Frantic [Paperback]

 

 

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I had a feeling before I even started Frantic, that I would enjoy it - I just didn't know how much! As you can see, it's one of my favorite books now and I absolutely loved it! From the opening scene when Marny Toogood reads the note left by Esther, and then attempts to rescue her and her brother, I was drawn into the story.

Frantic had non-stop suspense and so many twists. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, something totally unexpected occurred! It definitely kept me "on-the-edge" of my seat!

Marny Toogood was probably my favorite character from Frantic. I loved seeing his character grow and I really hope there will be a sequel with him and the other main characters.

While Frantic is the first book I've read by Mike Dellosso, I now plan on reading his other books (especially Scream).

Anybody who loves suspense and/or thrillers has to read Frantic - it was great and I highly recommend it!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via FIRST for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

The first chapter of Frantic opens with a bang(I mean, it isn't every day that you set off to rescue a young woman from a crazy, violent man!). From there, Mike Dellosso does not let up the suspense, tension, or stakes. I'd been introduced to Mike and his work in his previous release, Darkness Follows. That book captured my attention and I wasso excited to be able to read his next book, Frantic! What a wild adventure! Throughout the whole book, the tension continues to build up to a very climatic, and satisfying, ending.

Marny is an easy character to cheer for, as he suddenly finds himself rescuing Esther and her eleven-year-old brother William from their crazy uncle. Marny was just a normal, everyday guy who--when he rescues the girl who gave him the quickly-scrawled message HE'S GOING TO KILL ME--suddenly finds himself in the middle of something far bigger then he'd ever imagined. And stakes that are even higher. As much as Marny wants to, he doesn't back down to the challenge.

Mike's writing really brings the characters and surroundings to life. He reminds me of Ted Dekker in the way he tackles and includes the supernatural things into his writing. If you at all enjoy any of Dekker's work, then Dellosso's books are a must for your reading pile!

From start to finish, I found it very difficult to put down Frantic. Marny, Esther, and William seemed to get out of one near-death experience, only to fall into another. First they are running from a deranged kidnapper, and then from a serial killer. Danger stalks their every step! Definitely a book that will keep you up all night! :-)

I reviewed this book as an influencer in Mike Dellosso's Darlington Society. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

If an author titles a book with an adjective, or verb, you automatically expect it to be full of action, fast pace and a book you cannot put down. I looked up the adjective frantic and dictionary. com defines it as:

desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain, etc.; frenzied.

Well, I reckon Dellosso delivers this definition with this novel. It reads at a frantic pace, the action just the same, the characters well developed; believable and relational. I found myself identifying with the emotions and desperation of the main characters of Marny, Ester and envied the confidence born from the gift of faith of William, the younger brother of Esther.

Marny finds himself in this frantic pace after seeing the troubled desperate face of Esther as she sits in the back seat of a car as Marny is filling the car up with petrol. He is intrigued by this woman and her look and finds a note on the ground after the car leaves, which says, "He is going to kill me".

Now if Marny had not acted on this message, he would have gone back to his mundane life, just waiting for the next curse to affect him, just as his grandfather has predicted at his birth, "...Marny's life would be stormy, full of rain clouds and lightning strikes."

The story then continues with Marny acting on his decision to investigate the note left by Esther. This is when the pace of this novel really revs up. Marny tracks Esther and the car to a house in the woods where he meets up with Esther's captor, Gary. He manages to rescue Esther and in the process her younger brother, William, who is the subject of Gary's purpose in life, to protect and develop the gift of faith that William possesses.

What follows is a cat and mouse game where Marny, Esther and William attempt to outsmart Gary who in turn attempts the same to recapture them and deal with Esther and Marny so he can continue his quest with William.

Interspersed through this is flashbacks into the past complicated life of Marny and the various "rain clouds and lightning strikes" or curses that dotted his growing up years and through these flashbacks you discover what makes Marny tick and the way he is now. This adds to the credibility of Marny as the hero that Esther claims him to be.

We also find out, again through flashbacks, the motivation behind Gary's role as protector and mentor (but seen as oppressor) to William and his gift of faith. This also serves to describe Gary's past and contribute to who he is and why he is driven to succeed at all costs.

Dellosso adds a further twist in this plot and further supernatural elements when Marny, Esther and William seek the help refuge of Esther's father. Here, at first look, we feel they may find refuge, safety and support from the pursuit of Gary. But to no avail. It turns out that Esther's father, Harold, is involved in a bizarre cult and seeks to use the desperate situation of Esther, Marny and William to further the needs of this cult.

So more twists and turns, more frantic pace. You cannot put this book down.

I gave this book four stars as I found a few things that I stumbled over. I would have liked Dellosso to have explained, even briefly, the gift of faith that William has and how this enabled him to heal Marny from his bullet wounds and resurrect him from the dead. I say this as we just do not see this in Christian circles in real life and I firmly believe it is possible through prayer, faith and the Holy Spirit. So this stood out to me in the story due to this fact.

The other aspect of the story, while adding suspense, action and to the frantic pace of the plot, is the superantural freezing of the interior of the house as Marny investigates the whereabouts of Gary. This was lost on me as to the importance of this to the plot and to Marny.

But despite these two issues, it is a great story of faith, redemption over evil, spiritual abuse and the evil potential of the fallen nature of man.

Highly Recommended.

This book was provided by the author, Mike Dellosso, as part of The Darlington Society, in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Surrendering Control
Marny Toogood is a pump jockey at a gas station in Maine. A car arrives at the station, driven by a rather large man with a young woman sitting in the back seat. Read more

Published 4 days ago by Glynn Young

5.0 out of 5 stars Tim Sproles "Avid reader"
This book captured me from the first line. I started reading Mike's books about three years ago and have read everything he has put out since. Read more

Published 6 days ago by tcsproles

5.0 out of 5 stars A wild ride sure to please! (WARNING: YOU MAY FEEL FRIGHTENED)
Frantic is a fabulous read, filled with beautiful writing complemented by pulse-pounding scenes and non-stop action. Read more

Published 11 days ago by christianfictionaddiction

5.0 out of 5 stars Frantic--a very fitting title
I tend to compare the books I read, especially thrillers, to amusement park rides. It is just something I can't help. Read more

Published 16 days ago by C. Yates

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book That Feels Like It Wrote Itself
Death has followed Marny Toogood his entire life. It's a curse, first proclaimed by his grandfather on the day of his birth and relentlessly pursuing him ever since. Read more

Published 18 days ago by Melissa

5.0 out of 5 stars Frantic!
Wow! Where do I begin? I've read a couple of Mike Dellosso's books before and I was a fan with the first one I read, which was Darlington Woods. Read more

Published 27 days ago by C. Kendall

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast and furious with powerful message!
There are many great elements to this thriller from Mike Dellosso.

1. It's starts with a bang and never lets up.
2. Read more

Published 27 days ago by Ian M. Acheson

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect title for a fast-paced thriller
Where do I start? I guess at the beginning, and for this book that would be the cover. LOVE it. Each element on that cover I can place in the story. It is creepy and so artful. Read more

Published 27 days ago by ham1299

4.0 out of 5 stars "The Deepest Darkness has a substance all it's own"
What makes a book worth reading? What really compels us as readers to pick up a book and begin the sometimes tedious, but often exhilarating journey that lies within the covers... Read more

Published 27 days ago by iliveforhim1976

5.0 out of 5 stars A Frantic Ride!
"The night Marny Toogood was born it rained axheads and hammer handles."
So begins a frantic ride in Mike Dellosso's new book. Read more

Published 28 days ago by Susan Snodgrass

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