When I began reading this novel, I kept questioning what I’d missed in the first chapter, so I went back and reread the chapter. Questions remained unanswered until the end. The toss-up between what was real and unreal and whether Cohen Marah actually killed his father kept me turning the page.
In some sense, the context had me wondering if the novel was along the lines of a Frank Peretti thriller or was Smucker walking the reader through Cohen’s imaginary past or maybe his nightmares? Were the dark shadows Cohen saw symbolizing demons or was he simply afraid of the dark and forced to face his fears of living in the family’s funeral home? Regardless, I cannot imagine the impact of a child being raised in a funeral home and encountering dead bodies on a daily basis.
This eerie thriller took me on a journey in the life, actions, and thoughts of Cohen Marah. Cohen as a young boy and Cohen as a grown man. If you like thrillers, you’ll find this novel challenging and intriguing.
I was given a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest review. All comments are my own.
Shawn Smucker is an author and co-writer who lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He followed up his award-winning novel, The Day the Angels Fell, with the sequel, The Edge of Over There. You can find out more about him at his website: http://shawnsmucker.com
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