Malevolence

Nancy Mehl
Zumaya (2005)
ISBN 1554102804
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (5/06)

Nancy Mehl wrote Malevolence in a fast paced manner that managed to keep me on the edge of my seat in a constant state of terror! That is exactly where I want to be when I am reading a horror novel. I live in a hot desert area and I actually had goosebumps on my arms for the majority of the book. I also kept asking myself why I was reading this book right before bedtime! I was guaranteed to have creepy dreams.

Icy Curtis is the lead character. She and her son Danny have relocated to a new area shortly after the death of her husband. Her son is having problems adjusting to this new place, or so she thinks. Actually, there are some unscrupulous people at his school committing obscene crimes, including those against children. There is also an evil presence at work influencing the people around her. As people close to Icy are horribly murdered, she starts an investigation of her own. She is aided by former police detective Milt Barbarino. They develop a close friendship as a result of this. She also discovers that her son is in jeopardy.

Icy’s fears about her son’s safety are very realistic and I felt that the suspense created by a mother’s love and desire to protect her vulnerable child greatly added richness to the story. It made the book so much more than just a creepy horror novel. The characters are real; you worry about what happens to them. Especially as some of them are being killed off.

As Icy continues to investigate, she discovers a connection to her past, and learns a huge surprise about where she came from. She also finds connections between herself and the murder victims. This ties directly into the story, but to say more about it will give too much away. You will just have to read Malevolence to find out more!

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