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March 15, 2010

A horror convert

"I must be up front and state at the outset that I normally don't like thrillers that feature a lot of graphic violence - gore isn't really my thing!

What, then, kept me reading long after I would normally have tossed the book aside? Tom Piccirilli created a character and story so unusual and enticing I couldn't help but finish it once I read the first couple of chapters.

The great attraction is a blind ex-cop named Finn, the story's protagonist. Finn is such an unusual character and so beautifully conceived that I couldn't bear to part company with him until I knew his whole story - and what a story it is!

What sets SHADOW SEASON apart from similar thrillers is the fact that Finn is blind. I have to admire an author who would even think of placing a sightless character at the center of a tale like this and then pit him against two able-bodied, sighted villains who obviously have a huge advantage. It's a challenge from which most writers would shy away.

To his credit, Piccirilli makes the scenario work and that in itself is a major accomplishment. In a nutshell, that's also why I kept reading. I kept saying to myself, "Ok, Piccirilli, let's see how you are going to get Finn out of this horrendous mess!"

- Bob Walch, I Love a Mystery

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