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Joshua and the Shadow of Death
Psychiatrist Joshua Zeev hears a gunshot. His best friend, Richard Brown has committed suicide. Richard's son, Harold flies into a Berserker rage, tearing apart Richard's office in a grief-stricken rage.
Joshua's self-doubts dominate his thoughts as he attempts to find out the truth about his friend's death. An investigation by Joshua and the family lead them headlong into corporate and political corruption and extortion. The cadre of shady characters targets the remaining Brown family and Joshua. Will the family survive, and can justice be served?
Joshua's self-doubts dominate his thoughts as he attempts to find out the truth about his friend's death. An investigation by Joshua and the family lead them headlong into corporate and political corruption and extortion. The cadre of shady characters targets the remaining Brown family and Joshua. Will the family survive, and can justice be served?
220 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2018
6 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Gary McPherson
15 books7 followersGary McPherson (1966-) was born in Sacramento, California, and spent his childhood in Westminster, Ca. For most of his adult life, Gary has lived in North Carolina. He and his wife have lived in Charlotte, NC for the past twenty-six years. A change in health, and a love of story telling moved Gary from a 27 year career in Computer and Software Engineering to Author.
Gary's favorite writing genre is mystery/thrillers. His debut novel, and first in the berserker series, "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" released Oct 30, 2018. His second novel in the berserker series, "Harold and the Angel of Death" is set to release May 2019.
In addition, Gary has written a satire book of anecdotal short stories titled "Country Boy" under the pen name Lucius McCray. Lucius McCray's second book "Humor Deeper Than a Holler" is due to release in early 2019.
You can find guest articles by Gary in Writer's Digest, Criminal Element, Crimespree, Magazine, and Patient Worthy. Gary provides free short stories on his website and runs a weekly livestream on Tuesday via his Twitch channel, gmacwriter, where he talks about writing with his health challenges and engages reader's questions
Gary's favorite writing genre is mystery/thrillers. His debut novel, and first in the berserker series, "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" released Oct 30, 2018. His second novel in the berserker series, "Harold and the Angel of Death" is set to release May 2019.
In addition, Gary has written a satire book of anecdotal short stories titled "Country Boy" under the pen name Lucius McCray. Lucius McCray's second book "Humor Deeper Than a Holler" is due to release in early 2019.
You can find guest articles by Gary in Writer's Digest, Criminal Element, Crimespree, Magazine, and Patient Worthy. Gary provides free short stories on his website and runs a weekly livestream on Tuesday via his Twitch channel, gmacwriter, where he talks about writing with his health challenges and engages reader's questions
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 30, 2018
Disclaimer: I was sent an ARC copy of this book by JKS Communications on behalf of the author, for an honest review.
Opinion:
A suspenseful thriller JUST in time for the holiday season!
Put on those trench coats and grab those magnifying glasses boys and girls, there’s a conspiracy afoot!
Joshua has spent many diligent years working with countless young boys at an orphanage in North Carolina. Two of his most memorable cases were that of two half brothers who were both left at an orphanage by their mother. Both boys were diagnosed by Joshua with “Berserker Syndrome”, a condition that makes the person fly into a blind rage so bizarre that it can be described as being possessed. After curing the youngest of the brothers, Bill, Joshua is enlisted by the adoptive parents of the oldest boy, Harold, in hopes that he may also be cured. Years later in California, Harold is a grown man and Joshua is still living with the family and working with Harold on his blind rage. But when the sudden suicide of Harold’s father Richard Brown occurs, Joshua’s concern for the young man is at an all time high. As he tries to find the reason for his friend’s sudden death, while also keeping Harold under control, Joshua finds himself with more questions than answers.
This story has just about everything I could ask for in a suspense thriller; a man with a dangerous blind rage, blackmail, countless deaths, and even a little bit of romance. Did somebody say swoon?! Though I was expecting a story that focused on the slightly disturbed inner workings of a young man who starts beating people to a pulp out of nowhere; I was instead welcomed with a mystery on the suicide of a man who ran a very profitable weapons company. Though I am not upset about this change of events, I must say that I feel slightly derailed from what I was expecting of this story.
