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Der Geruch von Blut
Finn lebt in totaler Finsternis – denn er ist blind. Seit dem gewaltsamen Tod seiner Frau versucht er als Lehrer an einem Internat seiner Vergangenheit zu entkommen. Bis er eine junge Frau grausam zugerichtet auf einem Friedhof findet. Mit dem Geruch von Blut kehren auch Schuld und Rache in sein Leben zurück.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2010
77 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Tom Piccirilli
185 books387 followersThomas Piccirilli (May 27, 1965 – July 11, 2015) was an American novelist and short story writer.
Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".
Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 22, 2015
This was a straight-up thriller from Tom Piccirilli, the story of a former NYPD detective, now working as a blind English teacher at private girls' school in upstate New York. The first half of the book was a little draggy, trying to set up the scene for the much faster paced last half, which had me wrapped up until the bitter end.
Finn is living on campus in what was formerly a hotel but is now a girls' school. His girlfriend Roz, who came to the school with him, is working as the school nurse, and the campus is closed for the Christmas holidays. Most of the students have gone home to be with family but a small handful remain at the school for various reasons. The resident staff have planned a small party for the remaining students and plans for a festive evening turn dark when a snow storm blows in along with something even more sinister.
The story flashes back to the recent past and glimpses into what happened to former detective Finn, how he became blind, and the horrible truth about how the events leading up to his current situation. The descriptions of how he learned to cope with blindness and the way his other senses adjusted to help him "see" were very interesting. His backstory was pretty convoluted, and I thought more needed to be said about his former partner, Ray, and much earlier in the book. I didn't even realize Ray was still a player until the last quarter of the book. All in all, I liked it. Maybe not as much as "The Last Kind Words" but still pretty good.
Finn is living on campus in what was formerly a hotel but is now a girls' school. His girlfriend Roz, who came to the school with him, is working as the school nurse, and the campus is closed for the Christmas holidays. Most of the students have gone home to be with family but a small handful remain at the school for various reasons. The resident staff have planned a small party for the remaining students and plans for a festive evening turn dark when a snow storm blows in along with something even more sinister.
The story flashes back to the recent past and glimpses into what happened to former detective Finn, how he became blind, and the horrible truth about how the events leading up to his current situation. The descriptions of how he learned to cope with blindness and the way his other senses adjusted to help him "see" were very interesting. His backstory was pretty convoluted, and I thought more needed to be said about his former partner, Ray, and much earlier in the book. I didn't even realize Ray was still a player until the last quarter of the book. All in all, I liked it. Maybe not as much as "The Last Kind Words" but still pretty good.
July 5, 2011
This is a gritty noir-ish novel about a blind detective. What writer could possibly make a character who needs his vision to spot clues interesting, dark (pardon the pun) and exiciting? Very few, in my opinion, which is why Tom Piccirilli's "Shadow Season" is top-notch.
Piccirilli's ability to to write about contrasts in this novel is amazing. It's been a while since I've read the book, but I remember one paragraph in which he wrote about his main character wanting to die but needing to live. What can be more of a contrast than the desire to die next to the need to live? And as confusing as that sounds, Piccirilli writes in such a way that clarity bleeds through each and every single word. Because NO character is black-and-white, because ALL characters are shades of gray, I believe every character is a set of contrasts of varying degrees, and no writer captures this better than Tom Piccirilli in "Shadow Season."
If the reader makes this their first Tom Piccirilli book, the reader will become a fan, even if they don't usually enjoy dark fiction.
Piccirilli's ability to to write about contrasts in this novel is amazing. It's been a while since I've read the book, but I remember one paragraph in which he wrote about his main character wanting to die but needing to live. What can be more of a contrast than the desire to die next to the need to live? And as confusing as that sounds, Piccirilli writes in such a way that clarity bleeds through each and every single word. Because NO character is black-and-white, because ALL characters are shades of gray, I believe every character is a set of contrasts of varying degrees, and no writer captures this better than Tom Piccirilli in "Shadow Season."
If the reader makes this their first Tom Piccirilli book, the reader will become a fan, even if they don't usually enjoy dark fiction.
