by Zander Marks
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Just because Wilkin's a crackhead doesn't mean the shadows aren't real.
They're real. And they've been haunting him since he was seven years old. Mostly he ignores them.
But when the ghost of his best friend from childhood shows up at the local motel, Wilkin can't ignore the call of friendship. And when his friend's killer buys the motel so he can destroy the remains, Wilkin can't ignore that, either.
Wilkin steals his friend's skull before the killer can destroy it and is plunged into a hot mess of a supernatural thrill ride.
A death-race pursuit of a child's skull. A spirit-whispering trucker hauling plush toys to Kansas. Five demonic farm-kids in a housing project. A Dodge City marshal who executes wayward ghosts. A nasty yellow jersey that takes the joy out of living. And a graveyard full of snitches.
It's enough to make you want to hit the crackpipe. All leading to a climax where staying alive is the least of Wilkin's worries.
They're real. And they've been haunting him since he was seven years old. Mostly he ignores them.
But when the ghost of his best friend from childhood shows up at the local motel, Wilkin can't ignore the call of friendship. And when his friend's killer buys the motel so he can destroy the remains, Wilkin can't ignore that, either.
Wilkin steals his friend's skull before the killer can destroy it and is plunged into a hot mess of a supernatural thrill ride.
A death-race pursuit of a child's skull. A spirit-whispering trucker hauling plush toys to Kansas. Five demonic farm-kids in a housing project. A Dodge City marshal who executes wayward ghosts. A nasty yellow jersey that takes the joy out of living. And a graveyard full of snitches.
It's enough to make you want to hit the crackpipe. All leading to a climax where staying alive is the least of Wilkin's worries.
Because when most of the people around you are spirits anyway, DEATH AIN'T BUT A WORD.
AUTHOR BIO
After completing his studies at Rice University and the University of Texas, Zander Marks moved to Dallas, where discovered a knack for getting himself in unusual and sometimes dangerous situations. He has since settled down considerably, and he enjoys limiting his risk-taking to the fictional variety.
REVIEWS
5.0 out of 5 stars A Surprisingly Good Read October 29, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have to admit right up front that I have read very few paranormal mystery novels, and even fewer with homeless crackheads as major protagonists. I didn't really no what to expect when I started _Death Ain't but a Word_, but I am so glad that I invested the .99 cents and one evening (I read it in one sitting) to find out. It is a remarkably good novel that is fast-paced, compulsively readable, thought-provoking, and fun.
The novel centers around Wilkin Jones,a homeless man and halfhearted crackhead from Dallas, Texas, who happens to have a second sight: he sees dead people. As the novel begins, his dead-people seeing starts to focus intensely on a young boy named Humphrey, who had been his best friend in childhood until being murdered by a psychopath when he was seven years old. As the novel progresses, Wilkin, Humphrey (the ghost version thereof), and the psychopath are all sucked into a a subtle revenge plot where death is only the first move. As he comes to terms with his personal ghosts--both past and present--Wilkin discovers that there are other people like him scattered around the world dealing with ghosts in much the same way that the Men in Black deal with aliens--a development that gives us hope that we might see these same characters again in another adventure.
The novel centers around Wilkin Jones,a homeless man and halfhearted crackhead from Dallas, Texas, who happens to have a second sight: he sees dead people. As the novel begins, his dead-people seeing starts to focus intensely on a young boy named Humphrey, who had been his best friend in childhood until being murdered by a psychopath when he was seven years old. As the novel progresses, Wilkin, Humphrey (the ghost version thereof), and the psychopath are all sucked into a a subtle revenge plot where death is only the first move. As he comes to terms with his personal ghosts--both past and present--Wilkin discovers that there are other people like him scattered around the world dealing with ghosts in much the same way that the Men in Black deal with aliens--a development that gives us hope that we might see these same characters again in another adventure.
It is important, I think, that the story takes place largely among homeless drug addicts, who are easy to stereotype and, therefore, able to surprise us constantly with their wit and their humanity. Zander Marks has an excellent ear for dialogue and a strong sense of what makes a story impossible to put down. There is not a wasted word in the book. The story is always moving towards its final culmination, with mysteries constantly being introduced and unraveled, and characters who really matter to the reader. _Death Ain't but a Word_ is also one of those rare novels that manages to be serious without taking itself too seriously. There is a moral to the story, and some profound analysis of human nature, redemption, and forgiveness--but none of this gets in the way of a wickedly funny, smart, and action-packed mystery about crackheads talking to ghosts.
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