Dead Man's Eye

Feb 24, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, horror, read-in-2012

I have this fear. No, this isn't the one about clowns. Or the one about bugs. Although those are both valid (and debilitating) fears when you're at the circus. No, this is this little niggling fear in the back of my head that if I ever need an eye transplant I'll end up getting the eye of a serial killer and somehow my eye will make me attack people and kill them. Admittedly, I haven't worked all the kinks out of this phobia... I mean, how is my EYE going to make me kill anyone? I don't know. Fr...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Darlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hardly believe myself that I finally finished reading this book! At first I thought I will have another problem to finish a horror book like this. Yet, I was glad I read it even with a little tense once in a while. The plot succeed to deliver the excitement of the story to me. I can't say the book sparks the interest in me from the start because I don't really like Joanna at first, or maybe it's just me. I felt sorry how she become further removed from her dear ones.But as the story goes on, t...more

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May 02, 2011 Elizabeth A. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Joanna Raines used to think there was nothing worse than darkness. What else would a young, aspiring professional photographer think when they begin losing their vision to Fuchs corneal dystrophy? Distraught that the chance to pursue her dream is slipping away, Joanna undergoes a corneal transplant in one eye in hopes that will restore her vision. If all goes well, she’ll have the other eye done too.

While waiting on a train platform on her way to a follow up visit with her physician, Joanna witn...more Joanna Raines used to think there was nothing worse than darkness. What else would a young, aspiring professional photographer think when they begin losing their vision to Fuchs corneal dystrophy? Distraught that the chance to pursue her dream is slipping away, Joanna undergoes a corneal transplant in one eye in hopes that will restore her vision. If all goes well, she’ll have the other eye done too.

While waiting on a train platform on her way to a follow up visit with her physician, Joanna witnesses a horrific accident when a man falls in front of the train and has one of his arms torn off. While the man is down, apparently dead, Joanna sees a dark shadow envelop him, seeming to enter his body through the stump of the ravaged arm. As the shadow dissipates the man jerks back to consciousness, not only alive but far more calm and upbeat than anyone has a right to be having just lost an arm to a train.

Joanna tries to convince herself what she saw was merely a trick of lighting, or perhaps something amiss from the operation. When her doctor removes a tiny stitch that had been irritating her eye and affecting her vision Joanna is satisfied that was the problem. That is until upon exiting his office, located within a hospital, she sees the man from the train platform being wheeled past her in the hallway and, despite the bright lights of the hospital, he is still shrouded in the menacing black shadow.

When the shadowy vision persists not only with the man from the train but begins appearing around other people, people who all seem intent on doing her harm, Joanna slowly comes to the disturbing realization she is seeing something very real, but which others cannot. She is seeing pure evil.

The majority of the events in Dead Man’s Eye unfold in the hospital, giving things an oddly claustrophobic feeling despite the building’s labyrinth structure, and author Shaun Jeffrey keeps things moving along with tight prose at a brisk pace. And while not overly wordy, he does do a particularly nice job describing Joanna’s sense of wonderment at her increasing awareness of sound even in the face of her terror at the thought of losing her vision.

Despite the general seriousness of the good vs evil structure of the story, there’s also an undercurrent of dark playfulness that runs throughout the book. My favorite example is when Jeffrey has Joanna observe to her boyfriend upon him making a particularly dubious suggestion that his idea “is like what they do on every bad horror movie I’ve ever seen.” Though not blazing new ground conceptually, Jeffrey does a very nice job of making the concept his own, which in turn makes Dead Man’s Eye a creepy, yet fun, page turner of a novella. (less)

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May 25, 2011 Grace Krispy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Joanna's corneal transplant surgery was successful. Rather than continuing to suffer with failing sight, she now has the ability to see things she hasn't been able to see clearly for a while. But not everything is meant to be seen, and Joanna may soon come to realize she may have been safer going blind. At least when you're blind, you can't see the evil that lurks within some of your most trusted friends...

This novella by Shaun Jeffrey puts a nice twist on a classic horror theme. Joanna is (alm...more Joanna's corneal transplant surgery was successful. Rather than continuing to suffer with failing sight, she now has the ability to see things she hasn't been able to see clearly for a while. But not everything is meant to be seen, and Joanna may soon come to realize she may have been safer going blind. At least when you're blind, you can't see the evil that lurks within some of your most trusted friends...

