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A review by paperbackstash
Deadlock by Tim Curran
4.0
A fun, fast and haunting horror ride. This boat may never set sail, but being on a boat at night floating on a chamber horrors is enough without adding in actual creepy sea life.
The plot is basic and straight-forward, and it reminds me a bit of the short story from King's movie Cat's Eye where an addicted gambler is forced out on the ledge to solve his issues and save his life. In this case, a gambler who owes a major debt is offered the chance to pay it off by staying alive on a large freighter.
Charlie doesn't trust the mobster in charge, but the chance to squeeze out of a fifty thousand dollar debt and keep his dignity intact makes the risk tempting - I'll let you read it for yourself to see if this gamble paid off.
The one has an almost hallucinogenic quality as Charlie lets him imagination run away with him, mixed in memories and unrealities. The villain Arturo is kind of funny and made memorable lines and moments considered he’s the big-bad of the shipyard.
The ending is a satisfying “so there!” moment. You get creepiness, a suitable end, a worthy premise, and a bizarre ship. Tim Curran is a talented writer who penned a worthy tale. It’s not maritime horror since the boat stays docked, but the claustrophobic setting rocks for this type of story.
It’s relatively short at 190 pages and can be had for a cheap price of 2.99 e-book --- recommended.
The plot is basic and straight-forward, and it reminds me a bit of the short story from King's movie Cat's Eye where an addicted gambler is forced out on the ledge to solve his issues and save his life. In this case, a gambler who owes a major debt is offered the chance to pay it off by staying alive on a large freighter.
Charlie doesn't trust the mobster in charge, but the chance to squeeze out of a fifty thousand dollar debt and keep his dignity intact makes the risk tempting - I'll let you read it for yourself to see if this gamble paid off.
The one has an almost hallucinogenic quality as Charlie lets him imagination run away with him, mixed in memories and unrealities. The villain Arturo is kind of funny and made memorable lines and moments considered he’s the big-bad of the shipyard.
The ending is a satisfying “so there!” moment. You get creepiness, a suitable end, a worthy premise, and a bizarre ship. Tim Curran is a talented writer who penned a worthy tale. It’s not maritime horror since the boat stays docked, but the claustrophobic setting rocks for this type of story.
It’s relatively short at 190 pages and can be had for a cheap price of 2.99 e-book --- recommended.