December 5, 2012
Another solid read from Piccirilli, I would give it 3.5 stars but the satisfying open ending elevated it to 4 stars. Piccirilli writes well but sometimes too well, with characters talking in ways real people wouldn't which became frustrating at times. However, the story has a steady pace and the lead character Finn is unique and well-drawn. Enough action and suspense to overcome the book's flaws and the aforementioned ending was rather fitting. Not as good as The Last Kind Words but better than The Night Class. Recommended.
May 16, 2019
Tom Piccirilli is a mystery to me. For starters, from which era of writing does he belong? Does he belong to the traditional epic horror era (Stephen King, Dean Koontz, F. Paul Wilson, etc.)? The Splatterpunk era (Skipp & Spector, David J. Schow, Ray Garton, etc.)? The 90s nihilism group (Brian Hodge, Kathe Koja, etc.)? Or does he belong to the Post-Splatterpunk/ Leisure books gang (Brian Keene, J. F. Gonzalez, Tim Lebbon, Bryan Smith, etc.)? The reason for the confusion is that his style seems to possess certain qualities of each era, but these qualities have been cleverly consolidated into his own writing style that one can’t ferret them out in a cursory glance of his prose. I have been forced to give a conclusion that he must derive his other writing styles from other crime/thriller authors, many of which I am unfamiliar with. (David Morrell perhaps?)
What is clear, however, is that I happen to enjoy Piccirilli’s writing. The prose is clear and strong and free from pretension. He also loves fractured narrative storytelling, as if the chapters of the book were arranged at random. This will likely confuse the reader who has no choice but to go on reading if he or she wants to understand. Oh, and he loves to interject copious amounts of brutal violence and sex at the least expected moments.
Shadow Season is one of Piccirilli’s crime thrillers, but it also possesses certain elements of survival/extreme horror. This tale of a blind ex-cop who must protect an all-girls prep school from degenerate killers is a great combination of those genres since we also are treated to a parallel storyline on how the past dealings of the cop with the local mob greatly damaged his life and how it might shed light to his present predicament. The survival horror part you just have to read for yourself.
Are these two storylines connected or are the killers an entirely new threat? Piccirilli’s solution will either turn you away or make you keep on turning the pages, as he keeps on dumping events and revelations each chapter that alter your perception of what is really going on. I found this slightly annoying at first but then Piccirilli would inject a sizzling sex scene/ sexual situations that immediately perk up your interest. (I know I’m crude but so are you). When the characters get annoying and cloying, Piccirilli suddenly interjects a flashback scene of shocking violence involving a school shooting. (“When Finn made it into the room the body was still there and he go to see the girls head sitting inside her own stomach cavity. The rest was on the walls.”) Piccirilli keeps this going on until the thrilling conclusion.
There are, of course, readers who will not be satisfied with this style, and indeed the start of the resolution of the present storyline does not happen until the third part of the book. (60%). But I heard similar complaints from readers regarding Piccirilli’s horror works such as Hexes and A Choir of Ill Children. So best avoid this book if you hated those too; this is just his style.
P. S. I have a theory that the closest to Piccirilli’s style (close being a relative term) would be somebody like Tim Waggoner or Gary A. Braunbeck. But still…
What is clear, however, is that I happen to enjoy Piccirilli’s writing. The prose is clear and strong and free from pretension. He also loves fractured narrative storytelling, as if the chapters of the book were arranged at random. This will likely confuse the reader who has no choice but to go on reading if he or she wants to understand. Oh, and he loves to interject copious amounts of brutal violence and sex at the least expected moments.
Shadow Season is one of Piccirilli’s crime thrillers, but it also possesses certain elements of survival/extreme horror. This tale of a blind ex-cop who must protect an all-girls prep school from degenerate killers is a great combination of those genres since we also are treated to a parallel storyline on how the past dealings of the cop with the local mob greatly damaged his life and how it might shed light to his present predicament. The survival horror part you just have to read for yourself.
