The Shimmer

by David Morrell

Book Overview

Creator of Rambo and co-founder of the International Thriller Writers organization, David Morrell has been called "the father of the modern action novel." Now this award-winning, New York Times... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593155379
• ISBN13: 9781593155377
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Vanguard Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Hold on to your hat, this is a wild ride!

The Shimmer by David Morrell, is a techno/conspiracy/thriller of a book. It had me turning pages at a furious rate to find out what would happen next. It's the story of a fictitious little town called Rostov, deep in the southern part of Texas where there is a phenomena of some sparkling, blinking, floating colored lights over a dark and desolate area near the Mexican border. What makes them even stranger is that some people see them and some never do. The lights seem to make most of the people who can see them happy or content, involving more than just one of their senses. It's spooky, mysterious, fast moving and some of it horrifying. It's not a story for the faint of heart. The main characters are a police officer named Dan Page and his wife Tori who get caught up in these lights and the drama that surrounds them at this particular time. I don't want to give anything of the story away, but this book has lots of twists and turns, excitement and adventure. Some of it's a little predictable, but in a good way. I spent a couple of late nights not being able to put it down and then one of those nights not being able to fall asleep because of the adrenaline rush from this book. I haven't read any of Morrell's other books, but after reading this one I'll certainly seek them out. I like the ooky-spooky storyline combined with a lot of pretty believable techno-type details that makes you wonder if something like that could really happen. Or maybe if it has happened and we just never found out about it. If you want a good, fast moving, suspenseful summer read (or one to cozy up with on a cold winter night) I can recommend this book. It's a story you'll remember the next time you see a light in the sky, down near the horizon, that you can't identify.

The Mystery of the Lights?

The Mystery of the Lights? David Morrell is indeed an excellent writer. Although The Shimmer doesn't have the over-the-top action of many of today's over-hyped thrillers, it is, nevertheless, enjoyable on several more introspective levels. Mr. Morrell is able to craft a story that draws the reader in as he develops his multi-faceted characters. The action is even paced and used as a tool to develop the interaction of the characters. The historical accounts add to the depth of this wonderful story and makes it all the more believable. The Lights: What are those darn lights? That is for you the reader to figure out. Along with the secret base, the Raleigh family history, and why people are affected the way they are. Sometimes knowing less is more and in this case Mr. Morrell does an excellent job of leaving much to the reader's imagination. And, doesn't that make for the best reading adventures? Superb character development in all respects. Mr. Morrell does an excellent job of growing his characters through the story rather than the story through the characters. This is tough and if not done right can lead to writing catastrophe. I also enjoyed how Mr. Morrell did not have a central main character but rather an ensemble cast of characters who each played their part to develop the storyline. Well done, Sir. No gratuitous violence, language or sex. Just a good old tale. An introspective thriller. I like this book. Therefore, I heartily recommend it. Mr. Morrell is a wonderful writer whose writing skills have grown through the years. He is at the top of his game now and I look forward to his next literary work.

Thoroughly Enjoyable

I read Creepers and one other book by Mr. Morrell, and I must say this was the best of the lot, so far. His writing style is very clean, though he tends to head hop in some places, but overall, the editing and his writing are very good and a pleasure to read. There is one aspect of the ending that I saw coming, but if it hadn't turned out the way I'd wanted, I would've been pretty upset. Don't want to give anything away here. My only beef is that the explanation for the lights is not really fleshed out. The plot centers around how the military tries to harness their power, but never what they are or where they came from. Kind of like the real Marfa lights, which some believe are just weird reflections or refraction of car headlights. In that respect, The Shimmer leaves us with the same question, what are the lights, really? Whether you believe they exist for real (or not), it was a great premise for a story and Mr. Morrell did an outstanding job of creating a page-turning thriller. This book was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it for thriller fans.

As Impressive as Anything Morrell has Ever Written

David Morrell is regarded as the father of the modern action novel. As lofty a title as that is, he is much more than that. Well into his fourth decade as an author, Morrell could be resting on his mountain of accolades while occasionally sending a communiqué of some value down from the mountain. Instead he seems to be working harder than ever, with even greater results. One could argue that he is entering a higher stage of his career, with some of his best work having been written during the course of the last several years. If, for example, you bypassed THE SPY WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS because you suspected it was a heartwarming seasonal tale with thriller highlights, you need to read it from cover to cover right now. What is most noteworthy about the book is that it demonstrates Morrell's willingness to take chances, as well as his ability to meet and exceed all expectations. This brings us to THE SHIMMER, Morrell's latest effort, as impressive as anything he has ever written and as challenging an endeavor as he has attempted to date. It would be easy to classify it as a work of speculative fiction, and while the book does have some touches of that genre, it would be an oversimplification to do so, one that would not do justice to either the tale or its author. The focal point of the story is a nocturnal phenomenon consisting of a display of lights occurring over the city of Rostov, Texas. Rostov is a creation of Morrell's imagination, but along with the light display, it is based upon a similar town and phenomenon in the real-world locale of Marfa, Texas. Three significant elements converge upon Rostov in THE SHIMMER. One is a colonel named Warren Raleigh, the latest member of a family of military men whose lives have been connected with the lights for generations. Another is Brent Loft, who regards the lights, and a disaster that occurs during one of their sightings, as elements to be exploited on his way to prominence as a television anchorman with a national audience, a position that he sees as his inevitable and rightful due. The most interesting element of the book, even beyond the light display that gives the tale its name, is the relationship between Dan and Tori Page. Dan is a pilot with the Santa Fe Police Department; he returns home after a particularly harrowing day to find his wife unexpectedly gone, with only a terse note to him heralding her absence. In due course he discovers that she has gone to Rostov, a town of which he has never heard. Her absence functions as a wake-up call to him concerning their relationship, so he drops everything and journeys to the city to bring her home. What he finds is not what he expects, at least not initially. Tori has come to Rostov to watch the lights, a phenomenon that first captivated her as a child. When he locates her, she appears to be in a trance; there is more going on here as well, and the manner in which they resolve their problems and breach the quiet distance between them transform

Excellent Story!

Dan Page is a police officer in Santa Fe, New Mexico and a pilot as well. He comes home from duty and discovers that his wife Tori has left. The next day she is found in Rostov Texas. Page flies there in his plane. He discovers that his wife is in a hypnotic state. She is mesmerized by the Rostov lights which she had seen as a child. An observer brought in on a bus tour goes beserk and kills several several onlookers at the site. Dan's wife finally kills him. The shooter claims that the lights are demon possessed. After this incident more strange things happen To save his wife Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov lights.While trying to solve this mystery Page and his wife uncover a secret government program. Ths secrte dats back to the first world war.The lghts have a government related secret. Page winds up in a conflict between government forces and other ndividuals. It has an entertaining ending when Page cracks this deep dark secret. This is another good mystery by Morrell.