Look out Bon-Temps, there’s a new town filled with super natural occurrences, sex, drugs and mystery, where every one has something to hide and even more to lose.
Dolor.
With a definitive cinematic quality, thanks in-part to conversational language and tightly-constructed tales of mystery and horror, the first five installments of Rick Florino’s “Dolor,†are an enjoyable read.
Throughout the series, Florino weaves a tale that would put a glint in the eyes of scribes the likes of Stephen King and Frank Miller. Easily accessible, yet deep and fun, with a pinch of noir, “Dolor†is a novella series with loads of staying power. This series would make a great film. With its cliffhanger style, characters that ooze charisma and sultry women, it could easily be a solid television show as well.
While it isn’t perfect, with some sections of certain tales reading a bit choppy or being predictable, most of the book is entertaining. It doesn’t matter that some of the dialogue reads forced or some details aren’t explained as much as you’d like them to be either. Simply put, it’s a set of stories all bound together by mostly solid writing, but thrives thanks in part to excellent scene setting and a breakneck pace.
Never out-right scary, the drama is infectious, even if you have an idea of what you might expect to see by the end. A horror/cop drama hybrid, “Dolor†is able to make the most of these elements and attract a wide reader base with its multifaceted approach.
If you could somehow, someway throw television shows such as “Rescue Me,†True Blood†and “Law and Order†into a magic machine and have a book pop out in their place, it would have to be “Dolor.â€
However, in spite of the different layers and motifs, all five books, have one thing in common- police officer Caleb Taylor. As you read, you wonder how a good cop and family man like Taylor can have so much misery in his life. This is essentially what fuels this tale and keeps you in suspense throughout. With no end for the series in sights as of yet, each chapter becomes an engaging addition, worthy of your attention.
Florino helps matters even more as he provides a solid secondary plot. FBI agent Jefferies is on the trail of the case of the strange happenings in Dolor, but is ultimately victim to the strange occurrences that have plagued the town before his arrival there as well.
With a deep and intricate plot, language that draws you in and makes everything easy to understand, Florino’s “Dolor†may not have the visibility of other series’, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a well-told work with the ability to hook you in.
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