I was hoping to have a better understanding of this “berserker syndrome”, which the reader is introduced to right away at the beginning of the story. The reader is taken through a part of Harold’s life as a young boy when Joshua is first treating him for his condition, and the author paints a nice picture of how little Harold can control his rages. But we are fast-forwarded years later to when Harold is a grown man, and the story turns into more of a “who-done-it” rather than focusing on Harold and his condition. It feels like this initial idea for the book to be based more on the psychiatric and mental side of the experiences of this family was thrown by the waste side a little. I wish it would have had bigger role in the overall telling of this story, instead of just going right into being a search to find out the reason for Richard brown’s suicide. I felt like I didn’t get an in-depth look into Harold as much as I would have liked, which in turn made it harder for me to connect with his character.
Our other main character in this story is Joshua, a psychiatrist who specializes in child development and who had coined “berserker syndrome”. I found that Joshua’s character could have also been given a little more depth and attention. Many times, I found myself slightly irritated with the comments he would make about suicide or other observations. He didn’t come across as the intelligent and worldly man that I think the author was trying to mold him to be. Instead, I found him to be a little dim and overly simplistic in the way he thought and spoke. There were a few examples of Joshua and other characters emotions being TOLD to the reader, rather than SHOWN. A book can tell me someone is sad, but I won’t believe it until I see the evidence backed by the actions of the character.
Characters aside, the overall story has an interesting and thoughtful plot. The Brown family runs a very successful weapons company. Now, I think this may be something to do with nuclear weapons, but I am not very clear on that. Anyways. One day Richard Brown shoots himself in the head in his office in front of Harold (super casual), which commences the true question of the story: WHY?! This takes the reader on a hunt to find the cause of Richard’s suicide, which eventually leads to a bigger scandal. Now I don’t want to give anything away, but BE WARNED that this book will reference some not so pleasant things. Nothing graphic, so don’t worry. I found the journey to the truth in this tale to be likable, but at times a bit too wordy. There was a lot of dialogue that wasn’t completely necessary, but I think was used to give the reader a deeper connection to the characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t for me and I just ended up skimming through those parts.
I think Joshua and the Shadow of Death was an entertaining and different read but didn’t quite hit the mark for me in terms of a deep connection and concern for the characters. I think the plot definitely makes it a great book that had me yearning for what really happened, and I found that I rather enjoyed that aspect of the book. I think the writing and character development can use a little work, but it is still very easy to read and enjoy.
Opinion:
A suspenseful thriller JUST in time for the holiday season!
Put on those trench coats and grab those magnifying glasses boys and girls, there’s a conspiracy afoot!
Joshua has spent many diligent years working with countless young boys at an orphanage in North Carolina. Two of his most memorable cases were that of two half brothers who were both left at an orphanage by their mother. Both boys were diagnosed by Joshua with “Berserker Syndrome”, a condition that makes the person fly into a blind rage so bizarre that it can be described as being possessed. After curing the youngest of the brothers, Bill, Joshua is enlisted by the adoptive parents of the oldest boy, Harold, in hopes that he may also be cured. Years later in California, Harold is a grown man and Joshua is still living with the family and working with Harold on his blind rage. But when the sudden suicide of Harold’s father Richard Brown occurs, Joshua’s concern for the young man is at an all time high. As he tries to find the reason for his friend’s sudden death, while also keeping Harold under control, Joshua finds himself with more questions than answers.
This story has just about everything I could ask for in a suspense thriller; a man with a dangerous blind rage, blackmail, countless deaths, and even a little bit of romance. Did somebody say swoon?! Though I was expecting a story that focused on the slightly disturbed inner workings of a young man who starts beating people to a pulp out of nowhere; I was instead welcomed with a mystery on the suicide of a man who ran a very profitable weapons company. Though I am not upset about this change of events, I must say that I feel slightly derailed from what I was expecting of this story.
