MR. WHITE by John C. Foster
A simple question that sets in motion a hellish evil and a code word an unhappy wife hoped never to see precipitate the action in this impossible-to-put-down mix of occult horror and espionage thriller.
A clandestine operative named Lewis watches a terrifying video where a captive is forced to torture himself to death. The man in the video asks the fatal question “Who is Mr. White?” and Lewis, not understanding the danger, later poses the same question to a fellow agent. Not a good idea, for merely by questioning Mr. White’s identity the speak has summoned a malevolent force into her or his life – which will probably not last much longer at that point.
In one brief, significant excahange, a puzzzled operative is asked what tactic his mother used to frighten him as a boy — why, she invoked the bogeyman, of course, ready to punish even a small transgression in unspeakable ways. Mr. White is the real life version of that monster under the bed, except now he’s no fairy tale, but a malignant entity equipped with a diabolically sadistic bent along with a penchant for creative impalements.
Suffice it to say, you do not want to snag Mr. White’s attention.
Foster begins the novel with graphic horror and only ratchets it up from there, using multiple viewpoints and settings in Europe and the US, including a harrowing scene where Lewis rides the Berlin Night Express in a desperate bid to reach his family. Two major plotlines intertwine – while Lewis is fighting his way across Europe, his wife Cat and daughter Hedde face horrors of their own. In an attempt to escape Mr. White’s relentless pursuit, they seek refuge with their Uncle Gerard, a Christmas tree farmer in the moribund town of Flintlock, New Hampshire, and a man who harbors secrets of his own.
Outstanding among a host of memorable characters is teenaged Hedde, who learns about self-sufficiency and survival from her gritty uncle and secretly dabbles in the occult behind the red door in the attic.
MR. WHITE is so good I found myself reading more slowly as I neared the end. Foster’s writing is superb, and I wanted to savor every sentence. Truly a stand-out novel not to be missed!
A clandestine operative named Lewis watches a terrifying video where a captive is forced to torture himself to death. The man in the video asks the fatal question “Who is Mr. White?” and Lewis, not understanding the danger, later poses the same question to a fellow agent. Not a good idea, for merely by questioning Mr. White’s identity the speak has summoned a malevolent force into her or his life – which will probably not last much longer at that point.
In one brief, significant excahange, a puzzzled operative is asked what tactic his mother used to frighten him as a boy — why, she invoked the bogeyman, of course, ready to punish even a small transgression in unspeakable ways. Mr. White is the real life version of that monster under the bed, except now he’s no fairy tale, but a malignant entity equipped with a diabolically sadistic bent along with a penchant for creative impalements.
Suffice it to say, you do not want to snag Mr. White’s attention.
Foster begins the novel with graphic horror and only ratchets it up from there, using multiple viewpoints and settings in Europe and the US, including a harrowing scene where Lewis rides the Berlin Night Express in a desperate bid to reach his family. Two major plotlines intertwine – while Lewis is fighting his way across Europe, his wife Cat and daughter Hedde face horrors of their own. In an attempt to escape Mr. White’s relentless pursuit, they seek refuge with their Uncle Gerard, a Christmas tree farmer in the moribund town of Flintlock, New Hampshire, and a man who harbors secrets of his own.
Outstanding among a host of memorable characters is teenaged Hedde, who learns about self-sufficiency and survival from her gritty uncle and secretly dabbles in the occult behind the red door in the attic.
MR. WHITE is so good I found myself reading more slowly as I neared the end. Foster’s writing is superb, and I wanted to savor every sentence. Truly a stand-out novel not to be missed!
No comments have been added yet.