Are these two storylines connected or are the killers an entirely new threat? Piccirilli’s solution will either turn you away or make you keep on turning the pages, as he keeps on dumping events and revelations each chapter that alter your perception of what is really going on. I found this slightly annoying at first but then Piccirilli would inject a sizzling sex scene/ sexual situations that immediately perk up your interest. (I know I’m crude but so are you). When the characters get annoying and cloying, Piccirilli suddenly interjects a flashback scene of shocking violence involving a school shooting. (“When Finn made it into the room the body was still there and he go to see the girls head sitting inside her own stomach cavity. The rest was on the walls.”) Piccirilli keeps this going on until the thrilling conclusion.
There are, of course, readers who will not be satisfied with this style, and indeed the start of the resolution of the present storyline does not happen until the third part of the book. (60%). But I heard similar complaints from readers regarding Piccirilli’s horror works such as Hexes and A Choir of Ill Children. So best avoid this book if you hated those too; this is just his style.
P. S. I have a theory that the closest to Piccirilli’s style (close being a relative term) would be somebody like Tim Waggoner or Gary A. Braunbeck. But still…
February 21, 2010
I devoured this fun, suspenseful book in a day. There's a great boarding school plot as well as a curious mystery about a former cop who teaches there. Totally entertaining, well-written and super page-turny. Highly recommended for total reading immersion.
October 9, 2020
You would think a blind detective would have me more intrigued. Just didn’t. The flow just felt off a little to get into it.
August 1, 2010
Finn is a former NY cop who is haunted by the event that left him blind and his wife, Danielle, dead.
He works as a professor in an exclusive girl's school outside of New York.
The story centers on the Christmas vacation and the campus is mostly deserted. The only other male on the campus is an Irishman named Murphy or "Murph." He has a bad shoulder and to the blind Finn, Murph "...smells of shaving lather and whiskey." Murph serves as the groundskeeper at the school.
Although blinded, Finn's other senses are heightened and one night, during a bad snow storm, he comes across a girl from the town. He hears the girl moaning and finds that she has been injured. Harley Moon is her name. He brings Harley back to his room to bandage her and she tells him not to call the police but to be careful, he is in danger. Then she leaves.
The author uses flashbacks to allow the reader to learn of Finn and his former partner, Ray. We learn that when was on the police department, there were a number of the officers who were taking bribes from a criminal named Carlyle and we find that Ray was in that group. It is easy to see that Ray is jealous of Finn and his actions show it.
At the school, a number of the girls are having a Christmas party with some alcohol they've smuggled into their rooms. Finn is considered a pal of the students and they invite him to share in their party. But as the party progresses, they discover that one of the students is missing and Finn goes in search of the missing student.
The suspense is well done and the author does a nice job in describing how a person without sight can get along and is able to defend himself.
I enjoyed the novel and liked Finn, a character who shows his courage, empathy and professionalism in dealing with young students and criminals.
He works as a professor in an exclusive girl's school outside of New York.
The story centers on the Christmas vacation and the campus is mostly deserted. The only other male on the campus is an Irishman named Murphy or "Murph." He has a bad shoulder and to the blind Finn, Murph "...smells of shaving lather and whiskey." Murph serves as the groundskeeper at the school.
Although blinded, Finn's other senses are heightened and one night, during a bad snow storm, he comes across a girl from the town. He hears the girl moaning and finds that she has been injured. Harley Moon is her name. He brings Harley back to his room to bandage her and she tells him not to call the police but to be careful, he is in danger. Then she leaves.
The author uses flashbacks to allow the reader to learn of Finn and his former partner, Ray. We learn that when was on the police department, there were a number of the officers who were taking bribes from a criminal named Carlyle and we find that Ray was in that group. It is easy to see that Ray is jealous of Finn and his actions show it.
At the school, a number of the girls are having a Christmas party with some alcohol they've smuggled into their rooms. Finn is considered a pal of the students and they invite him to share in their party. But as the party progresses, they discover that one of the students is missing and Finn goes in search of the missing student.
The suspense is well done and the author does a nice job in describing how a person without sight can get along and is able to defend himself.
I enjoyed the novel and liked Finn, a character who shows his courage, empathy and professionalism in dealing with young students and criminals.