I was hoping to have a better understanding of this “berserker syndrome”, which the reader is introduced to right away at the beginning of the story. The reader is taken through a part of Harold’s life as a young boy when Joshua is first treating him for his condition, and the author paints a nice picture of how little Harold can control his rages. But we are fast-forwarded years later to when Harold is a grown man, and the story turns into more of a “who-done-it” rather than focusing on Harold and his condition. It feels like this initial idea for the book to be based more on the psychiatric and mental side of the experiences of this family was thrown by the waste side a little. I wish it would have had bigger role in the overall telling of this story, instead of just going right into being a search to find out the reason for Richard brown’s suicide. I felt like I didn’t get an in-depth look into Harold as much as I would have liked, which in turn made it harder for me to connect with his character.
Our other main character in this story is Joshua, a psychiatrist who specializes in child development and who had coined “berserker syndrome”. I found that Joshua’s character could have also been given a little more depth and attention. Many times, I found myself slightly irritated with the comments he would make about suicide or other observations. He didn’t come across as the intelligent and worldly man that I think the author was trying to mold him to be. Instead, I found him to be a little dim and overly simplistic in the way he thought and spoke. There were a few examples of Joshua and other characters emotions being TOLD to the reader, rather than SHOWN. A book can tell me someone is sad, but I won’t believe it until I see the evidence backed by the actions of the character.
Characters aside, the overall story has an interesting and thoughtful plot. The Brown family runs a very successful weapons company. Now, I think this may be something to do with nuclear weapons, but I am not very clear on that. Anyways. One day Richard Brown shoots himself in the head in his office in front of Harold (super casual), which commences the true question of the story: WHY?! This takes the reader on a hunt to find the cause of Richard’s suicide, which eventually leads to a bigger scandal. Now I don’t want to give anything away, but BE WARNED that this book will reference some not so pleasant things. Nothing graphic, so don’t worry. I found the journey to the truth in this tale to be likable, but at times a bit too wordy. There was a lot of dialogue that wasn’t completely necessary, but I think was used to give the reader a deeper connection to the characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t for me and I just ended up skimming through those parts.
I think Joshua and the Shadow of Death was an entertaining and different read but didn’t quite hit the mark for me in terms of a deep connection and concern for the characters. I think the plot definitely makes it a great book that had me yearning for what really happened, and I found that I rather enjoyed that aspect of the book. I think the writing and character development can use a little work, but it is still very easy to read and enjoy.
October 24, 2018
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" by Gary McPherson
Gary McPherson, Author of "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" is an intriguing, intense, captivating, frightening, and entertaining novel. The Genres for "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" are Thriller, Fiction, Mystery and Suspense. The dysfunctional characters are described by the author as complex and complicated.
Dr. Joshua Zeev, is a psychiatrist that specializes in childhood trauma and illnesses. The doctor is hired by his good friends Richard and Barbara Brown, when they adopt a young child that almost seems possessed. Joshua was able to cure his brother who is still in an orphanage. As Joshua works with Harry, who has frequent outbursts and unstable temper, it seems that he makes some headway.
It seems that the doctor is at the house for many years. Harry is now grown, and with Joshua's help seems to be in control. That is until he sees his father Richard kill himself. Richard leaves a note behind with a complicated and sad explanation. There seems to be a conspiracy and threats against Richard's company. Now to look for any answers seems to be very dangerous. Dr. Zeev almost doubts everything as he searches for closure. I was sitting at the edge of my seat as I read this.There are twists and turns. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy suspense and a psychological thriller.
Gary McPherson, Author of "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" is an intriguing, intense, captivating, frightening, and entertaining novel. The Genres for "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" are Thriller, Fiction, Mystery and Suspense. The dysfunctional characters are described by the author as complex and complicated.
