The Death of Wendell Mackey
In a lonely lot at the end of a forgotten road sits a building, a place of secrets and unimaginable horrors. Wendell Mackey has just escaped from it, where he had been imprisoned against his will. But after his escape, Wendell begins to change. The old Wendell is dying, but something new is being born, something uncontrollable and terrifying. The men in that building planted in him a seed that is beginning to grow, and when they come to find him, Wendell isn't sure what will be there to greet them. Pursued by his former captors, threatened by the dregs of a city imploding from within, watching his body melt into something monstrous, Wendell sees little chance of escape, until he meets one person, an old woman, who may be the last ray of hope in his brutal and dark life. (Author description)
To me this was not so much a thriller, as a horror story. Beautifully written in striking descriptive prose we follow the up and downs of Wendell’s life in the present and through flashbacks and inner musings. In many ways it reminded me of the film, The Fly, although that central character kind of knew what he was doing, whereas Wendell had no say in the way his life had irrevocably changed. There is little interaction and dialogue with other characters once Wendell escapes, which makes the novel at times too ponderous and inward looking. I also think the author didn’t make the most of Wendell’s break for freedom and for me the ending was a little disappointing. 4 stars