Sign in with Facebook
4th out of 82 books
—
182 voters
The Darkest Shade of Grey
by
Alan Baxter (Goodreads Author)
David Johanssen is a hard up journalist whose drinking problem goes beyond the usual need for self-medication. He sees things he shouldn’t be able to see, that no one could handle seeing — and he has no one but himself to blame for opening the door to them.
When the possibility of answers is dangled in front of him, his reporter's instinct won't let him ignore it. Even if...more
When the possibility of answers is dangled in front of him, his reporter's instinct won't let him ignore it. Even if...more
ebook
Published
March 2012
by The Red Penny Papers
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
38)
I read this serialised at Red Penny Papers.
The character driven elements I thought worked well, and Baxter is efficient at evoking the setting without overly long passages of description.
There is a slow burn through the first two episodes, but things escalate quickly after that. A few potentially cringe-worthy elements (Ouija board for instance) jarred with me, but didn't take me too far out of the narrative.
The developing complexity of the relationship with Stella was well handled, and the int...more
The character driven elements I thought worked well, and Baxter is efficient at evoking the setting without overly long passages of description.
There is a slow burn through the first two episodes, but things escalate quickly after that. A few potentially cringe-worthy elements (Ouija board for instance) jarred with me, but didn't take me too far out of the narrative.
The developing complexity of the relationship with Stella was well handled, and the int...more
Red Penny Papers puts out some fun serialized stories, and their latest has been released as a complete novella available for purchase.
The story revolves around David Johanssen, a down-on-his-luck crime reporter who can read people's auras and glimpse moments from the pasts of the dead. While investigating the murder of a young woman in one of the rougher neighborhoods in a big Australian city, an old derelict approaches David on the street asking David to tell his story like he does for the dea...more
The story revolves around David Johanssen, a down-on-his-luck crime reporter who can read people's auras and glimpse moments from the pasts of the dead. While investigating the murder of a young woman in one of the rougher neighborhoods in a big Australian city, an old derelict approaches David on the street asking David to tell his story like he does for the dea...more
Dark fantasy author Alan Baxter seems to move from his dark fantasy novels to a more classical horror story in this novella, exploring the world of a washed-up journalist who can see auras and whose minor brush with the supernatural has ruined his life and his family. But the move is smaller and less clear than one might think.
This story attempts to explore that grey area between horror and dark fantasy (hence the title), shifting between the two halfway to shine a light on how the fantastical t...more
This story attempts to explore that grey area between horror and dark fantasy (hence the title), shifting between the two halfway to shine a light on how the fantastical t...more
Having read both RealmShift and MageSign, I had a good idea of the likely themes of this novella in advance. This is a good story, made even better by the author's style. In The Darkest Shade Of Grey, Baxter, as anticipated, effortlessly segues between real-life issues and his own brand of powerful, supernatural murkiness. The plot is fine, but the author's economy with words is what makes this (and his other works) such a good read. We are drawn in by the protagonist's daily problems, only to b...more
The suspense does not stop, the characters are well-formed and the horror is a slow wrench to the gut.
May 10, 2012
K.V. Taylor
added it
Available from the Red Penny Papers!
May 19, 2013
Kristin Delangel
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Kasane Teto
marked it as to-read
Apr 18, 2013
Ellie
marked it as to-read
Apr 07, 2013
Chuck Williamson
marked it as to-read
Dec 04, 2012
Shamella
marked it as to-read
Nov 08, 2012
Loyosh
marked it as to-read
Nov 03, 2012
Lorna
marked it as quality-dark-fiction
Nov 03, 2012
Kaitlyn
marked it as to-read
Oct 26, 2012
Britney
marked it as to-read
Oct 05, 2012
Gerry Huntman
added it
Aug 09, 2012
Dorothy Reede
marked it as to-read
Jul 28, 2012
Sally
marked it as to-read
Jul 28, 2012
Gillian
is currently reading it
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Alan Baxter is a Ditmar Award-nominated British-Australian author living on the south coast of NSW, Australia. He writes dark fantasy, sci-fi and horror, rides a motorcycle and loves his dog. He also teaches Kung Fu. He is the author of the contemporary dark fantasy thriller novels, RealmShift and MageSign, and over 40 short stories which have appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies in A...more
More about Alan Baxter...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
