Gibson Blount Returns...

IF GOD DOESN'T SHOW by R. Thomas Riley and John Grover (2012 Permuted Press / 215 pp / tp and eBook)

Not so much a sequel as a "further adventures" of, Riley returns with new co-writer John Grover to spin another tale with supernatural monster-hunter Gibson Blount (last seen in the novella THE FLESH OF FALLEN ANGELS with Roy C. Booth).

This time a cult has kidnapped the daughter of Thaddeus Archer, a secret service agent assigned to protect the President of the United States. The cult is attempting to revive Cthulhu himself through a series of human sacrifices, and Archer is torn between his assignment and rescuing his daughter. The cult inadvertantly unleashes a swarm of shadow-creatures who possess the living and turn them into homicidal maniacs, and a strange island appears in the Pacific ocean, causing a tsunami to wipe out Mexico and cover most of the earth's islands. As if this wasn't enough, the tsunamis also  help to trigger off a World War 3-like international nuclear exchange. Talk about pre-armageddon madness!

Enter Gibson Blount, who lands on the mysterious island with his specially selected team. He eventually teams with Thaddeus, making for a doubly-exciting 'Cthulhu-possession-end-of-the-world' thriller that moves at an insane pace. But the pace is SO quick you might have to slow down to keep up with the ever changing cast, but that's only a small complaint. Some of the dialogue gets a bit "comic book" at times, but with everything going on I don't think too many readers will mind.

I like the "new" modern-day Gibson Blount and hope to see more of him. The authors reveal little on how he jumps from generation to generation (the FLESH/FALLEN ANGELS novella took place in the old West) but this mystery keeps his character engaging. And while I wish there was more Cthulhu here (he barely makes an appearance), the shadow creatures and cult happenings make IF GOD DOESN'T SHOW a best bet for apocalyptic fiction fans.