Dead Eyes by E.V. Knight #BookReview

On June 4, 1966, “Dead-Eye” Dave Darrow murdered and mutilated a group of teenagers at his family’s home. His sister’s disappearance, his subsequent escape from the asylum, and a slew of deaths and missing persons surrounding the home have given birth to some wild local theories.

Twenty years later, Lisa Thompson needs to finish her exposé on the infamous Darrow story. She’s after a full ride scholarship to U.C. Berkley’s School of Journalism. But the problem is, she doesn’t have a killer ending.

The girl moving in to the Darrow’s old place could be Lisa’s lucky break. New blood in the house and Lisa’s research awaken something or someone evil and murders begin anew in spectacular fashion.

Will Lisa uncover the truth within the Darrow house, or will she and her friends die trying?

Book 18 in the Rewind-or-Die series: imagine your local movie rental store back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, remember all those fantastic covers. Remember taking those movies home and watching in awe as the stories unfolded in nasty rainbows of gore, remember the atmosphere and textures. Remember the blood.

Title: Dead Eyes | Author: E.V. Knight | Publisher: Unnerving  | Pub. Date: 20 November 2020 | Pages: 118 | ISBN: 9781989206584 | Genre: Horror | Language: English |  Source: Publisher sent for review consideration | Starred Review

Dead Eyes Review

How many times can I yell praises for the Rewind or Die series by Unnerving? I guess we will just have to wait and see. Dead Eyes, by E.V. Knight, is the 18th installment. It gives every indication that the series of standalone, throwback novellas is showing no signs of slowing down. Knight conjures up a bloody good read and a fast-paced slasher that is enjoyment from beginning to end.

Lisa Thompson is a high school student doing whatever she can to pay for the Berkley College of Journalism admission she just earned. When Trish moves into the local murder house (a murder mortuary, to be clear), the game is afoot.

The characters are developed as needed for a short book and Knight wastes no time getting the plot in motion. Time is important in novellas, and this expediency serves to pull the reader through tension, nostalgia, and gore, much like those 80s horror movies do for so many fans. Before I knew it, the book was almost over; I was lost in the story and that’s just the best thing.

There isn’t too much to say without giving away important reader discovery and I would be remiss to do so. The prose is clear and Knight has this great ability to make the reading seem like the story is playing out on screen. For genre fans, this is a great slasher with plenty of gore. Be sure to pick this one up: grab the popcorn, kick back, and enjoy. I will definitely look for more from this author and from the Rewind or Die series.

  You can purchase a copy of this book via your normal retailer, but please consider purchasing it from a local indie bookshop instead. It can be found here at Indiebound or at BookShop. Please note the Bookshop link is an affiliate link and each purchase you make through it helps to support Sci-Fi & Scary and keep the site running.