David Morrell first became famous when he published First Blood, which created the phenomenal character of Rambo, and he continues the legacy of great thrillers with The Shimmer. David Morrell’s The Shimmer will send goose bumps up the arms and chills down the spine. Morrell’s rich detail creates a frightening reality that the reader will be sucked into from the first page to the last. This novel is fast-paced, but don’t let that fool the reader. The Shimmer is packed with well-researched and finely crafted detail. Morrell makes the world of The Shimmer disturbingly real to the reader.
Publication Details for The Shimmer
The Shimmer found itself on shelves in July of 2009. This novel was released in hardcover under ISBN 9781593155377. The Shimmer is 326 pages of pure thrill. This novel is also available as an audio CD book, an audio download, a MP3 audio book and as a Kindle edition. The novel was also published in a large print hardcover edition. The Shimmer is due to come out in mass market paperback edition on June 1, 2010.
A Review for The Shimmer
David Morrell strikes a note in the soul of readers. The Shimmer is beyond classification; if this reviewer had to try, she would say paranormal/alternate reality thriller fiction. Morrell uses brilliant psychological tactics to entice readers, and has used well thought out research material, especially regarding reporters and the military.
The book is appropriately named The Shimmer, as this book centers on the small town of Rostov, Texas and the mysterious "Rostov Lights". Are the lights supernatural? Are the lights a military experiment? The theories regarding the lights abound. The mysterious lights are based upon an actual phenomenon that occurs in the small town of Marfa, Texas. This adds to the element of engulfing realness that Morrell brings to this novel.
The story grips the reader by starting with a high-speed chase, and holds on through events that bring the main character, Dan Page, to the small town of Rostov, Texas. Chaos unfolds as tragedy hits Rostov, and the true whirlwind that is the heart of The Shimmer begins.
The cast of characters in The Shimmer is one to be remembered. The cop-hero Dan Page is a main character whom the reader feels for and wants to see succeed. His wife, Tori, also plays an integral part of the story. She brings Dan to a place where he can become what he needs to be, and to become one with the person he wishes to become.
There are also supporting characters that help the story unfold. Chief Costigan and Deputy Medrano of Rostov help the reader to see a different aspect of Dan, and play their parts in the story well. Brent, a reporter, and Anita, a camerawoman, show an aspect of the public and of Rostov that many would rather not see, as Dan and Tori’s story unfolds amidst the chaos.
The antagonists of The Shimmer are too real to not be bone chilling. Colonel Raleigh is a mastermind to be reckoned with and Sergeant Lockhart is too cunning for his own good. One must also mention Earl Halloway, which the reader will come to know as the music man. Halloway becomes the victim of circumstance and a force of true violence.
David Morell's The Shimmer Highly Recommended
The Shimmer is a novel that will be with the reader long after the last word is read. Morrell’s brilliant cast of characters and chilling antagonists make this novel so real that the reader will feel as if they are witnessing The Shimmer as it unfolds. The rich detail and beautifully crafted story of The Shimmer makes it a must-read for any thriller fan.
Just remember as The Shimmer is read "[The lights] match what people bring to them" (Morrell, 2009).
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