Jokers Club
By: Gregory Bastianelli
ISBN: 9781936564309
Published November 4, 2011 by JournalStone
Available Format: Hardcover, Paperback, ebook
My Rating: ★★★★★
Jokers Club is the 2nd Place winner of the JournalStone 2011 Horror Writing Contest!
As a child, Geoffrey was part of a gang of kids who called themselves the Jokers Club. Now, as an adult, he is returning to his hometown to reunite with his old pals and hopefully find the inspiration he needs for his writing. Unfortunately, Geoffrey has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and it is getting worse very quickly. As a result of his blackouts and hallucinations, he is often visited by a court jester who usually takes him to some very dark places in his mind. When one of his friends ends up dead, everyone starts suspecting each other. Can Geoffrey solve the mystery, or will the story remain unfinished?
This is one of those novels that keeps you guessing straight through the very last sentence. There are kids involved – kids who have some dark and troubling things happening in their lives – and their past overflows into their future in a big way. Greg entwines the tales of the adults with the tales of their past seamlessly, all while keeping the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish. This is, by far, one of the creepiest books I have read in a long, long time. It is disturbing in so many ways, but it quickly sinks its claws in and you just cannot put it down.
I was working furiously all the way through, putting all the little clues together, and then I was hit with the twist at the end, which was nothing short of brilliant. Greg is a fantastic writer and he certainly knows how to delve deep into the reader’s mind while still offering up the finest entertainment. I know I’m not the only one who has questioned his mental status, for him to be able to write something so dark and disturbing, but I know he is just full of intense creativity.
If you are looking for a book that will get your gears turning and maybe even creep you out a bit, this is definitely the one for you!
