Book Review: The Shimmer by David Morrell

Mar 8, 2010 by Kay Elizabeth

The Shimmer (Vanguard Press, ISBN 9781593155377, Hardcover, 352pp) is an engrossing and suspense packed thriller from the pen of Rambo creator, David Morrell. Set in and around the fictional Rostov, Texas, The Shimmer‘s about mysterious lights in the sky near the small town. Are they so much more than they appear to be or just some geological anomaly as some think? An out of town policeman’s search to discover their source unveils centuries old sightings, hidden government projects and that his marriage is suddenly in turmoil.

There’s action from the story’s outset. Dan Page, our Santa Fe cop, witnesses from the air the fatal end to a disastrous car chase he’s involved in. After the debriefing, he quits for the day. Upon arrival home, he finds his wife Tori has disappeared. Page finds her eventually outside the small town of Rostov, sitting almost catatonic at an observation deck in the middle of nowhere. Tori tells Page she’s watching for the mysterious Rostov Lights she remembers from childhood. Page, understandably upset and confused about what’s going on with his wife and her reasons for her sudden departure, is even more so when he sees the impact these lights have upon her.

Crowds come from miles around hoping to catch a glimpse of the unexplained phenomena. What’s unusual about these stunningly beautiful lights is that not everyone sees them, even when standing shoulder to shoulder. Those who do experience different reactions to the sighting. Some may feel a euphoria, while others can feel a rage. What is it about these lights that creates such a wide spectrum of emotion and this overriding compulsion to always be close to their mystical luminosity? No one has ever come close to solving their existence. But when a deranged man fires a rifle into the lights as the crowd gathered at the viewing platform one night, Page becomes more deeply embroiled in finding out.

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I enjoyed The Shimmer very much and this fast-paced mystery’s intricacies. Thanks to the presence of comprehensively developed characters, the lights shine in more ways than one for the reader and from many perspectives. There’s Brent Loft, a small station TV reporter who sees the slaughter not as a tragedy but as his ticket to the big networks; the secretive and callous Colonel Raleigh who protects his long forgotten research base and its workings at any cost; and the Rostov townsfolk with tales of the lights that span decades.

No matter which one of Morrell’s characters you are reading about at any given moment, the light’s power over its uninformed witnesses grows and matures in your mind just as they do. Some smaller character roles are played in The Shimmer but none are insignificant, each weaving another thread in the mysterious lights’ history and their wide reaching effects. This attention to detail, a hallmark of David Morrell’s writing,  adds a three-dimensional vividness and depth to the lights that slimmer descriptions could never have achieved.

David Morrell has hit the New York Times bestseller list more times than I’ve had hot dinners and his success is well deserved. Incredible as it sounds, Morrell’s first novel, First Blood, was published way back in 1972. Many of my generation will remember this as the thriller that introduced us to John Rambo, the movie of which starred Sylvester Stallone.  Morrell’s skills as a master craftsman of mystery and thrillers certainly haven’t diminished over time. With excellent characterization, an unusual plot line and a believable setting that’s based loosely on real life happenings in a real small Texas town, Morrell has created in The Shimmer a thriller that’s intense, thought provoking and exciting all at once.

I don’t want to give too much away. Suffice to say that The Shimmer makes you wonder upon completion of this book how those lights would have affected you and that thought doesn’t fade easily from your mind.

With eighteen million copies of his books in print and in twenty six languages, David Morrell reigns supreme as a thriller writer extraordinaire. The Shimmer is a cracking good read and Morrell is quite simply a phenomenally good writer. I guarantee you that The Shimmer‘s suspense laden pages will grab you by the throat and not let go until the very end. You won’t be disappointed in this glittering prize of a thriller. Don’t miss it!

Visit David Morrell’s website here.

Kay Elizabeth is the Editor and Co-Owner of The Cuckleburr Times. She always loves to hear from visitors here and especially the authors of books she reviews!

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1 Comment

  1. Kay Elizabeth
    June 3, 2010

    The Shimmer is now out in paperback too as of this month. Good news! :)