______________________________________________________________________________
TRUTH OF THE SHADOWS BY SLADE TEMPLETON
Horror tales come in many forms. Perhaps the most enticing are psychological in nature, although horror almost by definition explores the darkly psychological. Slade Templeton takes this to heart in his literally psychology-based horror novel, Truth of the Shadows. Set mostly in the institutionalized confines of an oddly remote asylum located deep within the Oregon woods, Cottage Grove – a deliciously provincial and non-threatening moniker, except for devotees of horror – this story develops nicely around the daily routines of its primary doctor, Joseph Hoffman. Like most great horror, things begin deceptively well. Like all great horror, things deteriorate quickly, progressively, and with the strangely sluggish momentum of a dream gone bad. Then, the nightmare begins. Mr. Templeton handles his own horrific plotline with deft and skill, leaving the reader to deal with an ever-mounting sense of dread without succumbing to inane efforts at denial.
What appeals most about Dr. Hoffman’s gradual devolution in Truth of the Shadows is Slade Templeton’s focus on the man himself, namely his troubled past and ancestry and the impact of personal tragedy on how he approaches both his patients and his rather conscribed world. This grounds him in reality. But when his reality begins to shatter, or at least to morph into morbidity, Dr. Hoffman’s professional training proves unequal to the task of examining and diagnosing his own situation and its relation to those he deems to be abnormal. His increasing identification with, and understanding of, the in-house patient population adds evolving tension to an ever-darkening story, leading ultimately to the kind of explanatory climax appropriate to the horrors of our own mundane world.
S. TEMPLETON
AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES
VISIT MY INDIE BOOK SHOP
______________________________________________________________________________
Joel R. Dennstedt – Top Reviewer for Readers’ Favorite
ATTENTION ALL AUTHORS! BE SURE TO ENTER READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK CONTEST
