Monday, June 20, 2011

An Apple for Zoe by Thomas Amo (The Forsaken #1) (Review)

Genre:Horror, Thriller, Supernatural
Publication.Date  March 21st 2011
Pages:309
Published By:  Create Space
WebsiteThomas Amo | Twitter
An Apple for Zoe - Goodreads
My review copy:Purchased on Amazon
Where to get: Barnes and Noble | Amazon







Some Murders Shouldn't Be Investigated

The City of San Francisco is locked in a grip of fear. A series of occult murders has led, Inspector Thomas James, to a crime scene similar to a murder committed 90 years ago in the once grand Aleris Hotel. A place where power barons of the early 20th Century engaged in witchcraft. And silent film stars indulged in the most wicked of sins.

A place where no one questions the black smoke that rises from the hotel's incinerators in the middle of the night.
(goodreads.com)




“I’m the devil and I’m here to do the devil’s business!”
 “Please let me in, I only want to drag you to hell with me.”
"I'm gunna git yew!"


     
         An Apple for Zoe by Thomas Amo is a breath of fresh air in the paranormal department. This fantastic novel is a perfect blend of murder mystery, action and supernatural horror. Dark and engrossing, it’s most definitely one of my top favorite reads so far this year.

     The story takes off with Inspector Thomas James being called to investigate a mysterious murder case. The body of a young, beautiful woman has been found in a funeral house. Her corpse has been placed in a coffin and the murderer took care of all the preparations to her funeral, including combing her hair and applying make-up.  The bizarre crime  is only the beginning of a series of freakish events.  The deeper we go into the story, the more surreal the whole thing gets. There’s just so much going on that at times it’s really hard to keep up with the plot. With dead bodies popping up everywhere and a crazy Nazi killed on the loose, Inspector James is about to face the most dangerous case in his career.  

     An Apple for Zoe is a mind-blowing read. It has everything you’d expect from a solid horror/thriller: the unknown, the unexpected, the unbelievable and the unstoppable! Once you start reading you won’t be able to put it down and when you finish it, you’ll find it impossible to get it out of your head.

     The subtle descriptions bring both the characters and the locations to life. I liked the protagonists. Thomas and Ashton had realistic qualities and it was easy to get emotionally involved in their stories. I definitely liked how normal and down to earth they seemed, not some idealized, know-it-all people who act like CSI superstars. These are the kind of characters the reader can easily identify with. 

     Storyline-wise, Thomas Amo builds the momentum well throughout the whole novel, slipping in plenty of unexpected twists along the way to keep the reader captivated on the way to an explosive conclusion. It’s an edgy, disquieting and absolutely mesmerizing story that tears along at a breakneck speed. With every chapter comes a powerful blow and by the time you reach the last page you feel like you’ve been completely KO’ed. This is hands down one of the craziest (in a good way!) stories ever! 

     Amo has crafted a cracking page-turner, masterfully building tension throughout the whole novel to a crescendo finish; and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave readers stunned and wanting more. I’m really, really looking forward to Thomas Amo’s next installment in The Forsaken series!




16 comments:

Thomas Amo said...

Thank you Evie! I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it!
Cheers Tom

Bonnie said...

I'm not usually a 'mystery' type reader but this one sounds like it is so well done I would be crazy not to read it! I loved your review Evie - you might have just turned me onto a genre that I usually stay away from! ;)
Bonnie @ HandsAndHome

Lindsay said...

I wasn't really sure about this one...but since you are another of my book soulmates, I will check it out =)

Kara_Malinczak said...

Glad you liked it. I did too! Especially the beginning. SO scary!

Brittany said...

I wasn't sure what to think about this book so i'm glad you liked it :)

Lindsay Cummings author said...

never heard of this one! but it seems interesting

Cait said...

wow, this sounds amazing!! I'm checking it out right now, thanks for sharing =]

The Cait Files

aurora M. said...

hummmmmmmmmmmmmm This sounds like something I should Def be checking out! Love it! Thanks for the look see.

Krystal Larson said...

I'm one of the few people I know who enjoy horror novels. Thank you for pointing this one out to me!

Denise Z said...

This one is so on the wishlist. Thank you for your wonderful review.

Yvonne @ The Shadow Realm said...

Great review! Sounds like an interesting read

Anonymous said...

It really was a great read. I'm glad you liked it too. Can't wait for the next book. :)

FairyWhispers said...

it looks and sounds v=scxary

Munnaza said...

I love mysteries, and I especially love horror-type mysteries, and this one sounds incredibly unique (especially because it's also a paranormal). The story sounds exciting, so I'll certainly keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the review!

Holly said...

Sounds like it should be a movie. Thanks for the review! I was wondering about this one. I'll have to add it to my list.

Jaime Lester said...

I had no clue what this book was about. None. I don't know why the title threw me off so badly, but it did. I have passed this book by in my local library so many times, it is ridiculous. Now, I do not believe that I will be passing it up ever again. Thanks so much for your review. It makes me feel like crap when I find out that I have passed up books that I would probably have loved if I had given it a chance. Ah well, I will learn one day!

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