April 3, 2015
This book is another example of how great of an author Piccirilli is. The story is solid and riveting. At the halfway point, things got so good that I couldn't put the book down. I was just getting off a plane during the last thirty minutes; if it was up to me, I would have sat down at am empty gate and finished the book instead of heading to my destination.
The story itself follows Finn, an ex-cop who was blinded and is now teaching English at a girl's private school in upstate New York. Over Christmas break when all but a handful of students and teachers are gone, violence seeks Finn out and forces him to confront his and others' secrets. The source of the violence is new but the ghosts from his past are not. The book follows this unveiling by alternating some chapters between the past and the present. Giving us the opportunity to see exactly how one is affecting the other.
One of the things that I really liked was how the reasoning and actions from the first half of the book made no sense; then all the puzzle pieces started coming together and it was one shocking revelation after another. It was these revelations that kept me sucked in and wouldn't let go. Well, that plus the strong, believable characters, the moody scenes and raw emotion of everyone just trying to deal with life. SHADOW SEASON is a beautifully written, intensely thrilling novel. It also should be read by every thriller fan out there. So go buy it already and enjoy!
The story itself follows Finn, an ex-cop who was blinded and is now teaching English at a girl's private school in upstate New York. Over Christmas break when all but a handful of students and teachers are gone, violence seeks Finn out and forces him to confront his and others' secrets. The source of the violence is new but the ghosts from his past are not. The book follows this unveiling by alternating some chapters between the past and the present. Giving us the opportunity to see exactly how one is affecting the other.
One of the things that I really liked was how the reasoning and actions from the first half of the book made no sense; then all the puzzle pieces started coming together and it was one shocking revelation after another. It was these revelations that kept me sucked in and wouldn't let go. Well, that plus the strong, believable characters, the moody scenes and raw emotion of everyone just trying to deal with life. SHADOW SEASON is a beautifully written, intensely thrilling novel. It also should be read by every thriller fan out there. So go buy it already and enjoy!
November 26, 2009
Finn is an ex-cop who has lost his sight, his wife and his job, and now works as a teacher at a remote girls-only school. But his violent past is about to catch up with him. The story of what happened to Finn's wife, and how he lost his sight, is revealed gradually through flashbacks. Once the action starts in the book it turns really good and it is difficult to set the book down. There is no denying that this book was an unrelenting thriller -- well, once the action started about 2/3 in. The beginning just didn't work for me. None of the characters engaged me, and the dialogue was unrealistic. The author wrote these young girls as way too sophisticated for their age, and using expressions that went out of use decades ago. The author did a fine job of having a blind person narrarate the tale, mostly using sounds, smells and memories of images. The ending was bit of a disappointment, as it ended on a type of cliffhanger, and I don't think the author plans to write another book -- I think it is meant to end like that. It is a certain style I suppose, but I didn't care for it.
March 29, 2017
It is almost as if there are two books here.
The first is this dark, strange, disorienting tale of a blind guy. There is mystery and confusion as the pieces of what is going on in his life slowly starts to shuffle together.
The second half of the book is a very straight forward thriller story.
Each, in their ownright, is somewhat satisfying, but together it doesn't quite completely work.
That being said, I like Piccirilli's use of language, he sets the stage and tone really well, I'd be curious to see some of his other stuff. "A Choir of Ill Children" is highly reccomended, but I think he had a lot of big ideas with this book, they just didn't come together quite as intended.
The first is this dark, strange, disorienting tale of a blind guy. There is mystery and confusion as the pieces of what is going on in his life slowly starts to shuffle together.
The second half of the book is a very straight forward thriller story.
Each, in their ownright, is somewhat satisfying, but together it doesn't quite completely work.
That being said, I like Piccirilli's use of language, he sets the stage and tone really well, I'd be curious to see some of his other stuff. "A Choir of Ill Children" is highly reccomended, but I think he had a lot of big ideas with this book, they just didn't come together quite as intended.
