Deep Blue


Deep Blue David Niall Wilson Five Star, $25.95, 325 pages, ISBN: 159141428 reviewed by Barry Hunter I’ve had to sit and let this exceptional novel digest. Strange word to use I know, but that’s the way I feel and after you consume this novel, whether in small bites or one glorious feast, I feel sure that you will agree about some of the words used in this review. Some of you may remember the original basis for this story in the collection STRANGE ATTRACTIONS edited by Ed Kramer (Baryon 75). Wilson has taken a band and set them on a mission that they do not expect, nor would they relish the events as they come to pass. Brandt, the lead guitarist who still dresses like Kiss, is the first to find and understand the pain of the blues. Then Synthia, the bass player, follows his lead on a path that includes the rest of the band, Dexter on drums and Shaver on rhythm guitar. As their journey progresses we find that their backgrounds have prepared them for this moment in time. We also learn about Elizabeth, an artist, whose life story is filled with pain and whose relatives play a big part in an old fashioned church meeting funeral where the group plays to a gathering of spirits, worshipers, and the devil himself. Crossroads is mentioned a lot, and surely this is a novel of our characters coming to a crossroads in their lives and just like Robert Johnson so many years ago, has a decision to be made and the blues to be played. I was so deeply involved with this novel, that even though there was no radio on, I could hear the music in my head. Wilson has written a highly personal novel that will infuse a DEEP BLUE sound in the readers mind and a strong feeling in their stomach. This is a very satisfying novel and you should not wait too long to dig into the feast Wilson has prepared.
reviews

Deep Blue
David Niall Wilson
Five Star, $25.95, 325 pages, ISBN: 159141428
reviewed by Barry Hunter

I’ve had to sit and let this exceptional novel digest. Strange word to use I know, but that’s the way I feel and after you consume this novel, whether in small bites or one glorious feast, I feel sure that you will agree about some of the words used in this review. Some of you may remember the original basis for this story in the collection STRANGE ATTRACTIONS edited by Ed Kramer (Baryon 75).

Wilson has taken a band and set them on a mission that they do not expect, nor would they relish the events as they come to pass. Brandt, the lead guitarist who still dresses like Kiss, is the first to find and understand the pain of the blues. Then Synthia, the bass player, follows his lead on a path that includes the rest of the band, Dexter on drums and Shaver on rhythm guitar. As their journey progresses we find that their backgrounds have prepared them for this moment in time.

We also learn about Elizabeth, an artist, whose life story is filled with pain and whose relatives play a big part in an old fashioned church meeting funeral where the group plays to a gathering of spirits, worshipers, and the devil himself. Crossroads is mentioned a lot, and surely this is a novel of our characters coming to a crossroads in their lives and just like Robert Johnson so many years ago, has a decision to be made and the blues to be played.

I was so deeply involved with this novel, that even though there was no radio on, I could hear the music in my head. Wilson has written a highly personal novel that will infuse a DEEP BLUE sound in the readers mind and a strong feeling in their stomach. This is a very satisfying novel and you should not wait too long to dig into the feast Wilson has prepared.

reviews