Imaginarium 2012
Rannu Fund
Chiaroscuro Reading Series
FLUID LEVEL LOW!
The more liquid we are, the more we can fill the Intar-Tubes. Please help us FLOW!
2012 Goal
$5,000
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
Newsletter
Bad Karma
reviewed by
Trey Campbell is on vacation from his job at Darden State, a "hospital" for the criminally insane. Catalina Island seems like a long way from the horrific aspects of the facility, but it's not enough to keep a fiendishly clever escapee—a deranged woman serial killer—away from his wife and children.
Known as the Surgeon for her inclination to "operate" on victims, Agnes Hatcher had already taken advantage of Trey's youth and inexperienced good will once years before. Since then, she has been held in restraints and her face has been covered, so that even most of the staff doesn't really know what she looks like. When she escapes, brutally murdering anyone in her way, Trey knows she is coming for him. Not for revenge, however, but because she loves him and wants to reunite the reincarnated lovers she believes them to be.
For Agnes has very clear memories of her previous life in the slums of Whitechapel and in the arms of her lover, Jack. Is Trey a reincarnated Jack? Whether he is or not, Agnes believes he is—and the chess game she plays with Trey will conclude in the Capilla Blanca (Whitechapel) caverns of Catalina. Trey knows Agnes better than anyone—she will press her attack, using his wife and children as mere expendable pawns—and only he can stop her.
Andrew Harper is actually acclaimed novelist Douglas Clegg, whose work (such as the novels DARK OF THE EYE, THE HALLOWEEN MAN, YOU COME WHEN I CALL YOU, THE INFINITE, and THE HOUR BEFORE DARK, as well as award-winning short stories) have explored both the dark and supernatural aspects of family life. Think of this quick-paced gem as a Clegg novel, and revel in its breathless pace, explosive violence offset by tender moments of understanding, and subtly cosmic explorations. BAD KARMA showcases Clegg at his understated best, belying the straightforward plotting and reminding us that sometimes less is more. This is one of those thrillers that really do want to be read in one sitting, after which you may want a hit of pure oxygen.
Of interest may be the feature film adaptation of BAD KARMA starring Patsy Kensit, released last year under its original title, and retitled "Hell's Gate" for its recent DVD release. Why Kensington has not reissued this to tie in with the movie is beyond me, but if you can beg, borrow or even steal a copy, you won't be disappointed.