May 24, 2015
First I want to say Picirrilli is great. This one started off a little slow for me but when it kicks in man it gets crazy. To me Piccirilli is a master of two distinct styles, horror and crime, and he blends them well together in this book. The tension is thick and the whole having flashbacks when Finn smells blood thing was pretty awesome. That shit could've been corny but not in Pic's hands. I am working my way through this authors catalog and Shadow Season isn't my favorite but it's definitely worth a read.
April 26, 2016
4.5
Man, nobody can do deep, intense POV like Piccirilli. Some of his novels read like acid trips, and some (like this one) are more straightforward, but either way, they're brilliant. There's a lot of bouncing back and forth between past and present, which usually drives me crazy, but Piccirilli makes it work in a way most authors can't. I'd almost give this book five stars, but as so often happens with Piccirilli's books, I was 100% hooked until the ending, which left me oddly dissatisfied. Still, his writing amazes me. I'm so selfishly pissed that I never had the chance to meet him.
Man, nobody can do deep, intense POV like Piccirilli. Some of his novels read like acid trips, and some (like this one) are more straightforward, but either way, they're brilliant. There's a lot of bouncing back and forth between past and present, which usually drives me crazy, but Piccirilli makes it work in a way most authors can't. I'd almost give this book five stars, but as so often happens with Piccirilli's books, I was 100% hooked until the ending, which left me oddly dissatisfied. Still, his writing amazes me. I'm so selfishly pissed that I never had the chance to meet him.
December 21, 2015
Ordinary, imo. I did not connect w/ any of the characters or the story itself. It just never caught my interest. The pacing was too slow....it took more than half the book for the pacing to pick up & by then it was too late for me. I struggled to finish it. The crazed hillbilly antagonist theme has been done before & much better in other books I've read.
November 5, 2015
Read the print version when it was published, bought the ebook and the companion Audible version, excellent story again but did Murphy's Irish accent sound Scottish to me?
October 26, 2020
This is the third Piccirilli book I’ve read and while I love the writing, there is too much about grown men wanting to have sex with teenaged girls. I mean...that is some real life horror shit I’ve lived and it’s not fun and the three books I’ve read all have elements of older main guy character wanting to have sex with a teenaged female character. Gross.
The character of Finn was incredibly annoying. There are better characters who blur the lines of good and evil, without being a sexual predator, or excuse me, just on the cusp of being one. Even worse that he is a teacher at an all girls boarding school. While he tried so very hard to not whine about being blind, that’s all he did.
There was very little character development on any other characters except maybe Ray and that brings me to the actual story. Who cares?! The whole story of how Finn became blind was dumb. This is a story about a former NYC cop, who went after some mob guys, his partner Ray, is on the take with aforementioned mob guys. Finn kills a mob guy’s son, other son of head mob guy goes to Finn’s house and there are two guns because Finn’s wife, Danielle, decided to pull one on him after sex because she thought he might be cheating. Finn gets shot in the head. That’s...the whole thing.
Which brings us to where he is now a teacher and some “locals” including another teenaged girl, are after Finn for unknown reasons. Those reasons are never revealed. The characters just disappear...after Finn supposedly murders one. Finn also mentions someone named Howie and I never learned who that was. Piccirilli leaves out information but not in an interesting, let’s ponder the ramifications of the missing information way. No. It made the story feel incomplete and left me with a lot of questions that didn’t need to be questions.
Anyway, if you love prose, Piccirilli is amazing at it. If anyone knows how to paint a Word Picture, it’s Tom Piccirilli.
The character of Finn was incredibly annoying. There are better characters who blur the lines of good and evil, without being a sexual predator, or excuse me, just on the cusp of being one. Even worse that he is a teacher at an all girls boarding school. While he tried so very hard to not whine about being blind, that’s all he did.
There was very little character development on any other characters except maybe Ray and that brings me to the actual story. Who cares?! The whole story of how Finn became blind was dumb. This is a story about a former NYC cop, who went after some mob guys, his partner Ray, is on the take with aforementioned mob guys. Finn kills a mob guy’s son, other son of head mob guy goes to Finn’s house and there are two guns because Finn’s wife, Danielle, decided to pull one on him after sex because she thought he might be cheating. Finn gets shot in the head. That’s...the whole thing.
