Half Past Dawn - a novel by Richard Doetsch (Quick Review)

New York City District Attorney Jack Keeler is Dead


     That's the headline of the newspaper on Friday morning when Jack himself picks it up. According to the article, he and his wife have been killed in a vehicle accident the previous evening. The bodies have yet to be discovered, but authorities suspect it will only be a matter of time.

     Obviously, Jack realizes that he is alive and contrary to the newspaper headline, he has hope that his wife Mia may also still be alive. The only trouble is, this loving husband and father has absolutely no recollection of anything that has happened in the week prior to the accident.

     Author Richard Doetsch invites us on a journey quite unlike anything that I have previously been a part of. This novel has a lot of elements to it. Part thriller, part cop/crime drama, with a strong touch of supernatural swirled together in just the right dose creates of a surreal experience. Your imagination has plenty of opportunity to run wild, and without conscious thought you find yourself constantly drawing your own conclusions as to what is up around the next corner.

     There are many suprises tucked in just the right nooks and crannies. By the time the book comes to a conclusion at around 370 pages, your mind will be twisted and tangled into just the perfect knot.

Just remember, Dear Reader: "Reality is all a matter of perspective."

11-22-63 - Stephen King Quick Review

Hop in your time machine for a ride back to 1958, and don't forget to buckle up. The minute you open this book, you're thrown into a fantastic adventure through time.

It was very interesting to me, being born in the 80's, to imagine the settings that this story takes place in. A lot of things have changed in the last 54 years and it's nice to have everything described in such vivid detail.

We follow Jake Epping through the rabbit hole into 1958, and Stephen King kindly includes us as a passenger for the trip. You can nearly taste the handmade root beer floats that are available for a dime in 1958 Lisbon Falls.

What started as a 'simple' trip through time, quickly tangles into an exciting classic that will keep readers happy for a very long time. Through trial and error, love and hate, Jakes journey proves to be anything but simple. Many of the historical facts in the book are completely accurate; however there are some instances where King fabricated some of the past. I'll let you find them for yourself.

The book has a wonderful flow to it. It's hard to just sit down and read it for just a few minutes. Each page draws you in deeper and deeper, and before you know it you have followed Lee Harvey Oswald and kept tabs on him for much of the night.

At about 850 pages, this book is definitely worthy of losing a few hours of sleep over.

In closing, I think this book is worth 10/10 review.