Reviews of Dead Man's Eye

This was a great book to read. It was so quickly paced that it did not take long for me to finish it. This is the first book of Shaun Jeffrey that I have read, but I will be checking out more. It was interesting and scary at the same time. I highly recommend it.

Joanna is the recipient of a new cornea, courtesy of a dead priest. But when she starts seeing shadows around certain people, she thinks something has gone wrong. Only it's much worse. What she sees are really the shadowy forms of demons that have infiltrated peoples bodies with the purpose of taking over the world.

I raced through Dead Man's Eye, which is a fast paced novella with excellent characterisation. The story had me on the edge of my seat, and once or twice I nearly fell off. Great story.

“Maybe there was something even worse than a world of darkness.”

It doesn’t take long to get hooked by Shaun Jeffery. The last line of chapter one had me hooked on his brilliant novella.

A young photographer has her career shattered by the loss of her vision. She undergoes a cornea transplant, but begins to see dark shadowy forms. Our young photographer can now see the shadowy form of evil.

This fast-paced novella kept a dark grin on my face throughout the entire ebook. Brilliant!

I give it a sold 4 1/2 shadowy demons out of 5 !

I really enjoyed this book. I read it yesterday and I could not put this one down. When I first started reading it though I really thought it was similar in concept to the film "Jian Gui" and the American re-make "The Eye," but as I read on it was very different. If you like Thriller/horror and dark novels then I highly recommend this one

Excellent stuff. Well written with a great pace.

Very dark. Had me on the edge of my seat!

Shaun Jeffrey, delivers another fine example of what a horror story should be.

Dead Man’s Eye start was fantastically creepy and surprising as Joanna has difficulties with her new eye and starts to see shadows around certain people. The opening scene throws you straight into the action and the early parts are fantastically atmospheric as Joanne struggles to decide if she is going mad, or if what she is seeing is really happening. At some point though the atmosphere disappears and is replaced by action and as Joanne gets more physically involved in events. This changes the mood completely, but needed to make Joanne more proactive.
The relationship between her and her boyfriend is sweet – I loved the banter between them at the start which really grounded it and made it feel real. In fact the dialogue is fantastic throughout – always sounding realistic and reflective of what people actually do say to each other. The writing flowed really well and I just gobbled up the prose. I read the whole novella in one sitting.
However, I was slightly disappointed by the finale – it seemed a little predictable and I would have a preferred a more unexpected twist. However, I would certainly pick up more of Shaun Jeffrey’s books though – especially when I fancy more traditional horror thrills!

Dead Man’s Eye by Shaun Jeffrey is a nice, solid paranormal thriller, with a strong engaging plot. The prose is realistic, well-written and the story holds your attention from start to finish.

Joanna Raines has enough problems already with failing eyesight, a troubling cornea transplant when she discovers she’s seeing strange shadows. She thinks she is going mad, only to discover there’s something far more sinister and supernatural is happening. And she may be the only person who can stop it.

The author does a splendid job of throwing a poor ordinary person into an extraordinary, unbelievable situation and making it both realistic and logical. The heroine reacts and behaves in a genuine, plausible manner that grounds the narrative beautifully. I also found the simple motivation of the antagonists (they’re just looking to wreak mayhem) refreshing; sometimes old-fashioned evil is enough.

Some readers may find the ending unsatisfying, but I loved it. I thought the unresolved, dark closer was the perfect finish. I look forward to reading more novels by this author.

Article first published as Book Review:Dead Man's Eye by Shaun Jeffrey on Blogcritics.

After Joanna Raines cornea transplant, she begins to feel hope, the gift of vision from her donor was everything to her. Distortion still blocked her vision but she was continuing with her doctors recommendations, but her vision was still blurry and she was afraid of rejection. It seemed a miracle that she received the transplant after losing her own to Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy. What would she do if her transplant failed? Her fear drove her back to the doctor for a checkup.

As she waited for train, another man, Lincoln Parker, also waiting commiserated with her on the lateness of their particular train. She was having difficulty seeing, getting some halo effect as well as the blurriness. As the man got up and headed to the train, she began to get ready as well. As a stack of luggage fell over it created a chain reaction that caused the man, she had been sitting next to, to fall onto the tracks. As he tried to pull himself out of the way, the train hit him, severing his arm. Joanna’s view of the entire scene was surreal; she could see something shadowy seeping into the body, something dark and creepy, just before the man seemed to come alive again. Was it an effect of her vision, or did she really see something?

After getting confirmation from her doctor that she was doing well, and her eye was coming along fine, she ran into her boyfriend Stephen Cook, also a doctor. As she is speaking with him, they push the man from the train station by her, on a gurney. She again sees the shadow and quizzes Stephen as to what he sees. Stephen does understand, all he sees is a man that lost his arm. She is seeing something else, something dark and disturbing, and yet how can she tell anyone. Who will believe her?

As the shadow begins to take over the consciousness of Lincoln Parker, he becomes a different. Is he still a man, or has he become something more, something dark and deadly, a shadow looking to inhabit the earth again? Can Joanna get someone to believe her before it is too late? Was the gift of the cornea, truly a miracle or was it something more?

In Dead Man’s Eye, Shaun Jeffrey has found an effective form of terror. He has found an effective outlet to create a way to see something that others do not. The story keeps you wondering. Does Joanna really see something, or is she really just adjusting to the new transplant? As people around her begin to die and the shadowing surrounds the newly dead, bringing them back to life, she finds that she is the only one who sees them. Her boyfriend Stephen wants to believe her, but when her friend dies, he turns her over to the police. Only then does he realize that she may truly know something. Can he get her to trust him again, to allow him to help her before it is too late?

This is a good scary story, different and unique. It is fast paced and interesting, with just enough horror to keep you reading, but with a wary eye, making sure the door are locked and the window closed. I really enjoyed the story, but I would have liked to know more about the characters prior to the actual events.

Shaun Jeffrey has put together in interesting scenario explaining the visions. The characters, even without the added depth, are well written, and as sometimes happens in times of great stress, extremely brave in a fool hardy way. If you enjoy spooky, creepy stories, you will enjoy this book. A must have for the spooky aficionado. Shaun Jeffrey is an author to keep an eye on.

This book was reveived as a free e-book from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.