This novella by Shaun Jeffrey puts a nice twist on a classic horror theme. Joanna is (almost) the only one who can see what she sees, but getting someone to believe her in time to save others may be next to impossible. With such a classic premise, the storyline tends towards the predictable. I found the prose to be very simplistic and lacking in maturity. The resulting writing style is more "young adult" in feel, although the story itself does not fall into that category. The uncomplicated writing did make for a very quick and easy read, but it didn't allow me to immerse myself in the horror and to feel what Joanna was feeling. There was too much explained and not enough left for the reader to experience. The story lacked "voice" that would have allowed the reader to fully experience the horror firsthand. More detail and less explanation would have made it feel less like watching a horror movie and more like participating in it.

This is a story driven by events and not characters. The characters feel secondary to the plot events that drive this story. The pacing of the events is nicely done, and really helps to build to the climax, but it feels somewhat monochromatic without strong character development. In particular, I wanted more of Lincoln and his experience of being inhabited by a demon. I think more could have been done with his quandary. I also felt that Margaret, the other recipient of the corneal transplant, could have played a more integral role (or else be left out entirely). Joanna goes to visit Margaret twice to enlist her help, and each time, she gives up when Margaret turns her down. It felt really incomplete. It was obvious Margaret had seen things she wished she hadn't, but that information and those visits added nothing to the story that I could see. There were also a few handfuls of very small editing errors- not totally distracting, but present.

Overall, it was a fun read and a good bet for fans of horror. It was difficult to put the book down before I got to the end, and I did like the ending. Predictable, perhaps, but satisfying, nonetheless.

Originally posted @ MotherLode book review blog(less)

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May 17, 2011 Miz Love rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dead Man’s Eye has a really cool concept. What would happen if you had to have a corneal transplant and you saw things very differently afterwards? This is what happens to Joanna. She’s minding her own business, waiting for a train, when a guy sits next to her and complains about it being late. He’s a bodybuilder and he’s pissed off. As they rush to get the train on another platform, the guy has a too-close-for-comfort meeting with the train and gets his arm hacked off. Joanna sees a phantom arm...more Dead Man’s Eye has a really cool concept. What would happen if you had to have a corneal transplant and you saw things very differently afterwards? This is what happens to Joanna. She’s minding her own business, waiting for a train, when a guy sits next to her and complains about it being late. He’s a bodybuilder and he’s pissed off. As they rush to get the train on another platform, the guy has a too-close-for-comfort meeting with the train and gets his arm hacked off. Joanna sees a phantom arm appear where the old one was, and shadows lingering around the bodybuilder. It seems so real, but she’s wary of what she’s seen because her eye has been playing her up lately. It’s sore, scratchy—maybe she was seeing something that wasn’t there?

After witnessing the horrific accident, she goes to the hospital to get her eye seen to. A bit of stitching has been aggravating it, and the doctor sorts it out. Yet still she’s seeing weird things and gets a feeling all isn’t well in her world. Her boyfriend, who works at the hospital, doesn’t believe her. Who would? It sounds crazy, that she’s seeing shadows around people.

But she is seeing them, and that becomes pretty clear as Dead Man’s Eye progresses. The bodybuilder, Lincoln, has been possessed, and the demon in him recruits bodies while Lincoln is asleep. It appears that Lincoln is awake, though, walking around etc., and he is two very different people at various times, which confuses hospital staff, and Lincoln when he “wakes” up.

I loved the beginning descriptions where Joanna struggled to see—very well done. And I adored the plot. As it thickens, and Lincoln gets other bodies for other demons to control, the fact that these beings want to overtake the world is very apparent. Joanna kills someone (keeping quiet who!) and is on the run from the police, but she’s shocked to find things weren’t as she’d thought…

An excellent strange tale told with precision and a good balance of creepiness, Dead Man’s Eye makes you think of whether demons are really out there infiltrating humans as hosts. It would certainly give an explanation as to why there are so many…unpleasant people around, wouldn’t it!
(less)

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Mar 16, 2011 Gmr rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: adult fiction/horror fans

Recommended to Gmr by: author

***WARNING: This book is not for young readers nor those easily offended as it contains some foul language and a few adult scenes. Readers, you’ve been advised.***

I have to say, when I began reading this book, I had flashbacks to the not-so-long-ago movie baring a similar title. I mean all the key elements are there, almost identical...but it's the 'almost' aspect that carries this book to an ending of its own design.

