Monsters by Gareth S Young {Review}

2015 is off and running and so am I. It is high time I get back into blogging... and that means getting caught up on all those reviews! *gulp* I'm actually looking forward to it. I have already read a couple of really good books this year and will be reviewing those books later this week. But today I am kicking the review year off with a book I read last year *hangs head* yes I said last year, Monsters by Gareth S Young. Check it out.

Blurb~

Doyle Godwin works nights as a Private Investigator in the small town of Gabriel's Horn. He has learned how to hide his twisted, giant frame in the dark, avoiding the cruel eyes and taunts of the locals as he ekes out a living tracking down adulterers and other night-dwellers, living vicariously through the images he captures on camera.
  
Lurking in the shadows, he is content with his world until, one day, the only woman he ever loved walks into his office and hires him to find her missing daughter. Emmy Watson is losing hope. After three long weeks, her daughter Scarlett remains missing and the FBI have slowly removed themselves from the search, leaving an impotent Sheriff's department no closer to solving the kidnapping. Her heart broken and her nerves frayed to their ends she hires Doyle, Sheriff Reid's main suspect, forcing the town's Boogieman out into the daylight.
  
Sheriff Emerson Watts has discovered a body beneath Mt Rainier's watchful gaze. An ex-FBI agent with a once bright future, he sifts through the detritus of the murder scene and realizes there might be a connection between his case and the missing girl in Gabriel's Horn. Trying to meet with Sheriff Reid, he instead bumps into the deformed detective and triggers an avalanche which threatens to swallow them all up. MONSTERS is a dark, complex, character driven psychological thriller.
  
This 93,000 word story mixes strong themes: family, friendship, love, loss and betrayal and features a protagonist who echoes classic characters like The Hunchback, Frankenstein's Monster and The Phantom. This story is aimed at adults of all ages.

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review~

It is every parents worst fear. Losing a child. For Emmy Watson it has become a reality. On Halloween when everyone is dressed as ghouls and goblins, knights and superheroes, and children are excited and carefree, Emmy Watson's daughter, Scarlett, goes missing. There are no leads and seems to be no hope, so Emily turns to an old high school friend, turned private detective Doyle Godwin for help. He has a reputation of getting the job done, but he is as mysterious as his methods. To many he is the monster and many point to him as the likely culprit. But he is determined to discover the true villain. His journey is not easy and is one that will test who he is, who he wants to be, and friendships around him. 

Doyle Godwin is not your typical detective or knight in shining armor, sure he has the talent and drive to be the best detective, but due to an illness he is what many would call deformed, a monster. In fact to many in the town of Gabriel's Horn Doyle is the only monster that lurks in the night. So naturally when Emmy Watson's young daughter goes missing he is the first one accused. But like his old classic counterparts he is only a gentle giant. Well, until he has to use force, then he is certainly not someone you want to mess with. Doyle is very good at what he does and in his search for Emmy's daughter, Scarlett, discovers a very sick and twisted secret that very well could cost him his life. 

But that doesn't stop him. When Doyle does a job, he sees it to the end, no matter the cost to him. 

Monsters is definitely not your typical thriller, it is not a story of the damsel in distress and her charming and handsome rescuer. Author Gareth S. Young gives us a story that is much more personal. He finally gives us a hero that isn't drop dead gorgeous and every girls dream. He gives us a hero that in many eyes very well could be the villain. This thriller is indeed twisted not just because of the twist on heroes but the story itself is twisted, deep, and dark. It takes us down a road that no parent wants to travel. Puts us in their shoes and allows us to feel their fear. 

Monsters is definitely not sunshine and rainbows, no it is much more sinister. From the beginning of this tale the mood is tense and creepy, the perfect combination for this story. Author Gareth S. Young does a spectacular job of allowing his readers to feel the story after all that's how you truly connect to a story of this magnitude, feeling. After I read Monsters I wanted to clutch all my kiddos just a little bit closer.

I have to give author Gareth S. Young props for giving me a thriller with characters that were as dark and deep as the story. 

Monsters is definitely a refreshing read in a world where the hero always has to be good looking. It gives us a look at the darker side of life and really allows the reader to feel it. This is a definite read for lovers of suspense! Just make sure you hug your kids before and after.