Shame: Alan Russell

He was painstakingly slow about opening the door to the hallway. He stood very still for several moments, looking and listening to make sure that all was clear. Then he turned back to her.

"Don't try and raise an alarm," he whispered. "Don't do anything more than breathe for the next five minutes."

As he slid out the door, she heard him say ever so softly, "I told you I wouldn't harm you."

The door closed behind him.

For Dana, there was a long moment of blessed relief. She offered up a prayer of thanks, but it was interrupted. The door flew open.

"I lied," he said.

Alan Russell has the ability to capture the hearts and tear ducts of the reader before promptly thrusting them into the dark abyss of psychological terror and suspense. A story within a story, a novel being written by the main character throws an interesting twist to the mix while we find out that there is a copycat murderer loose on the streets, all fingers point at his son.

Gray Parker's father became a human lightening rod several years before we are thrown into the tale. A mass murderer charged and convicted of killing seventeen women in the most degrading of ways was finally silenced and justice was done by 'Old Sparky' and thus began a lifetime of being the son of a serial murderer.

Like father like son they say, can Gray prove to both the world and the one survivor of his father's murderers that he is innocent or is his insanity his only defense? A life hidden away from everyone, a childhood of constant beatings and no friends would make someone, anyone, a bit odd. Perhaps the hero of the story will be Miss Maryelizabeth, the author of the book that ruined Gray Parker's life, the biography of a dead man.

Maryelizabeth took upon the task of writing the 'why' behind the man's horrible deeds and now; it seems as if the father's warnings are coming true. She is becoming dead, numb to the grotesque deaths around her and has decided that she will write again and will find herself knocking at death’s door herself soon.

Russell presents us a curious menagerie of characters that seemingly make no sense towards the plot even going as far as to included a two-spirit, a transgender cross dresser that considers herself both sexes depending on her mood. A collection of fan girls seem to permeate the court rooms of the father and who knows, perhaps a few lust-filled moments in the cell-block’s bathroom offer us clues to who the real killer is. Either way, Maryelizabeth finds herself put into the same situations as her previous attack, even in her own paranoia.

Russell takes us careening over and through different phases of the history of the story and at some points I do honestly believe that he's innocent, or is he guilty? All loose ends are tied up in the last fifty pages thankfully leaving not too many questions left. I did not want the book to end. The ending was completely unexpected and very well thought out. It will be a joy for any mystery and crime story readers to enjoy trying to figure out. Well done Russell, you now have at least one reader for life.

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Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Company; Reprint edition (January 30, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0843955813
ISBN-13: 978-0843955811
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