Lincoln is “the man” in question though he is being inhabited by something cal...more ***WARNING: This book is not for young readers nor those easily offended as it contains some foul language and a few adult scenes. Readers, you’ve been advised.***

I have to say, when I began reading this book, I had flashbacks to the not-so-long-ago movie baring a similar title. I mean all the key elements are there, almost identical...but it's the 'almost' aspect that carries this book to an ending of its own design.

Lincoln is “the man” in question though he is being inhabited by something called Malachi (a demon), who apparently despises humans in general. His goal is to take over the world. Johanna’s ability to see these evil minions stems from her newly gained sight, though why is revealed much later in the book. Though somewhat under developed history wise, her character makes up the slack in determination and direction. Stephen (the boyfriend) on the other hand is a bit wishy-washy. One moment he’s checking her out, the next he’s undecided on their relationship. One second finds him over reacting to a simple question Johanna asks and then with a turn of the head he’s professing his love. It was a bit dizzying at times but certainly made his ending a bit more satisfying.

Story wise, it certainly sits on the darker end of the fiction spectrum. The creepy factor is certainly dialed up as is the vileness. They are demons after all so their actions were to be expected. The ending wasn’t predictable per se, but it also wasn’t really a surprise. I mean you couldn’t guess exactly how things would turn out and there were certainly a few twists that you didn’t see coming, but as they were unfolding it wasn’t hard to guess how it would all turn out.

To summarize....it was short, it wasn’t sweet, but in the end it was enjoyable for the most part. If you’re looking for a book to pass a few hours and delve into the darker side of world domination where good might not triumph over evil…AND you’re an older teen or adult reader…certainly one to take a look at. Happy reading!(less)

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Feb 17, 2011 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-reviews, horror, suspense

Article first published as Book Review:Dead Man's Eye by Shaun Jeffrey on Blogcritics.

After Joanna Raines cornea transplant, she begins to feel hope, the gift of vision from her donor was everything to her. Distortion still blocked her vision but she was continuing with her doctors recommendations, but her vision was still blurry and she was afraid of rejection. It seemed a miracle that she received the transplant after losing her own to Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy. What would she do if her transpl...more Article first published as Book Review:Dead Man's Eye by Shaun Jeffrey on Blogcritics.

After Joanna Raines cornea transplant, she begins to feel hope, the gift of vision from her donor was everything to her. Distortion still blocked her vision but she was continuing with her doctors recommendations, but her vision was still blurry and she was afraid of rejection. It seemed a miracle that she received the transplant after losing her own to Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy. What would she do if her transplant failed? Her fear drove her back to the doctor for a checkup.

As she waited for train, another man, Lincoln Parker, also waiting commiserated with her on the lateness of their particular train. She was having difficulty seeing, getting some halo effect as well as the blurriness. As the man got up and headed to the train, she began to get ready as well. As a stack of luggage fell over it created a chain reaction that caused the man, she had been sitting next to, to fall onto the tracks. As he tried to pull himself out of the way, the train hit him, severing his arm. Joanna’s view of the entire scene was surreal; she could see something shadowy seeping into the body, something dark and creepy, just before the man seemed to come alive again. Was it an effect of her vision, or did she really see something?

After getting confirmation from her doctor that she was doing well, and her eye was coming along fine, she ran into her boyfriend Stephen Cook, also a doctor. As she is speaking with him, they push the man from the train station by her, on a gurney. She again sees the shadow and quizzes Stephen as to what he sees. Stephen does understand, all he sees is a man that lost his arm. She is seeing something else, something dark and disturbing, and yet how can she tell anyone. Who will believe her?

As the shadow begins to take over the consciousness of Lincoln Parker, he becomes a different. Is he still a man, or has he become something more, something dark and deadly, a shadow looking to inhabit the earth again? Can Joanna get someone to believe her before it is too late? Was the gift of the cornea, truly a miracle or was it something more?

