The Cost of Free Will

Three weeks after Daniel moved to Hampton Falls, his friend Jack mysteriously goes missing. The last place he was seen was outside Old Man Winters house on the outskirts of Town. Ten years have passed and Jack is still absent from their lives. 


A sequence of events guide Daniel towards this house again as if this brick and mortar wants to give up its secrets. What he discovers will unlock the truths to his past, present and future. He must gamble between the love of a family he knows and the family he never had. Choices have to be made, but who can he trust?


A relic stored within the bowels of the basement wants him. It’s a mirror, and it will steal away his soul until it can take no more. Daniel will be tested by the evils that reflect back at him; he will loath what he sees, but his heart will beat like a man sick in love. He will learn how to use the energy it emits, but with its abuse come dark prices.


Can Daniel control the darkness that pulses through the mirror? Or is it merely manipulating him? Whatever happens, he must never leave the mirror unattended, must guard the relic against the evils that want to pass through from the other side. 

Can Daniel trust the children?

Most of Me by Mark Lumby is a cautionary tale about free will and the consequences of choices. Daniel once again finds himself in front of the ominous house from his childhood. As a boy, he wisely chose to keep his distance, but, as an adult, he makes the unfortunate mistake of stepping through the red front door. In a similar manner to such movies as Insidious and Occulus, Lumby builds suspense by hinting at the real horror with key details cleverly scattered throughout the story.

Although I am a fan of Mark Lumby, I am a little disappointed with the quality of the novel. I don't usually get hung up on typos, but there are so many mistakes throughout the entire book, I have to address the sloppy editing. I am concerned readers new to the author's work will be turned off and not bother to finish the story. The ending is mind-blowing and completely shocking, but I know a lot of horror fans that won't bother to finish the book.

I really hope Lumby hires an editor to polish this novel. He has an excellent writing style, but all the errors weaken the delivery. I suggest readers begin with Lumby's short stories and, perhaps, they will be forgiving about the poor editing and enjoy the complicated storyline.

As always,
AstraDaemon