PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’m a hue fan of of the Winchester boys, so when I heard that Russell James’ new book, Demon Dagger, was being called “a fast-paced, chilling tale of darkness and vengeance for fans of the TV series Supernatural…” I was pretty excited to check it out.
Synopsis:
LA County Sheriff’s Deputy Drew Price has a gift, or perhaps… a curse. When a demon possesses a person, Drew can see the horrific-looking demon that dwells within. This ability has made him a demon hunter, armed with the one weapon that can send these fiends back to Hell; the demon dagger. One demon named Nicobar sets its sights on punishing the hunter by taking the soul of Drew’s son, condemning the boy to life as a psychopath. DEMON DAGGER follows Drew’s attempts to save his son’s soul and then use the blade to end Nicobar’s time on Earth.
Demon Dagger starts out with Drew Price as a kid just learning that he’s not crazy… he has a special gift to see them hiding in people. Luckily, he’s introduced to Lincoln, a demon hunter, who starts him on a road of car repair, lore, and demon hunting. Imagine Dean Winchester taking on a pre-pubescent sidekick instead of tooling around with his brother. We then jump to 25 years later where LA County Sheriff’s Deputy Drew is married to a total bitch (what is her problem?) and has a young son named Kenny. He hasn’t had to deal with demons for a quarter of a century, but things are about to change. The story jumps back and forth in time to Drew as a youngster and current times where he has to be a law-abiding deputy by day and a secret demon slayer by night. No pressure, right?
I love that James brings back the idea that the emotionless, apathetic, flat affect of psychopathy is a result of a person being possessed by a demon (read more of his thoughts on that concept here). Yes, there have been many psychiatric discoveries made in the last 100 years that prove this notion false, but you can’t help but wonder if psychopaths and sociopaths really are affected by outside influences. Plus, it explains so many things. James could have made Drew, who can see through this disguise, a ripped, hotel-hopping superhero of a guy who always knows the answers and never gets close to anyone because he’s afraid they’ll get caught in the crossfires, but he didn’t. Drew is just an average, relatable guy with some crazy childhood memories. I love that.
The writing in Demon Dagger is good. The plot is fun and well-paced, and the jumps back and forth in time keep the story fresh. Like I mentioned above, Drew’s wife, Anna, was way too hard to like. I know she has rheumatoid arthritis so she’s in a lot of pain, but dang, is she mean. I guess I shouldn’t expect to love every character since I wouldn’t love every person I meet in life, so maybe the author was just trying to keep her realistic. I do love Marvin, though. He has the best lines! And he more than makes up for Anna’s negativity.
The plot does get a bit over-the-top and almost silly at the end, but there is a satisfying conclusion that I am happy with. If you’re looking for a fun, quick read with a Supernatural spin, be sure to grab Russell James’ Demon Dagger when it releases on August 16, 2022, by Flame Tree Press.
About the Author
Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Twilight Zone, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight. He has written the paranormal thrillers Q Island, Dark Inspiration, The Playing Card Killer, The Portal, Lambs Among Wolves, and both the Grant Coleman and Ranger Kathy West adventure series. He has four short story collections, Tales from the Beyond, Outer Rim, Forever Out of Time, and Deeper into Darkness.
