4.0
Deadlight Jack
ByPublisher Description
Worse things than gators lurk in the Louisiana swamp. . . . The author of The Faceless One fuses the twisted imagination of Fritz Leiber with the razor-sharp plotting of Joe Hill in this rollicking horror thriller.
Appearances can be deceiving. Take Jimmy Kalmaku. Anyone passing him on the streets of Lake Nisqually, Washington, would merely see an elderly man. But Jimmy is actually a powerful Tlingit shaman, with a link to the god Raven and a résumé that includes saving the world.
Or take his friend and roommate, George Watters. Another ordinary retiree, right? Wrong. Like Jimmy, George is more than he seems to be. He too has a link to the supernatural. He too has saved the world.
Then there’s Professor Foxfire—also known as Deadlight Jack. Dressed in the garb of a stage magician, he seems a figure of magic and fun. But he isn’t fun at all. He isn’t even human. And his magic is of the darkest and bloodiest kind.
When George’s grandson vanishes on a family vacation to the Louisiana bayou, George and Jimmy fly across the country to aid in the search. Once they arrive, family feuds and buried secrets bring George face-to-face with the ghosts of a forgotten past; Jimmy finds his powers wilting under the humid Southern sun; and deep in the swamp, Deadlight Jack prepares his long-awaited revenge.
Advance praise for Deadlight Jack
“Mark Onspaugh’s novel, Deadlight Jack, takes you on an incredible journey that slings you from the far Northwest to the bowels of the Louisiana bayous. And on this journey, with a masterful flare, Onspaugh brings nightmarish folklores to life. The story will haunt you, and the vibrant, unforgettable characters will take root in your heart and refuse to leave. A must read!”—Deborah LeBlanc, author of Voices
“Onspaugh maintains an undercurrent of eldritch terror while keeping the plot buoyed by fast-paced action scenes. . . . A nicely chilling read for fans of otherworldly horror.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Mark Onspaugh’s The Faceless One
“A stunning debut . . . a chilling dark fantasy with an Alaskan shamanic backdrop . . . The beauty of this weird world is as profound as its terror. I could not turn these pages fast enough!”—Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and Paint It Black
“Onspaugh’s writing captures that same eye-popping strangeness I loved so much in the works of Charles Beaumont and Fritz Leiber. The Faceless One is classic horror from an author who has earned his stripes and knows how to scare you blind.”—Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Dead City and The Savage Dead
Appearances can be deceiving. Take Jimmy Kalmaku. Anyone passing him on the streets of Lake Nisqually, Washington, would merely see an elderly man. But Jimmy is actually a powerful Tlingit shaman, with a link to the god Raven and a résumé that includes saving the world.
Or take his friend and roommate, George Watters. Another ordinary retiree, right? Wrong. Like Jimmy, George is more than he seems to be. He too has a link to the supernatural. He too has saved the world.
Then there’s Professor Foxfire—also known as Deadlight Jack. Dressed in the garb of a stage magician, he seems a figure of magic and fun. But he isn’t fun at all. He isn’t even human. And his magic is of the darkest and bloodiest kind.
When George’s grandson vanishes on a family vacation to the Louisiana bayou, George and Jimmy fly across the country to aid in the search. Once they arrive, family feuds and buried secrets bring George face-to-face with the ghosts of a forgotten past; Jimmy finds his powers wilting under the humid Southern sun; and deep in the swamp, Deadlight Jack prepares his long-awaited revenge.
Advance praise for Deadlight Jack
“Mark Onspaugh’s novel, Deadlight Jack, takes you on an incredible journey that slings you from the far Northwest to the bowels of the Louisiana bayous. And on this journey, with a masterful flare, Onspaugh brings nightmarish folklores to life. The story will haunt you, and the vibrant, unforgettable characters will take root in your heart and refuse to leave. A must read!”—Deborah LeBlanc, author of Voices
“Onspaugh maintains an undercurrent of eldritch terror while keeping the plot buoyed by fast-paced action scenes. . . . A nicely chilling read for fans of otherworldly horror.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Mark Onspaugh’s The Faceless One
“A stunning debut . . . a chilling dark fantasy with an Alaskan shamanic backdrop . . . The beauty of this weird world is as profound as its terror. I could not turn these pages fast enough!”—Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and Paint It Black
“Onspaugh’s writing captures that same eye-popping strangeness I loved so much in the works of Charles Beaumont and Fritz Leiber. The Faceless One is classic horror from an author who has earned his stripes and knows how to scare you blind.”—Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Dead City and The Savage Dead
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesDeadlight Jack Reviews
4.0
Chantelle Daigle
Created about 6 years agoShare
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Sue
Created over 8 years agoShare
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“Dead light Jack by Mark Onspaugh is a horror and sci-fi and fantasy read.
Appearances can be deceiving. Take Jimmy Kalmaku. Anyone passing him on the streets of Lake Nisqually, Washington, would merely see an elderly man. But Jimmy is actually a powerful Tlingit shaman, with a link to the god Raven and a résumé that includes saving the world.
This was a really enjoyable read with great characters. I loved the story and Jack and George were my favourite characters. Couldn't put it down. 5* . I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.”
VeeReads
Created over 8 years agoShare
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“When I requested "Deadlight Jack", I had no idea that it was the second book in a series. As it is, that does not matter in the least because this book works very well as a stand alone novel.
George Watters is African-American and Jimmy Kalmaku is a Tlingit shaman. They have been best friends for a very long time and both have a connection to the supernatural. When George's young grandson disappears in the Louisiana bayou, George and Jimmy fly across the country to rescue the young boy and come face to face with an ancient evil known as Deadlight Jack.
The characters of Jimmy and George are one of the main strengths of the book. Mark Onspaugh has a gift of being able to develop characters through their interactions and conversations. Jimmy and George are so well developed that I could imagine them as real people. You really get a sense of their personalities and their long friendship through their sometimes hilarious banter. I also enjoyed how the author set up the background to the story. It was just enough to provide a good story line without being too long and drawn out.
I really enjoyed this book very much and am planning to go back and read the first book in the series. George and Jimmy are unusual heroes in the sense that they are elderly men but they are unique in other ways as well. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a horror novel that has depth and characters who stay with you even when you have turned the last page.”
Cyzzane
Created about 9 years agoShare
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“I found this book to be extremely engaging. It was a little slow to start but I love the interaction between the two heroes. I adore the fact that they are not only seniors but also both are PoC. I also liked that both talk about issues that different PoC's face without it being an overwhelming part of the book. It really added depth to the characters and I found them both to be very relatable. I loved the story, I felt like this was a continuation from a previously written book about our two unlikely heroes.
I enjoyed that I did not have to read that previous book to engage with this book. It presented a very clear picture of a family in distress and I thought that all of the characters had good depth and backgrounds. I loved the myth that was surrounding the tale and I thought that the entire book was resolved nicely. It really picked up about 1/2 through the book and I literally couldn't put it down because I wanted to see what was going to happen to everyone.
I definitely recommend this as a good read!
This book was given to me by NetGalley, but the review and opinions expressed here are 100% my own.”
About Mark Onspaugh
Mark Onspaugh is the author of The Faceless One and more than forty published short stories. Like many writers, he is perpetually curious, having studied psychology at UCLA, exotic animals at Moorpark College’s exotic animal training and management program, improv comedy with the Groundlings, and special-effects makeup. Onspaugh has also written for film and television. He lives in Morro Bay, California, with his wife and two peculiar cats.
Other books by Mark Onspaugh
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