The Mermaid in the Basement

December 3, 2007
In this supernatural horror story, prolific novelist Dekker (Skin; THR3E) explores themes of good and evil through a serial killer with mixed results. FBI special agent Daniel Clarks obsession with his job has cost him his marriage, but hes determined to find the serial killer known as Eve. Hes murdered 15 young women, each during a new moon, and is about to murder another. Daniel briefly sees the killer, but his memory glitches when he almost dies at the scene. In one of the novels less believable plot twists, Daniel decides that in order to recall the murderers face he must go into cardiac arrest several times to attempt to jump-start his memory. Dekker cant resist lecturing his readers, but the pacing is swift and the point of view changes smooth. Moreover, Dekkers use of monthly crime magazine stories as a technique of fleshing out the background of the killer works surprisingly well. But the story falls apart at the end: a multichapter conclusion features a too-long demon-possession scene with a strangely nonprofane demon (You pathetic pile of excrement), and some plot elements are not convincingly resolved. Conservative faith-based readers may find this novel too graphic, while general market readers will be perplexed at the awkward attempts to sidestep profanity.

February 18, 2008
In this supernatural horror story, prolific novelist Dekker (Skin; THR3E) explores themes of good and evil through a demon-possessed serial killer with mixed results. FBI special agent Daniel Clark's obsession with his job has cost him his marriage, but he's determined to find the serial killer known as "Eve." He's murdered 15 young women, each during a new moon, and is about to murder another. Daniel briefly sees the killer, but his memory glitches when he almost dies at the scene. In one of the novel's less believable plot twists, Daniel decides that in order to recall the murderer's face he must go into cardiac arrest several times to attempt to jump-start his memory. Dekker can't resist lecturing his readers, but the pacing is swift and the point of view changes smooth. Moreover, Dekker's use of monthly crime magazine stories as a technique of fleshing out the background of the killer works surprisingly well. But the story falls apart at the end: a multichapter conclusion features a too-long demon-possession scene with a strangely nonprofane demon ("You pathetic pile of excrement"), and some plot elements are not convincingly resolved. Conservative faith-based readers may find this novel too graphic, while general market readers will be perplexed at the awkward attempts to sidestep profanity.

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