I've read my share of mediocre novels with half-developed characters and a weak plot.This isn’t one of them.
AFRAID, by Jack Kilborn, starts out with a quiet evening of fishing on a small town lake. It quickly turns deadly for the residents of Safe Haven. A helicopter carrying a secret army special ops force crashes at the edge of town. Soon people are sliced and diced faster than you can say shish-kabob.
As the body count climbs, Sheriff Streng must confront five of the deadliest killers he has ever encountered. And the more he learns, the more he suspects that the helicopter crash may not have been an accident. What’s more, the men hunting him aren’t just killing to get their kicks (much as they enjoy their work). They’re after something…or someone.
The sheriff gets some valuable assistance from a young fireman (Josh) and a single mom (Fran), who help track down the killers. There’s a surprising boost to the story from Duncan, Fran’s 12 year old son, who responds to the horror around him with a courage that escapes most of the adults in the novel.
The villains are more than just stereotypes. Kilborn takes the trouble to get into their minds to show us why they do the things they do. We also get a wonderfully delicious ending that left me cheering for more.
AFRAID will keep you up tonight, so don’t forget to lock your doors and bolt the windows. And don’t be afraid…be very AFRAID.