In Dead Man’s Eye, Shaun Jeffrey has found an effective form of terror. He has found an effective outlet to create a way to see something that others do not. The story keeps you wondering. Does Joanna really see something, or is she really just adjusting to the new transplant? As people around her begin to die and the shadowing surrounds the newly dead, bringing them back to life, she finds that she is the only one who sees them. Her boyfriend Stephen wants to believe her, but when her friend dies, he turns her over to the police. Only then does he realize that she may truly know something. Can he get her to trust him again, to allow him to help her before it is too late?

This is a good scary story, different and unique. It is fast paced and interesting, with just enough horror to keep you reading, but with a wary eye, making sure the door are locked and the window closed. I really enjoyed the story, but I would have liked to know more about the characters prior to the actual events.

Shaun Jeffrey has put together in interesting scenario explaining the visions. The characters, even without the added depth, are well written, and as sometimes happens in times of great stress, extremely brave in a fool hardy way. If you enjoy spooky, creepy stories, you will enjoy this book. A must have for the spooky aficionado. Shaun Jeffrey is an author to keep an eye on.

This book was reveived as a free e-book from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.(less)

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Feb 15, 2011 Majanka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, thriller

I have to admit that at first, I thought Dead Man’s Eye would be a lot like the scary movie called The Eye with Jessica Alba in the lead role. I liked that movie – didn’t love it to pieces, but that’s sort of difficult when it comes to horror movies anyway – but I did rather enjoy it, and thought it was fairly scary. Now in the movie the girl portrayed by Jessica Alba undergoes a cornea transplant (which basically means she gets a new and shiny pair of eyes) but ever since, she notices things lu...more I have to admit that at first, I thought Dead Man’s Eye would be a lot like the scary movie called The Eye with Jessica Alba in the lead role. I liked that movie – didn’t love it to pieces, but that’s sort of difficult when it comes to horror movies anyway – but I did rather enjoy it, and thought it was fairly scary. Now in the movie the girl portrayed by Jessica Alba undergoes a cornea transplant (which basically means she gets a new and shiny pair of eyes) but ever since, she notices things lurking in the shadows. Evil things. She has visions of people dying, etc. In an effort to figure out what the heck is going out, she travels to Mexico to find the person who the cornea first belonged to, where she does a whole lot of things but eventually cannot forsake her destiny. I had a faint suspicion Dead Man’s Eye would be somewhat along this line. There are a lot of similiarities, but there are also some huge differences.

Joanna recently underwent a cornea transplant, and although her life should look a whole lot brighter now (no pun intended); it doesn’t. Because either something went wrong with the transplant or she has gone insane and started seeing things that aren’t there. Like black smoke crawling into a man who just fell under a train, and is now missing an arm due to that freak accident. Concerned that something is wrong with the transplant, Joanna goes to a check-up with her doctor, who convinces her that everything is fine and her cornea is working properly. Meanwhile, she finds out that strange things are happening at the hospital. These strange things are courtesy of Malachi, the demon who chose to inhabit Lincoln, the man who fell under the train. Although Malachi himself isn’t all too happy with his new body (especially with the fact it’s missing an arm, and the previous owner tries to regain control every once in a while), he does use it to summon his brethren. The plan? Well, rule the world, ofcourse. How? By inhabiting dead people’s bodies. Who can stop them? Joanna is the only one who can see the demons, but what can one woman do against an entire army of demons?

I have to state first of all, that I admire people who write novellas. It can’t be easy to develop believable and relatable characters, build a solid world around them, and then craft a storyline as well in less than 40,000 words. Like it takes a certain talent to write captivating short stories, I think it takes a particular gift to write successful novellas as well. Shaun Jeffrey managed to do such a remarkable thing with this mix of horror, thriller and the supernatural. I liked the characters, especially Joanna. She proved herself to be a strong, capable and intelligent woman who isn’t afraid to meet danger head on when needed. Her boyfriend, Stephen, is a remarkable person as well, and although he might not have supported her at first, I think that’s quite the natural reaction when your love interest suddenly tells you half of the people you work with have turned into demons. I also liked the way the author described the demon Malachi and his personality. It was a tad bit dissapointing that the supportive characters were nothing more than names on paper, with no personality whatsoever, but then again it’s normal to focus only the main characters in novels of this size.

