Reviewing THE RESURRECTIONIST By Wrath James White

THE RESSURECTIONIST

Dorchester Publication, 2009

By Wrath James White

**Warning: The following review contains some plot points which are key to the over all story. **

You might be wondering why I’m bothering to review a book some eight years past its initial publication date. It really boils down to me not wanting you to make the same mistake I did and leave this little meat grinder of a novel on your shelf any longer than you must, and I’m here to tell you why.

Wrath James White wastes no time getting to work on what he does best and quickly introduces us to a domestically troubled household where we bare witness to a young boy watching his father rape, torture and murder his mother. We watch as young Dale does what any little boy who has just watched his mother get brutally killed by his dad would do; he tries to resuscitate his mom even as her innards spill from her body. When his mom surprises him by actually coming back to life, fully healed and all put back together again, she remembers nothing of the event up to and including her own rape and murder.  Clearly, God took pity on poor Dale and replaced his many shortcomings with the ability to resurrect the dead without suffering his victims the added burden of remembering any of it.

However, not everyone sees Dale’s ability as a gift, least of all his mother who loathes the amusement he derives from using such a unique gift as nothing more than a morbid play thing. The way Dale sees it, as long as he brings them back to life when he’s done with them – and he always brings them back – then what’s the big deal?

Fast forward to several years later, long after Dale’s mom sets the house on fire, killing herself and almost taking him with her, and we find Dale all but assuming an invisible existence in a quiet gated community in Las Vegas. Nestled among random families and foreclosed, empty houses, his ideal abode becomes even more perfect when neighbours from across the street, Josh and Sara, come to offer a warm welcome. Not unlike love at first sight, Dale has only to look at Sara to determine she’s the one who can please his every need. Dale had only to look at her to know that somehow she would never get away from him, no matter how often he had to kill her.

Even when Josh and Sara catch their new neighbour on nanny cam assaulting and killing them in their bed and show it to the cops, it’s written off as some elaborate hoax. With the limited help of a couple of cops gone off the grid, Josh and Sara must come to terms with their own definition of right and wrong while trying to evade an evil neighbour who seems hell bent on tearing their world apart.

Using the terror of a gifted madman as his backdrop, Wrath connects us with the torment of his victims while also managing to provide an intimate look into the unwavering love of our protagonists. This perfectly blended touch of humanity lends its self to a more organic fear once the adrenaline starts pumping, which it often does.

As the end of THE RESURRECTIONIST draws

Wrath James White

near and the shaky camera of your mind tries to focus on the dim light up ahead, you realize, despite the hell you’ve already endured, how ill prepared you truly are for what’s still to come. After all, so long as Wrath’s deviant imagination is pushing the pen, even heroes had best fear any sign of hope.