Devouring Dark: Alan Baxter

Reviewed by Steve Stred

Matt McLeod has a problem. Well to be frank, is it a problem or a gift?

Amy Cavendish has a similar problem. In her case, she considers it a gift.

Vincent Stratton, believes he is the one holding together London’s underbelly of gangsters, criminals and thugs. Keeping the streets in check by using his stable of lost boys to keep him abreast of the comings and goings.

Devouring Dark by Alan Baxter is a fascinating character study, following three individuals as their fates intertwine. Baxter does such an amazing job at reducing the supernatural elements to a minimal that when they do rear up and get used, you find yourself yelling at the pages, cheering the characters on.

I personally am not a fan of gangster fiction. In fact I am not even a big fan of gangster related movies. Baxter lays out the details so well and so in tune with the overall story, that you quickly forget about these elements and in turn spend most of your time reading trying to figure out what you think the characters will do next. It is a phenomenal turn for the author to take something I typically wouldn’t sniff at and have me devour (pun intended) it over a few sittings.

The urban horror/urban fantasy aspects are handled by such a master story teller here, that the realistic outcomes at the end made me applaud. Baxter doesn’t let his characters get up and walk away. No this isn’t a video game or action movie. A broken nose or gunshot stays with the character and they need to continue on with it. The depth of imagery used here made many of these scenes stand out.

I recently picked up Manifest Recall by Alan, and after reading this book, I will be jumping in to that tale ASAP. If this book is on your maybe list, I highly suggest you change your mind and check it out. The cover art is gorgeous and the tale inside will have you flipping the pages well into the night.

Star Rating (out of 5): 5*

THE NEXT JUGGERNAUT SUPERNATURAL THRILLER FROM AWARD-WINNING ALAN BAXTER

Matt McLeod is a man plagued since childhood by a malevolent darkness that threatens to consume him. Following a lifetime spent wrestling for control over this lethal onslaught, he’s learned to wield his mysterious paranormal skill to achieve an odious goal: retribution as a supernatural vigilante.

When one such hit goes bad, McLeod finds himself ensnared in a multi-tentacled criminal enterprise caught between a corrupt cop and a brutal mobster. His only promise of salvation may be a bewitching young woman who shares his dark talent but has murderous designs of her own.

Devouring Dark is a genre-smashing supernatural thriller that masterfully blends elements of crime and horror in an adrenaline-fueled, life-or-death rollercoaster ride that’s emblematic of the fiction from award-winning author Alan Baxter.

You can buy Devouring Dark from Amazon UK & Amazon US

Steve Stred

Steve Stred is an up-an-coming Dark Horror author. Steve is the author of the novel Invisible, the novellas Wagon Buddy, Yuri and Jane: the 816 Chronicles and two collections of short stories; Frostbitten: 12 Hymns of Misery and Left Hand Path: 13 More Tales of Black Magick.

Steve also has a number of works on the go and enjoys all this horror, occult, supernatural and paranormal.

Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog Oj.

You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred

You can visit Steve’s Official Website here