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Liked It “Well organized...stories come together about 3/4 way through the book. The story is about evil vs good, demons and Jesus....and exorcism. The author spends a lot of time presenting theories for good and for evil; for the existence of Jesus, etc.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Well organized...stories come together about 3/4 way through the book. The story is about evil vs good, demons and Jesus....and exorcism. The author spends a lot of time presenting theories for good and for evil; for the existence of Jesus, etc.”
Andy C wrote this review Sunday, October 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Extremely well written, but exhausting to read. It's worth it, though!”
Ellie S wrote this review Sunday, August 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“''Randa sighed...any woman in her right mind would probably ditch a guy for killing a half dozen people. But Randa wasn't afraid of him in the least.''
Wendy B wrote this review Monday, May 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Now Randa, she's been in love with some losers in her time: ''narcissists, commitment-phobes, liars, cheaters, you-name-it-aholics.'' But never a psychotic murderer. ''I can't believe this. I'm standing here hoping the man I'm in love with is demonically possessed,'' she says at one point.
But is Jack Murphy really under the spell of an ancient familial curse, one that doomed his father and three brothers to homicidal madness? Or is he just a bad seed? That's what Randa, a reporter for an alternative newspaper in L.A., has to decide. She's journeyed back to her native Georgia to inform Jack of the mysterious suicide of his younger brother Cameron, who was not only a famous novelist but her lover as well.
Before long Randa finds herself attracted to Jack, but no sooner do they pair off than Jack begins to experience what a psychiatrist would describe as the classic symptoms of acute paranoid schizophrenia — hallucinations, command voices, etc. — before embarking on a killing spree. Enter Father Michael. The hunky Jesuit (who ''Randa hoped was gay...otherwise it was a crime against all of female humanity that this man had taken a vow of celibacy'') has been exiled to the boondocks for daring to write a New Yorker article on demons. And unbeknownst even to himself, the priest — who just happens to be a crackerjack exorcist — has a mystical connection to the unfortunate Jack. Father Michael is ''not a big fan of rules,'' but a regular conversant nonetheless with a party known as ''the guy in the flannel shirt,'' a.k.a. Jesus Christ. See, Dark Debts isn't your average Cosmo-gal-meets-the-Dark Ages thriller about demons, priests, and exorcisms. It also masquerades as a deeply insightful inquiry into the existence of evil and the nature of faith. And that's what pushes it over the line from merely ludicrous into downright offensive.
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“I enjoyed the concept of this story. It was captivating, held my attention, and at times even scared me a bit. It think it would make a better movie. The writer wrote for TV for many years and that is how her writting style comes accross in the book.
Heidi S wrote this review Saturday, January 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
From Publishers Weekly
Beautiful Randa Phillips, a columnist for an L.A. alternative paper, has been called in to identify the body of her former lover, successful novelist Cameron Landry, who seemingly succumbed to the family curse and committed murder before killing himself. Randa finds herself manipulated into visiting the last surviving member of Cam's notoriously dysfunctional family and falls frighteningly in love with this handsome man who may, through no fault of his own, be turning into a monster. Concurrent with this love story runs the tale of Michael McKinney, a sexy Jesuit priest who has defied his superiors in the church and is suffering a crisis of faith. He, too, harbors family secrets and a dark legacy to overcome. ”
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