Bloodstone

He was an alcoholic who didn't care about much of anything until the day he was driving drunk and killed a mother and two children. Billy Smith spent ten years doing hard time for his crime but when he was paroled he was still in the prison of his mind. About a year after he left prison, he starts hearing voices and sees visions of a woman. He finds her on the beach, a prostitute and a junkie named Angel. He kidnaps her and the voices draw him to the small Maine town of White Falls. Angel now stays with him willingly because she is having the same dreams and visions and hearing the same voices. There is a darkness to the town, an evil that Billy and Angel can sense even if they don't know what it is or what it wants besides the two of them for reasons they don't understand. This evil is going to culminate during the spring festival and only Billy can stop a malevolent spirit from coming through a portal and completing a plan set in motion almost three centuries ago. Reminiscent of Salem's Lot, BLOODSTONE is a terrifying horror novel that is action oriented yet doesn't neglect the development of the characters that come across as believable to the audience. Even ghosts take on a new dimension in this chilling tale as Nate Kenyon's concept of what they are is both original and frightening. This is the kind of horror novel that will make readers want to sleep with all the lights in the neighborhood shining brightly. Harriet Klausner

Kenyon's book is an amazing debut. Where has he been? I found myself staying up until 3am because I knew I couldn't sleep without reading the rest. The character's are well thought out and there's a nice twist that leaves you satisfied at the end. The only question I have is, where's his next book?

I found Bloodstone, the debut novel by Nate Kenyon, to be a superb story. Not definable by a single genre, Bloodstone at times is a mystery, a horror, a thriller, yet at its heart is a story of love and the search for redemption. With twists that would make Dan Brown envious, and pacing you'd expect from a more seasoned author, Kenyon takes the reader on a coast to coast ride that will keep you guessing until the last page. It is easy to see why several authors have referenced Stephen King when reviewing this book. Like King, Kenyon takes the time to breathe life into his characters. His world is very much our own, where you find not black and white, but varying shades of grey. Bloodstone takes such archetypes as the alcoholic ex-con and the prostitute junkie, moves gets past the stereotypes, and allows these characters the chance to be heroes. The line between good and evil is razor thin and the choices made along the way determine on which side the protagonists ultimately fall. The beauty is that when these hard choices are made, Kenyon has so engrossed the reader into the story and fleshed out the characters so completely, that you feel an emotional connection. And that is what I look for in a book. I recommend you find a copy of Bloodstone and thank me later.