Reviews

One sometimes wonders if Simmons is capable of writing succinctly. With The Terror, his long-winded style matched the mood and setting admirably. Carrion Comfort, though, is all action. Set in the 1980s, it pits three unlikely heroes against a secret cabal of humans with an ability to control the minds of others. Its fast pace catapults the reader through the book's first third, but this speed can't be sustained. The story bogs down, ultimately, in a mess of intrigue among the mind-vampires and preparations for the heroes' final showdown. The ending is both an anticlimax and a relief. Verdict Libraries should purchase, as demand will arise from Simmons's fans, but this should have been a 500-page novel at most. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.