Book Review: Ghost Mine

Ghost Mine: by Hunter Shea

This post is part of a blog tour leading up to the publication of the book on May 30. I received a copy of the book for participating in the tour.

Ghost Mine is a scary little book, chock full of weird characters spilling over with wickedness and villainy, evil happenings beyond the imagination of most men, and places of darkness and horror that make your worst nightmares seem like a sunny field of flowers.

It is the fight between good and evil, of men and women against a literal devil, in a battle that could only be conceived in the mind, because it is too horrible to exist in any world we know. Yet there are also good men and women, willing to risk their very souls for others. There is friendship and camaraderie, love and tenderness, and trust and togetherness.

Hunter Shea calls himself the "product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading, and wishing Bigfoot (who receives a mention in Ghost Mine) would walk past his house." He is the author of more than 25 books, including two series. He writes thrillers, horror, the paranormal, and is proud that his books are on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. 

While I enjoy a good scare as well as the next person, I must admit I was a little leery reading the background and synopsis of this novel. I feared an over-the-top slasher/horror fest.

I was wrong.

What I read was a thoughtful exploration of fear and the afterlife, a look at how terror can exist on another level, and perhaps cross over into our world. It's a look at religion and death, and how we fit them into our existence.

The book, which is set in the early 1900s, during the term of President Theodore Roosevelt, has a small cast of characters. There's Nat Blackburn, an old-time cowboy and mercenarie, who fought with Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. There's Teta, who has ridden and fought alongside Blackburn. 

After a few introductory chapters introducing the characters and setting the stage -- which has Roosevelt sending Blackburn and Teta out west to find out why men, including U.S. troops, are disappearing in the small Wyoming mining town of Hecla. The copper mines were previously booming, and rumors spread that gold was discovered, but then all went quiet. Anyone sent out there never returned.

As the two men visit the area and their adventure begins, Blackburn and Teta eventually come across others who join them in their quest. They all play important roles in the story. Shea gives us no extraneous characters. 

Indeed, it's a tightly written book. Shea gets into a scene, and gets out. As each character is integral to the plot, each word he chooses is perfect for the sentence, and each sentence, paragraph, and chapter is essential to the plot. 

I like a writer who doesn't waste words. Shea is that writer.