Strange Magic [Mass Market Paperback]

Gord Rollo's latest release, Strange Magic, tells the story of former magician Wilson Kemp. Wilson has been trying for years to escape his past, going as far as changing his name, moving, and giving up his career as a magician. His wife and daughter know nothing of his past life, but unfortunately, his past has finally caught up with him and he may not be able to keep it hidden any longer. Someone in town known as "the Stranger" is killing both humans and animals, leaving messages at the scene of each crime for "The Iceman", which happens to be Wilson's old stage name. Wilson is now scared for the life of himself and his family. He is not sure who "the Stranger" really is, but fears it may be his old partner, "The Heatseeker". The problem with that scenario is that "The Heatseeker" has been dead for twenty-two years!

Intense, imaginative, well-balanced, fast-paced... you name it and Rollo has accomplished it in Strange Magic! Ever since Leisure started putting out Rollo's work I've been grabbing them up off the shelf immediately and I haven't been disappointed yet. Strange Magic may very well be my favorite so far. A couple of the characters' actual identities are kept secret through a good chunk of the book. Usually it is hard to keep up such a "front" that well without the reader figuring it out prior to the big "reveal", but Rollo managed to accomplish this without a hitch! I was ultimately pleasantly surprised, and a bit disturbed, with both of the characters once I found out who they really were. In addition, the death scenes within the book aren't overly gruesome, yet still cringe-worthy enough that both gore lovers and those of the weak stomach should be able to enjoy them. It is truly a well-rounded book and I feel that Rollo has definitely written something that all horror fans will love.

In addition to reading the Leisure addition of Strange Magic, I also had the pleasure of reading Rollo's short story, "Peeler", a tie-in story to Strange Magic. This story can currently be found in the limited edition of Strange Magic published by Bad Moon Books. Peeler is the name of one of the side characters from Strange Magic who happens to have what you might call a weird "fetish" for peeling off his own skin. In this short story, we get to learn what causes Peeler to mutilate himself and where he was at prior to the time-frame of Strange Magic. The story is a bit gross, yet definitely ties into the whole magical element playing throughout the novel. It's a must-read for die-hard Rollo fans, and it's a shame that Leisure couldn't have included it in their edition of the release. Hopefully, this story will be released in a short story collection from Rollo, for those that are unable to get their hands on a copy of the limited edition of Strange Magic. I highly recommend reading both Strange Magic and the tie-in story, "Peeler"!

Contains: Adult Language, Adult Situations, Mutilation

Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian dot com

Over all, this was an okay read. I've read all of Rollo's books, and by far The Jigsaw Man was the best. I loved it. Strange Magic falls sort so short. It wasn't bad, but just okay at best.

Wilson Kemp loves his vodka. It's ruined his life. He wasn't to get back with his wife, but the vodka always seems to get in the way. It gets in the way of his job, and prevents him from living a normal life. Why would he do such a thing? Kept has a very very good reason. It seems that his past is coming back to haunt him. Not only haunt him, but his family and entire town. By the time The Stranger is done, nobody will be safe. Not Kemp, his family or anyone who stands in The Stranger's way. Nobody. That included innocent people. The Stranger has been looking for Kemp to settle an old score. The one day. The Stranger finds Kemp and plans to set things right and settle old debts, to be paid in full.

That's pretty much I want to say about the plot. I don 't want to give anything away. There's also a Peeping Tom in the mix, but again, I don't want to give things away. He was a nice plot twist.

***SPOILERS***

Rollo does one thing that I consider a "writing sin". Part of the book is in a dream. For me, that's such a let down when a writer does that. Something interesting happens...but SURPRISE!! it was only a dream. UG! I always feel cheated when a writer does that. Rollo did it a lot in Crimson, and he does it here too.

The book has one or two neat plot twists. I love the angle of the Peeping Tom, that was a very nice plot twist. I liked The Stranger too. That was another interesting plot twist, when you find out who he is.

Over all, it was an okay read. If you want to get it at the bookstore, I say, fine, go ahead. If you want to get it at the library, that's fine too. It wasn't a bad read, just not an over the top read.

Three Stars, check it out.

I'm not here to tell you the plot of Gord Rollo's third novel, Strange Magic. If that is what you are looking for, just check out the Strange Magic page. What I want to do is tell you what a great book Mr. Rollo has produced.

With Wilson Kemp, Gord has crafted a wonderfully broken character. A man with a tragic past, fighting alcoholism and the break-up of his marriage, Kemp is the type of man you can despise for his weakness, pity for his loss, and root for as he fights to regain his life. Gord's depiction of Kemp's struggles and triumphs pushes all the right buttons, without you realizing those buttons have been pushed.

The villian of the story, The Stranger, is a charmingly evil individual. A flashy smile distracts you from the knife about to slide into your side. A man with a relentless thirst for revenge, The Stranger pursues his goal with a passion; a bloody, violent passion. This is a character I would love to see featured in his own book, maybe in the events leading up to this story.

Then there is "Peeping Tom". A secondary player who brings a little something extra to the book. Another well rounded character, with a twist. I can't say too much; it's best to read the book and find out about "Tom" for yourself.

Gord Rollo has a lean, clean writing style that pulls you in and keeps your eyes looked on the page. His pacing starts at a good clip and just picks up along the way. Can Wilson Kemp get his life together? What is The Strangers ultimate plan? And exactly what is going on with that "Peeping Tom" guy?

If you want a good, scary story, filled with fantastic characters, plot twists, magic and mayhem, pick up Strange Magic and fall under the spell of a writer who just gets better and better.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 8 reviews  4.6 out of 5 stars