Reviews of Dead Man's Eye

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.

Joanna Raines has just undergone a corneal transplant in one eye to stop her from going blind. It’s a complete success, but as it begins to heal she starts seeing shadowy coronas surrounding certain people.

Terrified that something is going wrong and she’s never going to be able to see again, or worse – that she’s going crazy, Joanna searches for answers.

What she finds out is much more difficult to believe than a simple operating complication. The shadows surrounding people are proof that demons are amassing to take over the human population!

Now, she is the only one that stands in their way. A young woman with the ability to see what they really are. She just has to convince everyone else.

I was pulled along with Joanna, anxious to see her come to the understanding that there were demons walking among us and to see what she was going to do about it. Twists and turns are seamlessly spun throughout the tale and, while not entirely unexpected, offered another level of suspense.

But the thing that stood out for me most in this novella was the quality of the prose. It fully immersed me in the tale. Fast-paced, with a lot of action, it doesn’t let you go for the entire length of the book.

Dead Man’s Eye is a lively-paced, well-crafted, eminently enjoyable read. I look forward to seeing more from Mr. Jeffrey.

MILD SPOILER ALERT *******************************************

If ever there was an argument to be made in favor of intraocular lenses instead of organ donor transplants, Shaun Jeffrey presents it beautifully in "Dead Man's Eye."

Jeffrey's protagonist, is the recipient of a cornea from a deceased priest -- and the tissue allows her to see evidence of demonic possession. As an entire London hospital is taken over by demons, only she seems to understand.

Needless to say, authorities are not particularly interested in hearing what she has to say about the matter. And herein lies the tale, as she tries to let people know what is happening only to have the rug yanked out from under her time and again.

Jeffrey spins out a well-considered tale, with twists and turns galore. I enjoyed reading this eBook edition and hope to see more from this author.

Very well written and engaging piece with scary undertones.