Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Thriller, Romance

Angel or Demon?

Naive and heart-stoppingly handsome, he calls himself Alejandro, and Madison O’Riley has no clue what to do with him. As they set out to recover his lost identity, Madison realizes the mysterious man who saved her life harbors deep, otherworldly secrets that will put her in grave danger.

The Devil is in the Details
Gremory Jones has something for everyone, and for a price, he’s willing to make a deal. Walking the streets in top hat and trench coat, he tempts the citizens with mysterious wares from his shiny black briefcase. But buyer beware: All sales are final – and fatal.

A Scorching New Terror Has Come to Town
The townspeople are changing in appalling ways and it’s up to Madison – with the help of a psychic, a local priest, and the new chief of police – to help Alejandro unlock his forgotten powers before an unspeakable evil tears apart the fabric of existence … and costs them their very souls …

From bestselling author Alistair Cross comes a forbidden tale of love and redemption, of good and evil, and those who dare to stand up to Hell itself.

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Prologue

The thunder sounded like an angry god cracking his whip, and although Madison O’Riley had done nothing to provoke the wrath of any higher beings, it felt personal.

Despite the blast of the storm, she hastened up the ladder onto the roof, intent on fixing the leak, refusing to surrender to a little rain. Okay, a lot of rain, she thought as the sprinkling turned to torrents.

The old clapboard house perched on a hill at the outskirts of town, and from this height, she could see the entire valley pulsing as silver lightning blossomed in the spiteful, pewter sky. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself onto the roof one-handed, the fingers of her free hand like a sprung trap around the caulking gun.

Her feet slipped on the slick shingles but she maintained her footing, walk-crawling up the pitched roof, proud of her stick-to-itiveness. Half-blinded by the rain and nearly deafened by the overhead holocaust, she scrambled and scurried, searching for the fissure. Between two shingles a few feet from the brick chimney was a small crack. It didn’t seem big enough to account for the amount of rain that now pooled in her living room. “Seriously?”

The sky, as if letting her know that, yes, it was quite serious, flashed and pealed out another crash. It was closer than she’d thought. This probably wasn’t a very good idea. But she’d just had her oak floor re-finished and couldn’t afford the thousands of dollars of damage the rain would do. It needed to be fixed now.

She eyed the tube of roofing tar, recalling the instructions the clerk had given her. She placed the nozzle near the fissure and squeezed the caulking gun’s trigger. A blob of black goop oozed out and she covered the crack. “Perfect.” Her dignity intact, she stood.

Madison hadn’t prepared to be a homeowner. It had been thrust upon her when her mother signed over the house and business to Madison and left for Las Vegas to spread the word of God. Homeowner duties had been learn-as-you-go and she was pleased that patching the roof wasn’t beyond her abilities. Much easier than installing the koi pond. She’d gotten in over her head with that one – but she’d triumphed. She glanced down, saw the pond was nearly flooded and was glad she’d taken the time to lay a stone edge around it as Bart Aberdeen from the pet shop had suggested. All she needed now was koi.

A tine of lightning ripped across the sky. Thunder boomed, crashed loud enough that she felt its echo in her teeth – then trailed off, growling like a starved dog protecting its bone.

The seal looked to be holding and, under the advisement of the skies, Madison headed for the ladder. Stepping down the sloped roof, her shoes lost traction and her feet shot out from under her. The caulking gun flew as she windmilled for balance. The gravelly asphalt raked her elbows as she came down hard on her tailbone. A sickening thunk! resounded and a flash of white blinded her as the back of her head smacked the brick chimney. Pain bit her, crippled her, and she rolled down the slope, a tattered rag doll. Though barely conscious, she felt the roof disappear beneath her. Then she was freefalling.

Help me! she thought, unable to scream, to speak.

In the dream-like instant of her descent, the sky flashed – not lightning, but a shooting star streaking toward earth.

She plummeted into the koi pond below.

Icicle-cold, the water stole her breath. She panicked, tried fighting, but body and mind had parted company. She sank, paralyzed as blurred ribbons of blood rose and eddied around her. Like a failing bulb, her vision flickered and went out.

