Book Review: Agony – Author E. Michael Lewis

Agony
By: E. Michael Lewis
Samhain Publishing
45 Pages

“I did it because they deserved it. I did it because I deserved it.”

The Twin Lakes mall seems like your everyday, ordinary locale for browsers, teens and shoppers. Although the merchants grounds wasn’t always the site for serenity and spending. Thomas “Agony” Agonetti had once prowled the center, abducting young women, torturing, raping and ultimately murdering his victims. Eventually the ruthless killer was incarcerated and ultimately executed by the state. Yet something remains unsettled within the Twin Lakes Mall. Some say his ghost still haunts there hell-bent on revenge and bloodshed. While the police are slow to intervene the only salvation seems to lie within newly hired security officer Trevor Westmoreland. While many seem to simply balk at the idea of a supernatural predator, Westmoreland has reason to believe the threat is very real. Will he be able to find the origin of what makes Agony tick and put the spree of killings to rest once and for all? Or will he be simply another fallen victim to the prowess of one, Agony?

There are times I surprise myself in my chosen endeavors to be a novel critic. For the better part of my childhood and adolescence I simply loathed the idea of reading. I did everything within my power to get out of assignments such as book reports. I chose my topics wisely, more times than not selecting a book that had a corresponding film adaptation. You can see where this is going.

One of the difficulties I had with reading as a youth was remembering names. I still struggle with it to this day and arguably is one of the many reasons I avoid social functions with more than a handful of people. I’ve embarrassed myself countless times by calling people the wrong name. When greeted by enthusiastic acquaintances I often turn red faced in return rarely remembering the other’s name.

A trick I’ve developed in remembering over the years is visual association. In essence I play movie director and casting agent within my head. If I’ve introduced to a plethora of characters I keep notes and look into Hollywood for an actor who would best play that particular character. It’s a cheap tactic but most effective in deciphering within a scatter brain who is who. This long winded explanation does come full circle and arrive at a point. I nearly fell off my chair when casting within my head the main protagonist Trevor Westmoreland to be played in my imagination by actor, comedian Kevin James. Much to my delight within a couple of paragraphs, the author through first person perspective made the comparison to the exact same actor as listed above. Priceless.

I’m impressed with E. Michael Lewis’s ability to draft such a highly engaging suspense tale with little exposition, much plot escalation and gritty action within such a brief time frame. The author manages to lure the reader directly into the fray of action instantaneously and we’re hooked until the very end to see what happens next.

The premise of a murderous threat blended with the supernatural will appeal to a vast audience. One does not have to be a committed genre fan to attain a full appreciation of this endeavor.

A romantic underlining tension between Trevor and Crissy will captivate many and most will devour Agony within one sitting. We get behind Trevor on a number of levels and want to see him attain all that he desires.

The scenes surrounding Thomas Agonetti’s lair is haunting and realistic enough to prey upon the irrational fears of anyone in public.

The episodes involving Trevor and his coworkers provide comedic relief and a powerful subtext into the perpetual underdog and under achiever. We vie to see Trevor succeed in his vow to put an end to Agony’s haunting’s once and for all. Disclosing anymore of Agony would simply be too much of a spoiler so I strongly encourage any reader to pick up a copy of Agony. I for one cannot wait to see more of this highly gifted author E. Michael Lewis.