The storyline was interesting. I certainly didn’t expect to see demons pop up in this novel, but they did nevertheless. Now the problem I have with demons is quite simple. They don’t scare me. I can’t help it: perhaps I’m immune because of an overdose of Buffy kicking demons action while I was younger, or because the good witches in Charmed always managed to defeat the evil demons, but for some reason as soon as the world “demon” pops up, I’m no longer scared. Same goes for vampires, by the way. I blame the media for enforcing the image of loving and caring demons and cuddly and shiny vampires in our mind. I’m convinced that if the shadows Joanna noticed wouldn’t have been works of a demon, but rather ghosts or something along those lines, I would have been a lot more scared by this story. Although I must admit that somewhere halfway Dead Man’s Eye, when Joanna was being chased by a couple of demons, I did have to surpress a feeling of dread and anxiety. Blame it on Shaun Jeffrey’s marvellous way of describing Joanna’s feelings during this chase.

There was one other thing about this novel that had me totally confused. When Joanna finds out that her cornea lets her see demons, she goes to find the person who has the other part of the cornea. A search which turns out to be totally useless, and made no sense to me in the first place. Personally, I would have gone to search for the reason why I was seeing things I shouldn’t be able to see, and I would try to track down the person the cornea belonged to originally. If that person had some connection with the demon world, it might have helped Joanna fight the demons. I have to admit that we do eventually discover who the cornea belonged to at first, but it’s an answer I find quite random, and it just seems a bit far off to me. The story would have been more interesting to me, had there been a more valid reason why the original owner of the cornea could see demons, and had it focused more on Joanna’s search for the reason why she can see demons all of the sudden. Ofcourse I know that’s a lot to cramp into a novella, especially considering the main character spends half the novel being chased by demons, but it would have added some more suspense to the story.

What I loved the most about Dead Man’s Eye, was the ending, without a doubt. Trust me when I say it ends in a blast, and with a nice twist at the end of an entertaining read. If you want some fun entertainment, or a scary story that isn’t going to give you some sleepless nights, but will instead put you on the edge of your seat during the entire experience, then Dead Man’s Eye is definately your kind of novella.(less)

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Feb 01, 2011 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, challenge-2011

Joanna Raines has just undergone a corneal transplant in one eye to stop her from going blind. It’s a complete success, but as it begins to heal she starts seeing shadowy coronas surrounding certain people.

Terrified that something is going wrong and she’s never going to be able to see again, or worse – that she’s going crazy, Joanna searches for answers.

What she finds out is much more difficult to believe than a simple operating complication. The shadows surrounding people are proof that demons...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Joanna Raines was losing her sight. It crept upon her stealthily until she was left in almost complete darkness. As a young photographer her entire world revolved around her visual impressions.

Electing to risk transplant surgery before being forever trapped in blackness, what at first seemed to be a miraculous cure has turned into Joanna’s worst nightmare.

Through her new eye, a dead man’s eye, she is now able to see what others can’t, an evil that resides within, an evil that is spreading. But w...more

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Mar 11, 2011 A.M. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copies, fiction, horror

Combining Dan Brown intrigue with Stephen King thrill, horror novella Dead Man’s Eye by Shaun Jeffrey is a fast-paced story shrouded in darkness and mystery with — let’s admit it! — a stunning cover image.

The novella narrates the experiences of Joanna Raines, whose dream of being a photographer are dashed when she develops Fuch’s Corneal Dystrophy and loses her eyesight entirely. When a cornea transplant gives her back the gift of sight, it seems like a miracle… until she begins to see something...more Combining Dan Brown intrigue with Stephen King thrill, horror novella Dead Man’s Eye by Shaun Jeffrey is a fast-paced story shrouded in darkness and mystery with — let’s admit it! — a stunning cover image.

The novella narrates the experiences of Joanna Raines, whose dream of being a photographer are dashed when she develops Fuch’s Corneal Dystrophy and loses her eyesight entirely. When a cornea transplant gives her back the gift of sight, it seems like a miracle… until she begins to see something that doesn’t want to be seen, something evil. The only trouble is that no one believes her, and by the time they do, it might be too late. Seeing is believing. Now Joanna just has to convince everyone else.

Surreal accidents, churches, holy water, and a hospital infested with demons: Dead Man’s Eye has many of the traditional trappings of a horror tale and delivers exactly what it promises. Immediately engaging and creepy, the novella offers a number of near-unexpected plot twists that pump up the pace, making this a very quick read indeed.

Joanna is a strong-willed character with a remarkable will to live. Despite no one believing her, she is determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious shadows she is seeing, no matter how dangerous it will be. Other characters include Joanna’s boyfriend Stephen, who struggles to believe her; Lincoln, a one-armed man battling for control over his body; and Malachi, an impatient demon set on ruling the world. Given that this is only a novella, there is not much room for characterisation, but I did feel that the cast could have been fleshed out further.

One other area I would have liked to see further developed was the backstory to Joanna’s new cornea. While Joanna does find out who donated the cornea originally, and chase down the other recipient, I felt this plot thread fizzled out in favour of focusing on the action scenes, leaving me disappointed.

However, when it comes to action scenes, Jeffrey’s prose begins to shine. His writing is clean and evocative; he does a good job of conveying the world through Joanna’s blurry eyes. Other than a train accident near the beginning, the scary elements of the book are more on the creepy than gory side, with Joanna’s impaired eyesight really adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

Overall, I enjoyed this bite-sized horror tale and raced through it in two days. The ending — while abrupt — has a definite bang, with a closing teaser chapter leaving the door open for future novels. Other reviews have pointed out the similarity between this novella and The Eye (Jessica Alba), but having not seen the film, I can’t offer any comments on the subject.

In sum, if you enjoy creepy, adrenaline-fuelled tales, than this might be one for you.(less)

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Jun 05, 2011 Murphy's Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

from Murphy's Library — http://www.murphyslibrary.com/ — rated 3 and a half there

This is a really fast read, and not just because it is a short novella. It is because the book truly catches your attention.

Joanna Raines is a photographer who is going blind. She truly thinks nothing can be worse than that, but when she has an eye transplant she discovers that worse is the evil that she is seeing with her new eye.

As she sees the first shadows and goes to her doctor to discover what is the problem,...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joanna Raines has a degenerative condition that affects her vision. In an effort to save her sight she has been the recipient of an eye transplant. In Dead Man's Eye by Shaun Jeffrey the reader joins Joanna while she is on the mend. Still physically and emotionally fragile, she witnesses a traumatic accident where she sees a man losing an arm. After the accident Joanna is aware of a black shadow surrounding the injured man. Initially she thinks nothing of it, her new eye playing tricks on her, b...more Joanna Raines has a degenerative condition that affects her vision. In an effort to save her sight she has been the recipient of an eye transplant. In Dead Man's Eye by Shaun Jeffrey the reader joins Joanna while she is on the mend. Still physically and emotionally fragile, she witnesses a traumatic accident where she sees a man losing an arm. After the accident Joanna is aware of a black shadow surrounding the injured man. Initially she thinks nothing of it, her new eye playing tricks on her, but when their paths cross again at the local hospital Joanna realises that something terrible has happened. The injured man, Lincoln Parker, has been possessed by a demon and Joanna is the only person that is aware of its presence.

Most of the action in the story takes place in and around the hospital where Lincoln is recuperating. This location works well. A vast maze of corridors, many rooms and a huge basement are used as an effective backdrop to the ongoing chase that develops between Joanna and the demon that is hunting her.

Malachi, the demon, makes for a downright nasty villain. His human host is a body builder so he is physically intimidating, even minus an arm. In addition to this he has a burning hatred for all humans. He is single minded in his determination to possess all humans.

I liked the way that Lincoln is painted as being as much the victim as Joanna. Malachi can only posses his body while he is asleep and so Lincoln keeps waking up having no memory of the events that have occurred. He starts off being angry but then begins to doubt his own sanity. He suffers as much as any of Malachi’s other victims.