She was not aware of any time having passed. As if waking suddenly from a nightmare, she shot from the water, gurgling and choking, her lungs starved of oxygen. Splashing, writhing, her nails bit into bare shoulders and with the sound of rusty brakes, she sucked in a deep lungful of air. The black world resolved, and she glimpsed the face of a man, a stranger – no, not a stranger, not exactly. I know you, don’t I?

She gagged, clawed for purchase. Water gushed from her nose and mouth in explosive bursts as her lungs purged themselves. She locked onto the stranger, her fingers like anchors in his bare arms. Seconds later, she was on the sodden earth, on her back. She coughed, vomiting water. Hands clutched her head, turned it to the side, and water spilled from her mouth and nose like unspooling ribbons. More gurgling, more body-wracking gasps. Her vision came, dissolved, settled midway between blindness and sight.

A mouth covered hers, blew, and Madison’s lungs expanded with borrowed breath. As if the man were blowing on dying coals, warmth glowed inside her, spreading and swelling through her solar plexus, expanding, reaching her limbs, bringing heat to her skin and clarity to her mind. She could breathe, she could see, and what she saw was the stranger’s face.

Handsome. Full lips, strong cheekbones, eyes she couldn’t yet fathom. Close-cropped, golden hair backlit by a near-blinding halo of light. Yes, she knew him from somewhere – but where?

The warm buzz swam through her. Her fingers and toes tingled. She was losing consciousness again, but she didn’t care; the panic was gone. As the world pulsed in and out, the man leaned over and blinked black-lashed silver eyes at her. Not gray, but silver. Bright and shining, like disks of polished steel. The light behind him swelled and brightened just before the world relapsed into black and nothingness wrapped itself warm around her.

Prominence

From what little he’d seen so far, there was nothing prominent about the town of Prominence. It had taken former Crimson Cove deputy Nick Grayson six hours to drive from his old home on the coast, to his new one on the slopes of the eastern Sierras.

Midway between Bishop and Bodie, Prominence was mostly high desert, with intermittent spatterings of thick, tall pines and firs. He hadn’t seen much of the town yet but intended to explore it after checking out his new place, which came with his position as Chief of Police. He pulled up to the residence and killed the black Highlander’s engine.

It wasn’t too shabby – an L-shaped, wood-trimmed, stucco ranch house with two tall sycamores out front, complete with a two-car garage, and what might be a decent lawn come spring.

He found the house key beneath the faded welcome mat where the landlord – one Jeffrey Gimple – said it would be waiting for him.

Inside, he was struck by two things: the stale scent of inactivity, and the dusty, lime-green drapes that covered the windows. Those have got to go. The living room was spacious with a blessedly new beige carpet and freshly painted walls. It was furnished – Thank God – with a comfortable-looking tan leather recliner, a slightly ratty love seat, and a rump-sprung sofa. Against the far wall, directly across from the recliner, was a large television that would be great for watching sports.

Stepping to the sliding glass doors that spanned the living and dining rooms, he drew more gecko-colored draperies and stared at the backyard. The earth was still wet from a rare valley downpour, but there was plenty of room on the patio for his barbecue.

Down the hall, he found a cramped bath with a stained sink, a tub, and a questionable-looking toilet. Beyond that were three bedrooms. One had plenty of space for his rock polisher and stone collection, another would serve as his office and music room – a sturdy old desk and chair were already in place – and the last was the master bedroom. My bedroom. It was complete with a queen-sized bed and a much nicer bathroom with a tiled shower behind a clear glass door.

He gazed out the small window, saw the tall redwood fence that surrounded the backyard. Plenty of privacy. He smiled. The half-acre plot was wide and fairly deep, keeping the neighbors at enough distance that he could play his guitar all night without disturbing the peace.

He walked back up the hall, through the living room and dining room, which contained an old oak table and chairs. The kitchen was roomy with simple light wood cabinets, and had all the appliances – there was even a washer and dryer. Leaning against the yellow tile counter, he pulled his phone from his pocket. His former boss, Sheriff Ethan Hunter, picked up on the second ring.

“I’m alive,” said Nick.

Ethan laughed. “Well, how’s Prominence?”

“Not too exciting so far. I’m going to grab some lunch and have a look around this afternoon.”

“And what about the house?”

He cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder as he shook dust off the ugly green drapes. “It’s decent, except for the drapes. Plenty of room for me, myself, and I.”

