Review: Intoxication by Tim Kizer

 This is the first in a long row of reviews coming up, so keep checking back for more!!

How do you force a confession out of a coworker trying to poison you? Do you kill those who dismiss your fears and believe you are paranoid? What do you do if you start questioning your own suspicions--and sanity--as you take the law into your hands? 

In this disturbing tale of derangement, a young psychopathic woman is slipping into madness as she fights an enemy that may exist only in her imagination. She has to resort to desperate measures when she realizes that a gun, security cameras in her apartment, and constant vigilance will not be enough to survive. It is hard to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if the cat is not there, but Leslie, with her resolve fueled by paranoia, is hell-bent on finding and slaughtering it. 

Bonus: "Hitchhiker" by Tim Kizer, the first entry in the As the Darkness Falls series.From description:When a serial killer hitches a ride one sunny day in a beautiful California valley, he does not suspect that he may have met his match, who is dead set to take another life. The battle of wits begins and only the most devious mind will survive.

Tim Kizer asked me to review his novelette and I have to admit I was a bit hesitant in the beginning. I think that mystery/crime novels, good mystery/crime novels I must add, are hard to write. Is your story interesting enough, is it slightly realistic, will you be able to hold the reader's attention long enough?

I really liked 'Intoxication'. To start of, I think the title is delightfully ambiguous. Not only is she intoxicated, but she is also intoxicated and overwhelmed by the idea of being intoxicated and the many possibilities that brings. Leslie, our heroine and protagonist, is astounding in her belief that her co-worker Helen tried to poison her. Although it seems slightly unrealistic I think everyone can relate to being completely convinced of your own idea while no one else beliefs you. In this way Tim Kizer has been able to make the reader identify with his character, which, as I mentioned before, I think is quite hard.

The different plot turns are fun and the entire story goes at a fast pace, which covers some of the superficiality. Kizer doesn't delve deeply into Leslie's paranoia, but then again, it would need an entire novel to do that and work it out properly. For a short story it is very entertaining and I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a nice read on a warm afternoon. However, if you are looking for a deeply psychological suspense story I suggest you look elsewhere.

The short story 'Hitchhiker' is remarkable in its plot twist. I really had not expected what was coming and I truly enjoyed reading it. Though a bit too fast at times it shows the author's creative spirit. It is a remarkable set up that I think a lot of people would enjoy. Only negative thing is that it ends to quick and sudden and that I felt that the characters were more like rough sketches, but I guess this is just a general "criticism" I have on short stories. They are too short for my liking, but that doesn't mean they are easier to write.

Overall I give these two short stories...

3 UNIVERSES!!!!

I really enjoyed the stories and I think that is exactly what they are meant for. If you want a book that will challenge you in the sense of deepness of the plot you should move on, but if you are looking for a nice story to read by yourself or to someone else than this is your book.

What are your thoughts? Have you reviewed this book and think differently?