I love classic horror fiction from the seventies and eighties, and I know I spent too much of my mental energy reliving those days. I could probably spend the rest of my life re-reading and discovering new books from the past. I try to stay abreast of the new developments in horror and suspense, and sometimes I love to read a juicy contemporary thriller. No one does it better than David Bell.
Bell has been churning out good book after good book for quite some time now, and over the years he has sharpened his pen to become one of the very best in the business. His recent release, The Finalists, is easily the best book he has written to date.
In a plot that recalls Ten Little Indians, or better yet House on Haunted Hill, The Finalists features a group of hopeful college students competing for a very lucrative scholarship. They are gathered to an historic building on campus and must adhere to archaic rules from the university family's past. They surrender their communication devices, are locked in, and have to submit to written and oral examinations. This is a thriller, so you know things get complicated.
There scandals about the founding family's past and present. Protesters are outside the gates. Tension is at the max, and before you know it people begin to die. Everyone has a motive. Paranoia rises and accusations fly. Motivations are complicated as the students and administrator weigh the balance between safety and the financial need of the applicants.
The Finalists ponders a lot of topical issues, such as economic desperation of students, race, class, and environmental responsibility. The students are a disparate bunch, and while the novel doesn't become The Breakfast Club, they realize that despite vast cultural differences, they aren't all so dissimilar from one another. Bell is careful to portray different viewpoints with fairness. It's apparent how he feels about current social issues, but Bell thankfully doesn't pound readers over the head with his convictions.
This is a novel that had me reading at every spare moment, and I finished it in less than a day. I think that's the best compliment I can give to any book.
Written by Mark Sieber
Bell has been churning out good book after good book for quite some time now, and over the years he has sharpened his pen to become one of the very best in the business. His recent release, The Finalists, is easily the best book he has written to date.
In a plot that recalls Ten Little Indians, or better yet House on Haunted Hill, The Finalists features a group of hopeful college students competing for a very lucrative scholarship. They are gathered to an historic building on campus and must adhere to archaic rules from the university family's past. They surrender their communication devices, are locked in, and have to submit to written and oral examinations. This is a thriller, so you know things get complicated.There scandals about the founding family's past and present. Protesters are outside the gates. Tension is at the max, and before you know it people begin to die. Everyone has a motive. Paranoia rises and accusations fly. Motivations are complicated as the students and administrator weigh the balance between safety and the financial need of the applicants.
The Finalists ponders a lot of topical issues, such as economic desperation of students, race, class, and environmental responsibility. The students are a disparate bunch, and while the novel doesn't become The Breakfast Club, they realize that despite vast cultural differences, they aren't all so dissimilar from one another. Bell is careful to portray different viewpoints with fairness. It's apparent how he feels about current social issues, but Bell thankfully doesn't pound readers over the head with his convictions.
This is a novel that had me reading at every spare moment, and I finished it in less than a day. I think that's the best compliment I can give to any book.
Written by Mark Sieber
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