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Keith Rommel

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The Lurking Man: A Psychological Thriller (Shade of the Reaper) Kindle Edition

by Keith Rommel (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.7 25 ratings

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NOW A MOTION PICTURE

Cailean stands beneath a spotlight in a blinding snowstorm. She has no idea where she is or how she got there, but she senses something moving around her in the darkness outside the light.

When the ominous presence calling himself Sariel makes himself known, he declares that he is Death Incarnate. Cailean has died, and now she will be forced to face the sins of her past in exchange for twenty-four hours of life to try to right her wrongs. And what she must do in return for this precious time is unthinkable.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Horrifying, but awesome." ~ Nova Reylin, myseryniti.wordpress.com

"Readers, the sinister mood that seeps through this book will keep you turning pages as if you are possessed by a time clock to complete the tale...or else." ~ Erin, hookofabook.wordpress.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Keith Rommel is a multi-award-winning author and screenwriter best known for his Thanatology dark suspense series, The Devil Tree series based on a notoriously haunted location in Florida, and the fast-paced Cultures Collide crime series. Rommel's stories have been called "intelligent fiction" and "horror for the curious mind." Keith has had the honor of co-writing The Cursed Man and The Lurking Man movies which have garnished over 160 awards combined, including best screenplays and best feature films. All of his novels are available at all major booksellers and both films are available on most major platforms. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B25QM27F
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sunbury Press (July 1, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1393 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 175 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #4,152,659 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #22,060 in Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #53,004 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)
- #64,201 in Murder Thrillers

Customer Reviews:
3.7 25 ratings

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Keith Rommel

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Keith Rommel is a multi-award-winning author and screenwriter that has penned over a dozen novels and co-written three movies. Three of the four stories from the Shade of the Reaper series have been adapted to film. Rommel’s stories have been called “intelligent fiction”.

www.keithrommel.weebly.com

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3.7 out of 5

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Nancy Lacey

AWESOME READ!! Sariel has a way of getting in your head.

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2016

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I absolutely loved this book! I wanted to see what was going to happen next, making it impossible to put down. The story alternates from present day events to flashbacks of the past. Just when you think that you are at a point where it's safe to put it down, it becomes even more interesting and you HAVE to continue. The main character, Cailean, is in a space between life and death with Sariel, the ominous voice that lurks in the shadows judging her. Not being able to remember any details from her life, Sariel forces her to face the mistakes she has made, the pain she has caused, and the effect it had on those around her (mainly her son, Beau and her husband), in order to proceed to the next phase of her life. After facing and conquering the demon inside her, she has negotiated 24 hours to redeem herself and move on to her new “life”.
Throughout the entire time I was reading “The Lurking Man”, I was thinking about how I am with my son and hoping I was nothing like Cailean. After finishing the book, I came to the conclusion that I am NOT like her, but Sariel now sits in the back of my mind as a reminder to be cognizant of my actions, my words, and my tones and how they may be perceived by and affect others.
I like the complexity of the story. Puzzle pieces are all laid out in front of you, and Cailean, and as the story plays out, the pieces start matching up, the story starts making more sense and as it comes to an end, you feel like there is one piece that was forgotten and then …….. it falls … gently … into … place. It left me calling the author “sneaky” and “clever”. Was definitely not disappointed with the ending. I can’t wait to read more of Keith Rommel’s work.
If you’re in need of a personal reality check, read “The Lurking Man”. Once you pick it up, though, it WILL consume you.

One person found this helpful

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Georgia

"Show Me Your Friends and I Will Show You Who You Are."

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2013

The Lurking Man is the second book in the Thanatology series by Keith Rommel (the first book being the Cursed Man).

The first bit of writing we get is a description of what exactly thanatology is. Here is the excerpt from the book;

" Thanatology- study of death and dying and the practices associated with it, including the study of the needs of the terminally ill and their families."

So now that that's explained, let's get into the actual story. It starts with a woman named Cailean, who finds herself outside in the middle of an apparent snowstorm, with nothing but a circle of bright light surrounding her and complete darkness beyond it. She has no memory of how she got there or who she is. There she meets Sariel, a shadowy figure who hides in the dark. He is literally Death and brings people to an enclosed world of his making to show them their past sins and give them a chance at redemption.

The story is told by alternating between flashbacks of her past and her realisations in the present. She is made to watch key moments of her life, that formed her as a person and ultimately led her to where she is. What Cailean discovers is an agressive, destructive alcoholic who hurts everything around her. Deeply unhappy, she was a time-bomb waiting to go off. As the story progresses, she learns more and more about the person she was.

