SPOTLIGHT: Dropcloth Angels / Gerald Johnston

It's rough out there for a reviewer! With all the books out there I want to share, I don't always have time to compose a full-length review. Therefore, I'm beginning a "spotlight" series to as a quicker way to highlight some of the books I've read and enjoyed.

TITLE: Dropcloth Angels

AUTHOR: Gerald Johnston

PUBLISHER: Freakshine Press

AVAILABILITY: Amazon US (Kindle e-book), Amazon US (paperback), Amazon UK (Kindle e-book), Amazon UK (paperback)

APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 480 pages (paperback)

GENRE: Horror/Thriller

Zoe isn't exactly a model citizen. She's a hooker with a drug addiction, a bad attitude, and a penchant for talking to the imaginary Purple Monkey. Zane is an artist. He carves ordinary women into beautifully bloody paintings and captures it all on film. Their worlds collide when Zane creates a gruesome masterpiece out of Zoe's angelic sister.

Gideon is a businessman. He knows how much people will pay to see a brilliant performance like that.

I was lucky enough to read the manuscript of Dropcloth Angels before it was published. It's both a horror story about a serial killer and a character study of two perverse and determined individuals. Zoe counts as the good one, but she's far from being, well, good, with her foul mouth and unrepentant ways. Zane, meanwhile, is charming and sophisticated, the kind of villain you can't help being in awe of. 

And then there's Purple Monkey. The smart-mouthed Purple Monkey is a childhood toy come to life—and a complete nightmare for Zoe. A figment of her imagination, he seems to show up whenever she least needs him and torment her.

Johnston drew me in from the get-go with his unique voice and knack for suspense. He really gets into his characters heads and lets the reader get to know them—their philosophies, their drives, their ways of thinking. He's also not afraid to "go there" when it comes to the plot, so if you have a weak stomach, beware. This isn't a book for the squeamish ones. But it's certainly a book that will mesmerize you with its twisted vision, one that is disturbing yet irresistible.

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