Donald Gorman knows how to write horror - he knows what it takes to scare the normal person, but he knows how to go down the psyche and touch us with the icy white hot passion of a serial killer with a mission.

Paradox.

Perspective.

Angels and Demons.

This story is placed in Anycity USA - A dysfunctional family is the centerpiece - a very religious mother, children who in their own way have lost the way - a husband cheating on his wife with her sister, another 'living in sin' with his girlfriend, etc. The mother isn't too thrilled when her family's dirty laundry explodes at a picnic she is hostessing not only for her regular friends, but also her church friends, who are as ultra conservative as she is.

Something starts happening - A killer calling himself Paradox is starting to murder folks - not just a bullet and walk away, but horrible disfigurement to his victims. He also leaves notes with religious messages with his victims.

Ah, but the dead victims are visiting this murderer...the devil is embodied as his father; God is clothed in the prostitute he killed...there is a debate on in whose name are the victims being killed, and to stop or not...in God's name or....the spirits are torturing their murderer.

Paradox is chilling and exciting and you will be shocked by the murderer's unveiling - Mr. Gorman puts in many feints and hooks and just when you thing you know 'whodunit', you're off base.

Not only a great read, a great character study, another tour de force from Donald Gorman.

ellen george

Paradox by Donald Gorman, ISBN: 978-1-4389-9031-6, AuthorHouse, review by ellen george