1 out of 4 stars
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What happens to a soul when someone dies? Is it possible for the deceased to speak to the living? St. James Way is a supernatural thriller by John McCarthy that addresses these questions and more. We follow George Elliott, a psychiatrist that has never put the pain of losing his brother behind him, even though the death was fifty years ago. After a series of personal and professional setbacks, George begins practicing hypnotherapy and past life regression, where he encounters a woman claiming to have been murdered by a demonic being hundreds of years prior. The evil entity is rumored to still be at large in Northern Spain. The stage is set for George, with the help of many others, to try to remove the evil forces that are lurking in St. James Way and around the world.
The book is presented in third-person, with alternating perspectives taking the lead at various times. Some of these narratives were woven seamlessly into the primary storyline, whereas others were completely irrelevant. As I read the first couple of pages, I felt enthusiastic about the writing, which was flowing and captivating. Unfortunately, that was a short-lived feeling. The bulk of the author's writing is robotic and bland, reading more like bullets on a memorandum than sentences in a novel. The characters are equally unremarkable, offering nothing to evoke an emotional response from the reader. The problems don’t end there, however. The dialogue is weakly constructed and not properly formatted, so it is often unclear who the intended speaker is. Grammar and punctuation were also major pitfalls for the author. Interestingly, the author uses some high-profile individuals as minor characters in his book, leaving me concerned about possible legal ramifications.
There is a bizarre sexual theme to this book; reader beware. Explicit content pops up in an untimely and awkward fashion, creating confusion and discomfort. Some scenes were appalling, as grotesque and disturbing sexual crimes were presented erotically. Most of the sexual content was gratuitous and distracting, doing no favors for the author or the book.
There were some ways in which I felt the author hit the intended target. The premise was creatively crafted and indeed frightening. There were times when the author seemed to find his groove, drawing me effortlessly into the story, as would any good thrill-writer. Additionally, he did a nice job of progressing the plot, never venturing off into sub-plots for too long.
I believe adjustments could be made to this book which would greatly increase the reader’s experience. Omitting unnecessary portions and employing professional editing services would be a good place to start. In its current condition, I can only rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. I feel I must reiterate my previous mention of the disturbing and graphic sexual content contained in this book; it is not suitable for many readers.
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St. James Way
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