Which brings us to where he is now a teacher and some “locals” including another teenaged girl, are after Finn for unknown reasons. Those reasons are never revealed. The characters just disappear...after Finn supposedly murders one. Finn also mentions someone named Howie and I never learned who that was. Piccirilli leaves out information but not in an interesting, let’s ponder the ramifications of the missing information way. No. It made the story feel incomplete and left me with a lot of questions that didn’t need to be questions.
Anyway, if you love prose, Piccirilli is amazing at it. If anyone knows how to paint a Word Picture, it’s Tom Piccirilli.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2021
Pulp to the max, but there's a lot of wheel-spinning, to get to the place we've all been before (a non-ending).
December 19, 2015
‘Shadow Season’ can be summed up in one word – wow. It revolves around a former cop, Finn who’s now blind and teaches at an all-girls school. Trapped by a blizzard and pursued by armed men, Finn has to rely on his instinct and senses to unveil the truth behind what is happening.
The chapters are interspersed with the present and the past. This technique worked brilliantly because there were plenty of unanswered questions and mystery shrouding the unknown assailants as well as what led to Finn quitting his job and how he became blind. Meanwhile, gradually bits and pieces of his past were revealed and as the reader puts them together like one would with a jigsaw puzzle, everything begins to make sense and makes Finn a relatable, likeable character.
There’s absolutely no doubt that Piccirilli is an excellent author who truly knows and understands what he’s writing about. I was incredibly delighted to find that every character was distinctive and believable and most importantly, no one was painted as good or bad. Each character’s good and dark sides were shown. Finn’s complicated relationship with fellow cop Ray was truly portrayed very well indeed. Besides that, Dani surprised me at one point while Roz was quite messed up.
Ultimately the most intriguing character was Finn. He’s a man full of pain, anguish and regrets yet he remains strong and resolute, determined to accomplish one significant goal. His blindness was never a weakness. Instead, he knew how to use it to his advantage and discovered ways to still protect himself and others even without eyesight, something most people tend to take for granted. He’s one of those few characters who are just naturally likeable and it doesn’t feel like he was created by the author. He’s that real.
Overall, ‘Shadow Season’ is a magnificent blend of thriller and mystery with a dash of horror and romance. This is a definite must-read, along with ‘The Last Kind Words’.
The chapters are interspersed with the present and the past. This technique worked brilliantly because there were plenty of unanswered questions and mystery shrouding the unknown assailants as well as what led to Finn quitting his job and how he became blind. Meanwhile, gradually bits and pieces of his past were revealed and as the reader puts them together like one would with a jigsaw puzzle, everything begins to make sense and makes Finn a relatable, likeable character.
There’s absolutely no doubt that Piccirilli is an excellent author who truly knows and understands what he’s writing about. I was incredibly delighted to find that every character was distinctive and believable and most importantly, no one was painted as good or bad. Each character’s good and dark sides were shown. Finn’s complicated relationship with fellow cop Ray was truly portrayed very well indeed. Besides that, Dani surprised me at one point while Roz was quite messed up.
Ultimately the most intriguing character was Finn. He’s a man full of pain, anguish and regrets yet he remains strong and resolute, determined to accomplish one significant goal. His blindness was never a weakness. Instead, he knew how to use it to his advantage and discovered ways to still protect himself and others even without eyesight, something most people tend to take for granted. He’s one of those few characters who are just naturally likeable and it doesn’t feel like he was created by the author. He’s that real.
Overall, ‘Shadow Season’ is a magnificent blend of thriller and mystery with a dash of horror and romance. This is a definite must-read, along with ‘The Last Kind Words’.
June 29, 2011
4 AND 1/2 STARS.
Shadow Season is another brilliant novel by suspense and thriller author Tom Piccirilli. The insight and depth in which he writes about his characters are so raw that, at times, it is painful to read (in a good way, of course). I am constantly blown away by his poetic prose and the layers of psychology he uses to flesh out his characters.
While I became a fan of Piccirilli from his days writing horror, I've grown to appreciate his versatility as a writer of thrillers and crime fiction, particularly the crime noir genre. This guy has it down perfectly and you wonder at times who exactly he hangs around to get details this authentic. He's just that good.
Although nearly perfect, I thought Shadow Season had just a bit too much emphasis devoted to characterization and the lead character's inner thoughts and not enough on story and plot. Those elements of the book were not as nicely balanced as in some of the author's other stories, but that's a minor gripe. A 9.5 out of 10 is certainly nothing frown upon.
It is clear through his writing that Piccirilli is heads and tails better than 98% of other writers in the same genre. He is one of the few authors I read that consistently produce top levels of breathtaking fiction every time out. His distinct voice is like no one I've ever read. Like a scene from a Scorsese movie, you can read one paragraph from a Piccirilli novel and know exactly who wrote it. This book gets one of my highest recommendations.
Shadow Season is another brilliant novel by suspense and thriller author Tom Piccirilli. The insight and depth in which he writes about his characters are so raw that, at times, it is painful to read (in a good way, of course). I am constantly blown away by his poetic prose and the layers of psychology he uses to flesh out his characters.
While I became a fan of Piccirilli from his days writing horror, I've grown to appreciate his versatility as a writer of thrillers and crime fiction, particularly the crime noir genre. This guy has it down perfectly and you wonder at times who exactly he hangs around to get details this authentic. He's just that good.
Although nearly perfect, I thought Shadow Season had just a bit too much emphasis devoted to characterization and the lead character's inner thoughts and not enough on story and plot. Those elements of the book were not as nicely balanced as in some of the author's other stories, but that's a minor gripe. A 9.5 out of 10 is certainly nothing frown upon.
It is clear through his writing that Piccirilli is heads and tails better than 98% of other writers in the same genre. He is one of the few authors I read that consistently produce top levels of breathtaking fiction every time out. His distinct voice is like no one I've ever read. Like a scene from a Scorsese movie, you can read one paragraph from a Piccirilli novel and know exactly who wrote it. This book gets one of my highest recommendations.
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July 25, 2011Tom Piccirilli may very well be one of the best thriller writers that you've never heard of. With all of the publicity that writers like James Patterson, Lee Child, Stephen Hunter and others get, given the quality of his writing, a little name-recognition for Piccirilli would be well-deserved. Books like The Cold Spot, The Midnight Road and The Coldest Mile are fantastic, grab-you-by-the-throat thrillers, all of which I've devoured in one or two sittings.
That being said, I feel as if Piccirilli missed the mark with Shadow Season. The story of Finn, a brooding, blind ex-cop now teaching at a girls' private school, trots out all of the usual stereotypes—the drunk Irishman who says "shite" a lot, the crooked cop always looking for one more angle, the hillbilly "local folk," the tempestuous teenage nymphet, etc. Just before the Christmas holidays, as a blizzard is ready to strike the school, violence arrives in the form of two local "holler men" (the school is built near a holler) and they're looking for Finn, willing to leave nothing in their way until they get what they want. The action in this book is fantastic; everything else is just a little too pat for me, unlike in Piccirilli's other books. Looking at reviews from others on sites like Amazon, however, I seem to be in the minority. If you're a fan of thrillers, I'd encourage you to pick up a Piccirilli book—just read some of his others first!!
That being said, I feel as if Piccirilli missed the mark with Shadow Season. The story of Finn, a brooding, blind ex-cop now teaching at a girls' private school, trots out all of the usual stereotypes—the drunk Irishman who says "shite" a lot, the crooked cop always looking for one more angle, the hillbilly "local folk," the tempestuous teenage nymphet, etc. Just before the Christmas holidays, as a blizzard is ready to strike the school, violence arrives in the form of two local "holler men" (the school is built near a holler) and they're looking for Finn, willing to leave nothing in their way until they get what they want. The action in this book is fantastic; everything else is just a little too pat for me, unlike in Piccirilli's other books. Looking at reviews from others on sites like Amazon, however, I seem to be in the minority. If you're a fan of thrillers, I'd encourage you to pick up a Piccirilli book—just read some of his others first!!
June 30, 2012
You know anything from Tom Piccirilli is going to be a good read and this is no different. It's about an ex-cop named Finn who now teaches at an exclusive school for girls. Interspersed through the narretive is the backstory of the conflict between him and his old partner Ray. His past and present are about to collide in a bloody way.
Part one of Shadow Season starts a little slow without much action. Once you get to part two though the suspense really starts to build. By part three you are rocketing toward the deadly ending. Piccirilli is a fantastic storyteller and one of the top suspense writers around. Shadow Season will have you reading the last half of the book in one sitting.
Part one of Shadow Season starts a little slow without much action. Once you get to part two though the suspense really starts to build. By part three you are rocketing toward the deadly ending. Piccirilli is a fantastic storyteller and one of the top suspense writers around. Shadow Season will have you reading the last half of the book in one sitting.
April 22, 2013
Very good yet very dark novel. The story is filled with tragedy and betrayal, not many uplifting moments here. I liked the story, it was captivating; slowly drawing you in. Not a lot of action but when something does happen it is suspenseful and unnerving. I almost gave up on this book, the story is told alternating from present day to the past and there is a lot of back story. I read over 100 pages and was still wondering what the main focus of the story was. I am glad I persevered because the details of the past contribute to the intensity of the novel and are a must in order to appreciate the ending. This book is not for someone seeking a fast easy read.
December 19, 2015
4 1/2 stars
The past and the present are both slowly revealed through some beautiful writing. The main character is blind. From some sort of accident or incident, we don't find out until near the end. We think we know at one point, but this novel twists and turns beautifully. He used to be a cop and now he teaches English data private girls school. He was always a good cop, never dirty, although his partner was dirty enough for both of them. The decisions made are frustrating at times as is some of the dialogue, but that is the nature of their personalities and not a flaw with the book itself. The ending is a cliffhanger of sorts. Great book.
The past and the present are both slowly revealed through some beautiful writing. The main character is blind. From some sort of accident or incident, we don't find out until near the end. We think we know at one point, but this novel twists and turns beautifully. He used to be a cop and now he teaches English data private girls school. He was always a good cop, never dirty, although his partner was dirty enough for both of them. The decisions made are frustrating at times as is some of the dialogue, but that is the nature of their personalities and not a flaw with the book itself. The ending is a cliffhanger of sorts. Great book.
October 9, 2011
i haven't read a straight-ahead mass market thriller like this in a long time. to be honest, i wasn't sure what to make of it (or how to rate it). while it pushes around it's fair share of hokey thriller stereotypes, i found it oddly seductive & compelling. and a quick read. but i'm also hopped up on cold medicine so maybe i'm just an easy mark. i have 2 other books by him lying around- maybe once i look at those i'll have a bit more to say or a clearer take on his writing style.
June 6, 2014
Wasn't crazy about this one. I found it a frustrating and abstract read. It almost felt like the author was trying to challenge himself to see if he could write a book like this. It was just constantly frustrating. I really didn't care for it much at all but giving it three stars because this guy can write and his dialogues are really well done. Just didn't care for this book much at all.
January 8, 2010
Enjoyable and fast reading. But thinking back I can't identify anything outstanding about the book. I know it won several awards but it doesn't stand out as a prize winner for me. I found the capabiltiy of the blind ex-cop to be a little hard to believe.
May 29, 2013
I like this author's most recent works a lot but this was pretty good too. The story is pretty suspenseful and the fact that the protagonist is blind makes it unique. The author also makes good use of flashbacks.
December 11, 2013
I get the feeling this wasn't the best introduction to Tom Piccirilli. Overall I found the story to be alright. Pacing was definitely fast, but I didn't really feel like any of the characters were fleshed out enough, or rather, that I had any reason to care about them. Enjoyable, but forgettable.
September 19, 2013
Super creepy, awesome book. The descriptions of life as a blind man were so good. The scary storm was brilliant. The ending was perfect. I loved every minute of life at this Girls School.
January 19, 2010
I had a difficult time finishing this one. It wasn't one of those books you just can't put down.
August 30, 2011
It's Piccirilli in usual form, somewhere between The Midnight Road and November Mourns.
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