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Daniel Hecht Skull Session
Viking Adult 0670876615 / 9780670876617 Hardcover Fine
0670876615 Amazon Review nGuitarist Daniel Hecht sold a lot of albums in the 1970s and '80s: his Willow on the Windham Hill label might be sitting in your closet. But in 1989 a hand ailment turned Hecht's talents to writing, and the first published result is as dazzling and moving as his music. In this novel, gifted Vermont woodworker Paul Skoglund has learned to live with and basically control his Tourette's syndrome, thanks to early training from his caring father and daily doses of haloperidol. But the drug has also burned away the once-sharp edge of his creativity, and Paul has been having a hard time earning a living. So when his eccentric Aunt Vivien offers him a job restoring her old house in Lewisboro, New York, Skoglund is glad to accept--even though it will take him away from his 8-year-old son, Mark, who suffers from neurological troubles of his own. It turns out that the house has been savaged by vandals who are apparently linked to several local teenagers who have disappeared in recent months. While state police investigator Morgan Ford pursues the mystery in an official way, Paul and his fearless lover Lia discover that the damage to the house is of unnatural--possibly even demonic--origins. Hecht balances these diverse elements with impressive artistry, all the while making us care for the fate of his characters. n nFrom Library Journal nIn this debut novel, a monster is haunting Highwood, the large old family home of Paul Skoglund's aunt, Vivien Hoffman. The monster has nearly destroyed the house and its contents, flinging large appliances and furniture about, breaking walls and windows. Or perhaps the vandalism has been done by teenagers, some of whom have since disappeared or died mysteriously. Paul, unemployed and handicapped by Tourette's syndrome, accepts the challenge of restoring the home for his wealthy but unlovable aunt. Aided by his lover, Lia, and a sweetly melancholic cop, Paul begins the repair process while searching for the cause of the destruction. Just as Paul's father helped him learn to handle his compulsive behavior, Paul hopes to help his own son. But Paul's father committed suicide?or did he? A marvelous mix of modern Gothic horror and romance, with a generous helping of bioscience, this is a guaranteed page-turner for Koontz fans with a moderate tolerance for detached body parts. n-?Elsa Pendleton, Boeing Information Svcs., Ridgecrest, Cal. nCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Price:
9.08 EUR
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