Ethan chuckled. “Anything’s better than the dinky place you had up here.”

“You got that right.”

The sheriff was silent a moment. “I hope it works out for you. You deserve this.”

“You bet your lily-white ass I do.” Nick cracked a smile.

“Well, we’ll miss you here.”

Nick coughed on dust. “Give my best to Sheila.”

“Will do. Call anytime … Chief. Oh, and Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s a lot colder there in winter than it is out here on the coast. After you get settled in, text me your mailing address. I’ll send you one of my Aunt Vanessa’s sweaters.”

It was fairly well known throughout Crimson Cove that the sheriff knitted sweaters in his spare time, and to conceal his unmanly hobby, he’d created the fictional Aunt Vanessa in Oregon. Nick wouldn’t dream of bursting Ethan’s bubble and embarrassing him. Besides, though they were loud and unattractive, he was touched to receive one.

“Sure thing, Boss. It gets really cold here this time of year. Tell her thanks for me.” He ended the call, realizing he was going to miss Crimson Cove and its quirky inhabitants. He hoped Prominence would be half as interesting.

Hard rapid footsteps broke his reverie. They came up fast behind him. Nick whirled, drawing his Glock.

But the room was empty, the silence complete.

“Hello?” What the blue fuck?

He did a cautious walk-through in case a transient had made himself at home. Finding nothing, he locked up and took off to see what Prominence had to offer. The footsteps had spooked him and he was eager to be out of the house.

My Review ~ 5 stars

A battle between good and evil in another modern Gothic masterpiece 

Alistair Cross once again excels himself with another of his modern Gothic masterpieces, this time set in the seemingly sleepy town of Prominence in California. I am a real sucker for books pitting angels against demons, as I just love tales of good versus evil. I therefore jumped at the chance to review the author’s latest novel Dream Reaper, which blurs the lines between paranormal romance, urban fantasy and horror and is an absolute delight for fans of these genres. Once more, as someone who is familiar with the author’s work, having read The Ghosts of Ravenscrest and Mother, which he co-wrote with Tamara Thorne and his novel The Crimson Corset I just knew I was in for a real treat!

When a handsome and mysterious stranger saves Madison O’Riley from a fatal fall, little does she realise that her life and that of the inhabitants of the town of Prominence will soon descend into the depths of the Twilight Zone. It is not long before Madison and others start to realise that the amnesiac who calls himself Alejandro, has powers which defy comprehension…

When the strange and compelling Gremory Jones and his associates arrive in town the book gets increasingly darker as Gremory’s intent becomes clear as he begins to ensnare the townspeople in his machinations. Add to the mix a psychic, a local priest, and the new chief of police, who is a recovering alcoholic, and the scene is set for a series of dastardly, dark and depraved scenes. The town succumbs to chaos and carnage, with its inhabitants merely collateral damage in a battle between good and evil. Rest assured though the read also contains plenty of scenes of humour and romance giving relief from the ensuing horror!

I just LOVED this thoroughly gripping and entertaining read and I was on pins waiting to discover if Alejandro would remember his true nature and protect himself, the town and the woman he is growing to love before it is too late.

The author’s characterisations are brutally honest, insightful and full of dark humour as he explores the human condition, lifting the lid on the private desires and personal hang-ups of the characters. The romance between Madison and Alejandro is a sweet one and due to Alejandro’s innocent disposition there are plenty of scenes where the author exploits this for comedic value. The new Police Chief Nick Grayson, who has come to Prominence to make a new start and to clean up his act, certainly has his work cut out with the temptations and increasing body count that the town throws at him from day one of his arrival! I enjoyed the pivotal part he plays in the emerging plot.

If you are already familiar with his author and/or you enjoy the work of Steven King and the cinematic genius of David Lynch you will savour this read as much as I did. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Tina Williams (I initially reviewed this book under its former title The Angel Alejandro)

Please note that a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Alistair Cross grew up on horror novels and scary movies, and by the age of eight, began writing his own stories. First published in 2012, he has since co-authored The Cliffhouse Haunting and Mother with Tamara Thorne and is working on several other projects. His debut solo novel, The Crimson Corset, was an Amazon bestseller. The Black Wasp, book 3 in The Vampires of Crimson Cove series will be out later this year. Find out more about him at: http://alistaircross.com 

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