Dr. Joshua Zeev, is a psychiatrist that specializes in childhood trauma and illnesses. The doctor is hired by his good friends Richard and Barbara Brown, when they adopt a young child that almost seems possessed. Joshua was able to cure his brother who is still in an orphanage. As Joshua works with Harry, who has frequent outbursts and unstable temper, it seems that he makes some headway.
It seems that the doctor is at the house for many years. Harry is now grown, and with Joshua's help seems to be in control. That is until he sees his father Richard kill himself. Richard leaves a note behind with a complicated and sad explanation. There seems to be a conspiracy and threats against Richard's company. Now to look for any answers seems to be very dangerous. Dr. Zeev almost doubts everything as he searches for closure. I was sitting at the edge of my seat as I read this.There are twists and turns. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy suspense and a psychological thriller.
October 24, 2018
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" by Gary McPherson
Gary McPherson, Author of "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" is an intriguing, intense, captivating, frightening, and entertaining novel. The Genres for "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" are Thriller, Fiction, Mystery and Suspense. The dysfunctional characters are described by the author as complex and complicated.
Dr. Joshua Zeev, is a psychiatrist that specializes in childhood trauma and illnesses. The doctor is hired by his good friends Richard and Barbara Brown, when they adopt a young child that almost seems possessed. Joshua was able to cure his brother who is still in an orphanage. As Joshua works with Harry, who has frequent outbursts and unstable temper, it seems that he makes some headway.
It seems that the doctor is at the house for many years. Harry is now grown, and with Joshua's help seems to be in control. That is until he sees his father Richard kill himself. Richard leaves a note behind with a complicated and sad explanation. There seems to be a conspiracy and threats against Richard's company. Now to look for any answers seems to be very dangerous. Dr. Zeev almost doubts everything as he searches for closure. I was sitting at the edge of my seat as I read this.There are twists and turns. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy suspense and a psychological thriller.
Gary McPherson, Author of "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" is an intriguing, intense, captivating, frightening, and entertaining novel. The Genres for "Joshua and the Shadow of Death" are Thriller, Fiction, Mystery and Suspense. The dysfunctional characters are described by the author as complex and complicated.
Dr. Joshua Zeev, is a psychiatrist that specializes in childhood trauma and illnesses. The doctor is hired by his good friends Richard and Barbara Brown, when they adopt a young child that almost seems possessed. Joshua was able to cure his brother who is still in an orphanage. As Joshua works with Harry, who has frequent outbursts and unstable temper, it seems that he makes some headway.
It seems that the doctor is at the house for many years. Harry is now grown, and with Joshua's help seems to be in control. That is until he sees his father Richard kill himself. Richard leaves a note behind with a complicated and sad explanation. There seems to be a conspiracy and threats against Richard's company. Now to look for any answers seems to be very dangerous. Dr. Zeev almost doubts everything as he searches for closure. I was sitting at the edge of my seat as I read this.There are twists and turns. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy suspense and a psychological thriller.
September 12, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book for my honest review*
Dr. Joshua Zeev has been a live in Psychiatrist for the Brown family for many years. Harold, Richard and Barbara's adopted son is very troubled with violent outbursts and Joshua was brought on to cure Harold the way he did Harold's brother in the orphanage. When Richard unexpectedly dies the whole family is thrown into chaos and Dr. Zeev is smack in the middle. Harold and Joshua are tasked to find who caused Richard's death and is threatening the company. Can they save themselves and the company amidst all this grief or is Harold doomed to lose control.
What I liked about his book:
The story was very promising, it was a good idea and unique. The characters were well written and interesting. You want to develop a bond with Harold and Joshua. The book did keep my attention to keep turning pages, I wanted to see what was going to happen next in the story.
What I did not like about this book:
I feel like the story did not flow well at times and there were parts that seemed unnecessary. I felt like there was too much unimportant dialogue. Joshua's inner thought seemed very repetitive and I skimmed or skipped it at times. Writing felt inexperienced at times.
