark married to Trey Wagner and Danny Stark living with his girlfriend Krysten.

Betty Stark is a very religious born again Christian. She feels religion was her salvation, and puts her beliefs onto her children, who she feels have lost their way. Religion plays a large part of this story through her family as well as the serial killer, as the notes he leaves on his victims tell the world he is working for God and must rid the town of sinners.

Other victims of our maniac’s rage are Joe, a married states senator, and Marissa, the young intern he has be-spelled. He has moved her in to a charming love nest for the summer. Bodies start piling up as the ghosts of these murdered victims start ‘visiting’ our killer. The prostitute is the voice of God, and the embodiment of his father is the voice of Satan. These visits are making him even more crazed.

Mr. Gorman has written a chilling and gripping story. You will gasp at the conclusion where the murderer is unveiled. There were so many times I thought I ‘knew’ who it was, only to find this a surprise. What a tangled web we weave, with the family’s religious ethics in jeopardy, wives and husbands cheating, a son living with someone outside of marriage; all tend to add to this fast paced, mystery who dun it. I loved the pace of the story, the torment of the family members all trying to do the right thing, but what is the right thing or is that the Paradox?

4 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Gloria Lakritz
Senior Reviewer and Chairperson of Paranormal Romance Guild

[Dani Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read from horror writer Donald Gorman, and I must say that it did not disappoint! This novel, to some extent, brought to mind the infamous Jack The Ripper, a fascinating echo for me as a reader (even if it was a mistaken comparison on my part--perhaps it was all the times my mother made me watch "Murder By Decree"?). Mr. Gorman paints with finesse a deliciously bloody picture that includes many fascinating details and characters with real meat on their bones. Mayhem and madness abound; the nod to the fanatical theology was a fantastic touch that kept my attention. Definitely fiction outside of the mainstream, just the way I like it! I really enjoyed this first "dive" into Mr. Gorman's fabulously twisted, and at times humorous, mind and look forward to reading more of his work.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

MURDER, MAYHEM AND MADNESS

An unlucky prostitute is found with a bloody, cryptic note pinned to her chest. A crazed serial killer who horribly mutilates his victims begins his diabolical rampage. It is up to Detectives Paczecki and Grogan to discover the identity of and arrest the killer but clues are scarce. Time becomes yet another enemy as the murders escalate. The victims seem to be randomly selected but soon unlikely relationships are uncovered. A family is torn asunder by hate, betrayal, and loss. Who will survive?

This unusual novel is fast-paced and is told via short, tightly constructed conversations between various character combinations through a series of short glimpses into private moments, lover’s quarrels, and family dynamics. The dialogues are, for the most part, realistically portrayed but a couple of times I felt as if the information was being conveyed in a manner that seemed just slightly too pat. Most of the characters are flawed and not particularly likable but it is their foibles that help make this thriller so unique and gripping. There is no fluff, no filler. Descriptions are succinctly and frugally doled out. Dysfunctionality rules and religious excesses abound as the story is relentlessly driven to a final chilling showdown. Pick up this book to experience a thrilling, wholly entertaining, macabre journey into the heart of murder, mayhem and madness.

[T. Tolles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've not done a lot of reviews so bare with me. This is not my usual genre for reading, but I was intrigued by the writer himself so I jumped in anyway. What I found was a profusion of suspects, sinners, police, and one serial killer that was pleasantly overwhelming in the beginning and titillating all they way through. As the story unfolded and we get to have a glimpse inside the cockles of a tortured soul's mind and the hoards of people surrounding him that make his quest to rid the world of sinners easy pickings, you'll find yourself comparing your own ideologies with all the stars of the story. The author wraps you in the high octane of emotions of all involved and you find yourself spinning round and round wondering 'who dun it'. At some point I was even wondering if it was one of the policemen. This is a book that will keep your interest throughout - it certainly did for me. Kudo's Mr. Gorman - It was a tantalizing murder mystery and I enjoyed the ride - Thanks for putting it out there for all to enjoy.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when your sister’s sleeping with your husband and when your brother’s old girlfriend wants him back, at any cost? These are just two of the conflicts plaguing the Stark family led by matriarch, Betty Stark. Betty is a devout Christian with a lot of friends in her church. She’s trying to help her children in her own way, but when a killer known as Paradox hits a little too close to home, all hell breaks loose.

Paradox is an intense story about families, love, betrayal, and religious fanaticism gone horribly wrong. Donald Gorman’s compelling look at people trying to do the right thing for the wrong reasons, and people doing the wrong thing for what they believe are the right reasons creates terrific tension. Woven into the story are varying beliefs about love, God, control, power, and punishment.

The story pulled me into from the beginning as opening chapters portrayed four different scenarios, yet it wasn’t difficult to keep the characters straight. There was some distracting dialogue repetition in the last quarter of the book, but overall, the pacing and suspense buildup was well done. Many of us have faced the issues in this novel, but hopefully not to the depth and degree of horror you’ll find in this thriller. Enjoy!

[Rai]

Sounds like another good scary read just in time for Halloween!