At one point Joanna seeks out the other eye transplant recipient to see if they are experiencing the same horrific visions as she is. This element of the story was only briefly touched upon. Personally I would have liked to have seen this strand of the story explored in a bit more depth.

The author does however very effectively describe the mental deterioration that Joanna experiences as she becomes further and further removed from her family a friends. She is forced into more and more drastic actions in order to try and save herself from Malachi.

Overall Dead Man’s Eye is a solid take on old school horror. At eighty one pages it’s a quick read. I enjoyed it, and could have happily read more. The novella is currently available in Kindle format on Amazon.(less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hearing the title ' Dead man's eye ' I was eager to get started expecting a really good horror.. but sadly I didn't recieve, in my years reading
i've read some really greusome horror books and expected this to be the same.

Definately not saying it wasn't very capturing it didn't take me long to read it, definately a fast paced read
and not just because its a short novella.
I was really intrigued as to what all the 'shadows' were about.
The descriptions are good and the characters are well developed I...more

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Mar 21, 2011 A.F. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, own, thriller

Dead Man’s Eye by Shaun Jeffrey is a nice, solid paranormal thriller, with a strong engaging plot. The prose is realistic, well-written and the story holds your attention from start to finish.

The author does a splendid job of throwing a poor ordinary person into an extraordinary, unbelievable situation and making it both realistic and logical. The heroine reacts and behaves in a genuine, plausible manner that grounds the narrative beautifully. I also found the simple motivation of the antagonist...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 15, 2011 Ashley (Bookaholic Does Blogging) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-i-own, received-for-review, 2011-reads, january-2011

Dead Man's Eyes
Author: Shaun Jeffrey
Characters: 3 out of 5
Plot: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Format: e-book (on Kindle)
Source: Provided by the Author

Description: (Amazon.com) Blighted by an eye disease, Joanna Raines undergoes a corneal transplant operation to stop her going blind. The procedure is successful, but in the weeks that follow she begins to see dark coronas surrounding certain people. She turns fearful that something has gone wrong and worried that she's going crazy, Joanna searches...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Lorraine Versini rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Another cracking story. If Shaun gets me to swear, then he's hit the right button. There's that bit in the book that says "WTF"... My reaction at that particular moment was "too bl@@dy right!"

This is one fast-paced story. You get thrown into it at the very beginning, and you just have to turn and turn the pages. The whole "corneal transplant that makes Joanna see things in a new light" and the story that followed is a cool idea, which certainly kept me wanting to read more. I did wish there...more

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Jan 20, 2011 *Babs* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-asked-to-review, fiction, horror

I enjoyed this thriller/horror read. Joanna is at the terminal waiting on the train to arrive. Her vision is a bit off and when a man she was talking to ends up in front of the train things start to happen. She thinks she saw a dark shadow go across the man. She tell's her boyfriend who works at the hospital and thinks it is her new eye. Soon she sees her doctor again and there was an eyelash rubbing her new eye. She thinks she is in the clear but is she? What if there is some evil out there wat...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-fiction

Brilliant and pretty bloody scary. Really enjoyed it.

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Aug 14, 2011 Stephanie (Once Upon a Chapter) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, ebook-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Originally posted at Once Upon a Chapter

Is truly a 3.5.

Dead Man's Eye is a good read if you have an hour or two to kill. For the bargain price of $.99 it'll keep you entertained. To be clear this is in no way, shape or form even close to a romance. It is a horror novella.

Joanna is the recent recipient of a cornea transplant. While on her way to a doctor’s appointment a man is knocked into the way of a subway train and he loses his arm. Joanna witnesses a black shadow rush towards the man but t...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Kelly/yllektra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this a long while ago but due to some personal issues I never got around to properly reviewing it, which is a shame.

The story follows Joanna, a photographer with failing vision, who just had an eye cornea transplant. Desperate to maintain her eyesight in order to not have to give up her dream of photography, Joanna couldn't be happier for the operation although there are some problems regarding that.
The stitches are uncomfortable, her eyes water all the time, but the most disturbing thing...more I read this a long while ago but due to some personal issues I never got around to properly reviewing it, which is a shame.