Overall, I thought this was a decent read. I'm not sure I feel it should be in the mystery/thriller category but, I assume this is the author's first novel since I could not find anything else by him (if not, I apologize). I do feel the author has things yet to learn, but I feel like he has a lot of promise and will come into his own with experience.
Dr. Joshua Zeev has been a live in Psychiatrist for the Brown family for many years. Harold, Richard and Barbara's adopted son is very troubled with violent outbursts and Joshua was brought on to cure Harold the way he did Harold's brother in the orphanage. When Richard unexpectedly dies the whole family is thrown into chaos and Dr. Zeev is smack in the middle. Harold and Joshua are tasked to find who caused Richard's death and is threatening the company. Can they save themselves and the company amidst all this grief or is Harold doomed to lose control.
What I liked about his book:
The story was very promising, it was a good idea and unique. The characters were well written and interesting. You want to develop a bond with Harold and Joshua. The book did keep my attention to keep turning pages, I wanted to see what was going to happen next in the story.
What I did not like about this book:
I feel like the story did not flow well at times and there were parts that seemed unnecessary. I felt like there was too much unimportant dialogue. Joshua's inner thought seemed very repetitive and I skimmed or skipped it at times. Writing felt inexperienced at times.
Overall, I thought this was a decent read. I'm not sure I feel it should be in the mystery/thriller category but, I assume this is the author's first novel since I could not find anything else by him (if not, I apologize). I do feel the author has things yet to learn, but I feel like he has a lot of promise and will come into his own with experience.
December 19, 2018
Thank you to the author and publisher for sending me a copy of this one - all opinions are my own.
I flew through this one (which at 213 pages its a bit like a novella) and genuinely enjoyed the story. This was a very quick read, with non-stop action from chapter to chapter. The story never breaks pace, right through, which adds handily to the ability to burn through it at record speed.
I liked the variation in characters in this one, specifically the way that Joshua, the psychiatrist and Harold, his mentally ill patient, play off one another. Harold's illness was intriguing as it had the twist to it which allowed him to be exceptionally strong when he was having an episode, and I think this piece will be interesting growth to the characters as the series continues.
I also liked that the mystery itself was cleverly put together and unwound itself neatly - in a reasonably plausible way.
Overall, this was an enjoyable quick read for me, and I look forward to seeing how this series moves forward.
I flew through this one (which at 213 pages its a bit like a novella) and genuinely enjoyed the story. This was a very quick read, with non-stop action from chapter to chapter. The story never breaks pace, right through, which adds handily to the ability to burn through it at record speed.
I liked the variation in characters in this one, specifically the way that Joshua, the psychiatrist and Harold, his mentally ill patient, play off one another. Harold's illness was intriguing as it had the twist to it which allowed him to be exceptionally strong when he was having an episode, and I think this piece will be interesting growth to the characters as the series continues.
I also liked that the mystery itself was cleverly put together and unwound itself neatly - in a reasonably plausible way.
Overall, this was an enjoyable quick read for me, and I look forward to seeing how this series moves forward.
October 14, 2018
Interesting book and premise. While nicely written, some stronger editing would have made this a more enjoyable read. A little too much internal conversation and digressions were distracting and made it a little tougher to follow the story.
Clearly creative, with more practice this author will be fun to read. Figuring out who did what, when and why is always richer with complicated characters and layers of motivation. The family, the shrink, the victim have complicated relationships that don't always work out the way we hope.
Clearly creative, with more practice this author will be fun to read. Figuring out who did what, when and why is always richer with complicated characters and layers of motivation. The family, the shrink, the victim have complicated relationships that don't always work out the way we hope.
January 5, 2019
I took my time reading this book and the mystery and suspense in it kept me at the edge of my seat and as it unraveled I could not help but look forward to a continuation of this story. Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews