Shrouded opens with a graphic scene of childhood abuse directed against young Douglas Tate. Douglas's step-father is a brutal man, and his mother is unwilling to advocate for her child's safety. Just as soon as we meet young Douglas, the novel jumps forward twenty years and we meet him again as an adult. To say that Douglas has grown up to become a disturbed and dangerous man would be an understatement.
Douglas has only recently moved away from his parents' home. We quickly ascertain that Douglas has no social skills, no friends, and far too much interest in the corpses he encounters in his job as an undertaker. Douglas remains tormented by his childhood abuse memories, and his new independent lifestyle has unleashed thoughts of sex and violence that quickly turn to obsession.
As we see Douglas' grip on reality loosen, we follow this character on what becomes a quest to find the perfect mate--one forever silent, still, and sexually welcoming: one shrouded in death.
When Douglas meets shy and insecure Marjorie at a local fish store, he wonders if she might be the woman to satisfy his increasing sexual needs. After a few encounters at the local Fish Are Fun club exchanging thoughts about fish and aquariums, Douglas seems convinced that Marjorie just might be the right girl for him. And while this troubled girl fantasizes about a life with a man who actually seems interested in her, Douglas hatches an unthinkable plot to turn Marjorie into the girl of his dreams. From his initial introduction as an abused boy desperate for tenderness and parental love to his evolution into a sexual predator, Douglas is an unforgettable character.
If you're looking for a fast-reading, tightly and very well-written suspense book, try Shrouded. Sex, violence, tropical fish, plenty of tea and sweets, and corpses everywhere--what more do you want in a suspense novel? Read it. You may be creeped out--you may be downright scared--but you definitely won't be disappointed.
Douglas has only recently moved away from his parents' home. We quickly ascertain that Douglas has no social skills, no friends, and far too much interest in the corpses he encounters in his job as an undertaker. Douglas remains tormented by his childhood abuse memories, and his new independent lifestyle has unleashed thoughts of sex and violence that quickly turn to obsession.
As we see Douglas' grip on reality loosen, we follow this character on what becomes a quest to find the perfect mate--one forever silent, still, and sexually welcoming: one shrouded in death.
When Douglas meets shy and insecure Marjorie at a local fish store, he wonders if she might be the woman to satisfy his increasing sexual needs. After a few encounters at the local Fish Are Fun club exchanging thoughts about fish and aquariums, Douglas seems convinced that Marjorie just might be the right girl for him. And while this troubled girl fantasizes about a life with a man who actually seems interested in her, Douglas hatches an unthinkable plot to turn Marjorie into the girl of his dreams. From his initial introduction as an abused boy desperate for tenderness and parental love to his evolution into a sexual predator, Douglas is an unforgettable character.
If you're looking for a fast-reading, tightly and very well-written suspense book, try Shrouded. Sex, violence, tropical fish, plenty of tea and sweets, and corpses everywhere--what more do you want in a suspense novel? Read it. You may be creeped out--you may be downright scared--but you definitely won't be disappointed.