From the start of the book, we know Cailean is dead. As the flashbacks proceed, we get slightly closer to what we know from the beginning is inevitable. We don't know how she died, or what she did that was so bad, but through brief snippets the sense of dread increases and a little niggle forms in the back of your mind telling you what must be coming up.

The plot is fascinating. What must it be like to discover the person you were? It brings me back to that age old question- if you met yourself, would you like what you saw? Not only that, but there was a clever little subtlety worked in that I'm not sure was even intentional. Remember another old saying, "when you die your life flashes before your eyes"? Well that's exactly what happens here. The whole plot is Cailean watching flashes of her life. A nice little bonus (I thought), even if it wasn't intended.

Another possibly unintentional aspect of the plot, was its similarity to that of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". It may seem an odd connection to make, but both books centre on unpleasant, cruel people who are visited by spectres who try to get them to see the error of their ways (through flashbacks of their lives) and give them one final choice and a chance to redeem themselves.

Having said that, the two stories are very different and I would not mistake one for the other. I just thought it was an interesting thing to note.

Cailean is one of the most unpleasant characters I've ever come across. She is violent and abusive, blaming everyone but herself, while drowning her life away in alcohol. Not that she's unrealistic, but as a person she is very hard to like. At the start we may feel sympathy towards her, but it turns to disbelief and even anger when more of her is revealed. However, everyone deserves a second chance and, as Sariel said, she is there for a chance at redemption.

Sariel himself is an interesting portrayal of Death. He lurks in the shadows and provides an eerie presence. A commanding figure, who is not necessarily unkind, but a little too happy messing with people to be comfortable with. It's clear he is a cold, unapproachable figure. Though whether that is because of Cailean's past actions or just because he's Death is not. Throughout the book, we see more and more of him, until he reveals himself in full and I can't help but wonder if leaving him shrouded in darkness would've had a greater effect. Imagination is a powerful thing and giving it free reign can prove more powerful than description. Though the symbolism of his physical form is undeniable and does play an important role.

The symbolism increases later, when two characters are introduced, representing the good and evil in all of us. Some people nurture the good side and it grows, matures and holds back the evil. Some people feed the evil side and it fattens and abuses the good until it submits. The larger the evil gets, the harder it will be to hear the voice of goodness and ignore the taunting of the bad. This is used to explain why people do the things they do. Everyone has a conscience, some people's are just harder to hear over the more destructive voice within.

The conclusion is done very well. From the very beginning we already know what will happen, but it still manages to surprise. When all the pieces are tied together and all the truths are revealed, they clash, causing sparks to fly and resulting in a great ending.

I haven't read the first book in the series, but plan to now. Each book can be read as a stand alone or as part of the series, so starting in an unusual order won't lessen your enjoyment of the books. An amazing read, good for people who don't mind a lot of dialogue or little action or just want a good book that it a great example of less-is-more.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Christina Steffy

Keith Rommel has done it again!

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2012

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Keith Rommel has done it again! The Lurking Man, book 2 in his thanatology series, is a strong story that takes readers on a suspenseful psychological journey; thanatology is the study of death and dying and the practices associated with it. In Rommel's distinct style, the story unfolds through alternating present day situations and flashbacks; that lends itself particularly well to this story as we learn about the main character - Cailean - who in the face of death must relive portions of her life to confront her demons and learn how, with one final sacrifice, she can set things right for those she loves. Throughout the course of this story we are confronted not just with the possibility of what the afterlife may be like, but we are also confronted with the concept of evil in humanity.

I read this book after reading The Cursed Man, book 1 in the thanatology series, and just as with his first book Rommel's characters are real and relatable and the story grows in emotional intensity as it progresses. In The Lurking Man, you feel for Cailean despite the demons she carries with her and at the point when you think you will be angry with her, you still can't help but empathize with her. Although you do not need to read The Cursed Man to understand The Lurking Man, I recommend reading them both. Rommel's writing is very strong in this respect - although each story stands on its own, and although I know both stories relate to thanatology since they come from the same series, I only realized after reading The
Lurking Man just how much The Cursed Man also dealt with the same larger picture. In my mind, that larger picture is evil and the events it set in motion that can ultimately destroy another person's life.

I recommend The Lurking Man, and I cannot wait to see what the final book in the thanatology series holds.

4 people found this helpful

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shandris l hamilton

Absolutely riveting!

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2015

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This book was an amazing read. I couldn't help but feel so many emotions reading it and I couldn't put it down!