It’s pretty obvious that I’ve been on a Laimo kick as of late, and there are obviously good reasons for that. The guy is brilliant writer and with each book I read of his, his work just get’s either better and better and/or creepier and creepier; with that said, Dead Souls is without a doubt one of his better novels to date.
Dead Souls is filled with some of the best character development I’ve ever seen written on the pages of a horror novel. While reading this book you might think to yourself that there may be a little bit too much character development. But that’s the good thing about this book, the characters are one’s that you’ll either sympathize with or grow to just outright hate. Each chapter brings you deeper and deeper into the mysterious lives of two sets of families who are connected in and ongoing fashion in the book, but live in two separate points in time. One that lives in the year 1988, and the other in 2005.
Dead Souls is the story of an eighteen year old boy named Johnny Petrie. Johnny is not your ordinary guy, and in fact has lived a very sheltered life. His mother is one of those crazy religious people who thinks the world is the work of the devil, and that you must sit and read the bible everyday, go to church everyday and pray about a dozen times a day. The women is a wacky zealot, who takes a lot of meds and thinks the best thing for her son is to separate himself from the norm of societyand rot away in their New York City apartment. Meanwhile Johnny’s Dad, Ed is a drunk who can give two shits about his wife’s love for religion and escapes her escapades at all costs. One day however Johnny arrives home early and after getting the mail he finds a letter addressed to him from a lawyers office up in Maine. The letter states that he is heir to a two million dollar estate of a man named Benjamin Conroy. Well as the story unfolds we soon find out a lot about Benjamin Conroy’s past. We find out that Conroy himself was a religious zealot who not only believed in Christ, but also dabbled deep into the occult. As the story moves on we find out why Benjamin Conroy left his estate to Johnny Petrie, we also find out a few things that Benjamin did involving the occult and how his rituals and beliefs have raised a bit more than many people expected.
Just like He did with Deep in the Darkness, which is still my favorite book of his, Laimo drags you though each chapter like the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock would drag you though his movies. Each chapter is designed to give you a little bit of suspense at a time taking you though the twists and turns until your forced to keep reading, but hesitate to know the fate of each character. Laimo has the ability to do what Hitchcock always did well, and that’s hit you when it counts, but instill that fear of the unknown in you just enough to make you stop and think about what’s going to happen next.
One thing that I also have noticed about Laimo’s books as of late is the use of real life findings of the occult written within the pages of his books. Unlike many other writers who would just make up a story, Laimo does his research. In Dead Souls as well as his previous book; The Demonologist, Mike Laimo has went about getting the most accurate information about cult activity, religion, and mythology. Then he adds these activities into his fictional stories, which in turn gives you the feel of reality within the books. Even at the beginning of the book, Laimo has a statement that says all the rituals performed in the story are that of real magic rituals from the book Summoning Sprits. You always have to take your hat off to a writer who knows about what’s he’s writing, and in this case my hat is off to Laimo.
Overall Dead Souls is a book that all fans of horror fiction should try and get their hands on. Laimo’s ability to write such great horrific novels just shows that he can stand proud next to writers such as Clive Barker and Stephen King. Laimo’s writings are nightmares that are waiting to rise and eat any unsuspecting readers whole. Dead Souls is a book that proves that. It’s a read that well worth the time; and the nightmares.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
