Book Review - Distant Thunder by Dennis Sharpe

Publication Date: August 21st, 2016

Genre: Paranormal Thriller/ Horror

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Where to Buy:

AMAZON

Here's the Summary:

You can take the dead girl out of the country…

Veronica Fischer, small-town bloodsucking madam, is an orphan or at least she finally feels that way. Jules, the one who made her, is gone and cleaning up after him isn't something she ever thought she'd have to do.

While her hometown seems to be turning against her, she’s forced to set off for the bright lights of the big city with a carload of her dysfunctional supernatural family, hoping not to have to face the Dragon of Chicago.

Now she has to rescue a sister she didn't know she had, keep Rachel—her adopted 8-year-old ghost—safe, and try to keep Pekin from unraveling under the onset of the coming storm. 

Sex, violence, and cryptic undead prophecy—all for fun and profit.

My Thoughts:

Wow! What a wild ride this was. There were a lot more elements to the story this time around, and while there was also more to keep up with, and by nature a lot of jumping around, Mr. Sharpe made it easy for us to follow what was going on. So not only were the different story lines well-crafted and entertaining, it was well-written. Bravo!

So lets get down to specifics, shall we? V was just as bad-ass and lovable this time around! I simply adore her character. And her scenes and romance with Garrett, while kind of sporadic in this one, felt a good bit deeper and a lot steamier! I was happy to see their relationship evolve.

Speaking of evolving - the antagonists in this one were a lot more sinister, and when we finally see who's behind it all (the coming storm, that is),  it's a complete shocker! And I'm not saying that with sarcasm. I seriously didn't see it coming. And to make things just a touch harrier, there's a crazy cat lady thrown in there too (pun intended), as well as an ancient vampire nicknamed the Dragon. I was glued to the pages to see how it would all end!

And of course, I can't end the review without talking about the supporting characters! We're introduced to some new ones like Lorelei, who, if I'm completely honest, was a fantastic addition to the story. She added unintentional humor and levity to otherwise bleak situations, but she was also a tad haunting. Her naive, childlike spirit in combination with her advanced gift of reading people made for one of the most interesting characters I've ever read. Frank, V's right-hand-man, was as broody and conflicted as ever, and Sunny was her typical petulant bad-ass self, as well! I really hope Mr. Sharpe continues this series forever and ever. Consider that my formal request ;)

So in short, if you were thinking Book Two would be just as riveting and entertaining as the first, you'd be wrong! It was so much more!

Favorite quote: 

"Fingers move like flames, dancing over exposed flesh, and I'm awash. Just touching him and being touched is a thousand little releases. I realize that there are now parts of my mind and my emotions, normally so well-guarded, that are completely open to him. I'm laid bare before him and thrusting myself upon him and yet I'm completely unafraid."

About the Author:

Born and raised in the middle of the American Midwest, Dennis Sharpe has been a writer as long as he can remember. His mother has told many people about the fantasy and science fiction stories he'd write on scraps of paper, and staple together as his 'books', before he'd attended his first day of formal education.

He has spent many late nights at diners and dives, drinking coffee with a tattered notebook to put a voice to his feelings of himself and the world around him, and other worlds that can exist only in fiction. The voices in his head don't ever stop talking to him, and so sooner or later he has to get out onto a page all that they've filled him up with.

Inspired by Neil Gaiman, Kurt Vonnegut, Frank Miller, Chrissie Pappas, Charles Bukowski, Stephen King, Issac Asimov, and countless classic literary influences, Dennis continues with the ability to write what at a glance might seem absurd, but quickly begins to resonate with our own thoughts and emotions. He writes people we know, love we've known and lost (and found again), and places we've been in our lives and in our heads. Even his fictional characters and worlds carry enough of the grey areas we experience in day-to-day life, to let us find the truth in his words, no matter how fantastic.

These days he can be found still writing, drinking coffee with friends, or spending time with his children (the true joys of his life), in Western Kentucky.

Blog: http://witlesslackey.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDennisSharpe

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Witlesslackey