SOUL HUNTER

In Carlton’s supernatural thriller, a group of psychics attempt to defend themselves from the demonic spirit of a serial killer out for revenge.

The spirit of Eddy Jay, a long-dead multiple murderer, is hellbent on increasing his demonic power and satisfying his undying bloodlust as he targets Justin Sanders, a psychic ghost hunter. The backdrop of the story is a Southern Bible Belt town, where a tight-knit community of people with paranormal abilities, including Justin and his friends, must fight to protect themselves against what proves to be the greatest evil they have ever encountered. The intensely violent struggle all begins with the vicious killing of Justin’s close friend Charisse Martin via demonic possession; in order to defeat Eddy and avenge Charisse, Justin and his allies must rely on their own impressive powers, which include telepathy and prophetic visions. One of this novel’s greatest strengths is its use of vivid imagery, as when, early on, one of the main characters experiences a sort of clairvoyant night terror: “Grainy grey and white images strobed through his mind, disjointed, disparate and disturbing in their dissonance; a hand dug into a mutilated arm, fingers scooped out a palm-full of blood smearing it along a pulsating severed neck that had no head.” For the most part, however, the prose only seems to operate at such a level during moments of extremity. Indeed, in some passages, readers are likely to find the graphic portrayals of sexual violence to be disturbing and unnecessary. Overall, the novel seems to largely rely on shock value to carry itself forward, rather than investing readers in its characters or worldbuilding, which is likely to limit its appeal.

A hyperviolent but underdeveloped horror tale.