On the Verge of Madness by author George Wilhite

On the Verge of Madness by author George Wilhite is like a perfectlycooked steak...dark on the outside and a little bloody in the middle.This collection of fiction features eight very different stories, eachshowcasing Wilhite's considerable talent and vast knowledge of thehorror genre. His work has already drawn comparison to Poe andLovecraft. But let me tell you, Wilhite's own twisted style and warpedvoice is evident on every page. The opening novella, VictorChaldean and the Portal is worth the price of admission. Victor isdesperate to solve the disappearance of his wife. After he begins tohave strange visions, he seeks help from a psychologist studying theparanormal. An experimental drug takes Victor into a fractured realm,into a place trapped between life and death where he struggles to findhis lost wife and each day is more convinced he is insane. Nextup is Murmurers. I settled in for a great read as Wilhite hooked mequickly with a story of an Earth all but stripped of human life. Aformer combat soldier and a teenage girl find a special bond after hesaves her life. To survive they must trust each other and keep movingto avoid the mysterious Murmurers. The only problem for me was howquickly this one ended. In Checks and Balances, alcoholic Johnbreezes through the first of the twelve steps to recovery. It is stepEight - making amends with those he has hurt - with which he strugglesthe most. If only he could make a trade, a deal, to skip this step. Butwho or what would make such a bargain? Lars kills for money. Heis very good at what he does. When it comes to clothes, only the verybest will do for Lars. In The Gangster's New Clothes, Wilhite attemptsa short in the style of the old Twilight Zone TV show. The result is afun, frightening tale. A second after Lars puts on his handmade suit,he finds himself facing his checkered past and, step by step, is pushedcloser to insanity. Wilhite then gives us two amazing examples ofthe old adage: less is more. A Plea From the Cradle and Cast ofCharacters are "flash fiction" at its finest. Not a word is wasted -both of these tales will quickly put a shiver up your spine if not asmile on your face. All good things must end, and I believeWilhite saved the best for last. A Tale of Two Moons is a Werewolfclassic and could possibly explain the origin of these legendarymonsters. Masque Profane takes us beyond the "Verge of Madness,"delving straight into full blown insanity. Rhonda and Jeff are happynewlyweds...or are they? Rhonda becomes obsessed with the fact thatJeff has never spent a Halloween night with her in their time together.This fixation takes Rhonda to the gathering place of a strange ritualone Halloween night. Her experience there, and later the birth of herchild would one day take her to madness and a horrific murder. Inall eight of these stories, whether novella or short, the author'sskill at character development, crisp dialogue and page turningsuspense is forefront. He captivates the reader with intriguingcharacters and fine plotting without the pointless brutal violence andgratuitous sex that has become so common in horror today. I highlyrecommend On the Verge of Madness and I look forward to the follow up,Silhouette of Darkness. I doubt that it will be long before a majorpublisher signs Wilhite, as his work deserves to be on shelves next tothe likes of Peter Straub and Thomas F. Monteleone. http://www.booksinsync.com/multibookauthors/wilhitegeorge.html

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