The story follows Joanna, a photographer with failing vision, who just had an eye cornea transplant. Desperate to maintain her eyesight in order to not have to give up her dream of photography, Joanna couldn't be happier for the operation although there are some problems regarding that.
The stitches are uncomfortable, her eyes water all the time, but the most disturbing thing of all is what she sees, what she keeps seeing.
Bearing witness to a hideous accident while she is waiting for the train, Joanna is left speechless when the man who just lost his hand, is seemingly possessed by a dark entity that appears like a black shadow, a black corona overhead.

Freaked out but thinking it must be problems with her eye, she heads of to the hospital to see what's wrong. But, instead of having everything fixed, she realizes that it's the same hospital where the poor man who lost his hand ended up and the demon inside him is set on taking over the world.

The pace of the story was incredible. Very fast and exciting. Each chapter ended with a gasp and something that really urged you to read on. Each chapter was a shock and it kept making your heart beat a little bit faster, trying to take in what was happening and frantically trying to figure out a way out of the predicament...Because really what can a mere human do against a ruthless, powerful and power-hungry demon straight from purgatory?

Joanna was a good character because for all her faults, she was brave and courageous and good at thinking on her feet, qualities I'd like to have should I ever face something like that! :P
Her boyfriend who was a receptionist at the hospital, Stephen, was a pretty interesting character.

In the book they have dating for about a month and they were still working on their relationship and intimacy, although Joanna seemed more at tease than him. Especially if we consider the fact that she kept cracking jokes during their conversations, eliciting a blush from Stephen. It was almost adorable how shy he seemed.

I have to admit, though, that even though they were a cute couple, I wasn't very convinced of their deep love and connection. Not that it cannot happen, but it seemed too fast and easy that after only one month they admitted they loved each other and Jeffrey risked his life on numerous occasions to help Joanna. It just didn't seem plausible to me, or maybe I am less of a romantic than I thought I was, which isn;t a nice thought! :P

That aside, it was an extremely exciting story, compelling even that didn't let you stop even for a second. I am sure everyone can and will want to read this in just one sitting.
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Apr 23, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shelleyrae by: Shaun Jeffrey

Shelves: blog-reviews

Joanna's corneal transplant is not the outright success she had hoped for, a too-long stitch continues to irritate her shaky vision but doesn't explain the dark mist that seems to infiltrate the victim of a tragic accident she witnesses. To reassure herself, Joanna visit's the victim in hospital but it becomes evident that something is amiss with the injured man and Joanna is determined to discover what is hiding in the shadows.
Dead Man's Eye is a mix of supernatural horror and thriller packed t...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Tyson Adams rated it 4 of 5 stars

This has been a great book to read. Despite only reading the first half during my lunch break at work - 15 minutes one day, 15 minutes the next day - this book kept me involved and fascinated. Like Peace Warrior, this was another purchase based solely upon seeing the cover on the Kindle Forums.

Shaun has covered some oft trodden ground with this book, but is still able to retain a fresh feel and suspense from beginning to end. I think the only thing that let this book down was the sudden closure...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I'd give this book 2.5 stars. I did like the storyline and felt like the characters were pretty well developed, but I also felt like the ending was a bit anticlimactic. I guess I would have liked a bit more suspense or moments where I couldn't stop reading because I HAD to know what happened next and I didn't really feel like this book had many of those moments.

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Dec 28, 2011 Autumn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller

I really did not like this book. I almost made the decision to stop reading it after the 6th chapter but I endured and finished this really strange book.

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Feb 08, 2011 Sharon Atkinson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought the book was very gripping and enticing. I enjoyed every moment of it. It appears to be left open so hopefully there may be a follow up.

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Jan 25, 2011 Neil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, kindle

Loved it! Just when you think you know where the story is going Shaun goes off in the other direction.

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Feb 20, 2011 Mystee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://www.amomentwithmystee.com/2011...

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Dec 17, 2011 Todd Russell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, started-stalled

Started very strong and I thought I'd sail through this one. Something happened around 10-15% that kept stalling me. I tried several different times to get back into this story and nothing worked until I got to about the halfway mark. From there I got back into the story and finished. I liked the story idea more than the actual story. Part of the problem for me, and this might not be an issue for other readers, was never being able to identify and root for any of the characters, especially the m...more

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