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Friday, September 16, 2011

Review of Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3), by Karina Halle

Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror, #3)

With the Experiment in Terror show finding some success, amateur ghost hunters Perry Palomino and Dex Foray embark on their most terrifying investigation yet. A tiny, fog-shrouded island in the rough strait between British Columbia and Washington State has held a dark secret for decades: It was a former leper colony where over forty souls were left to rot, die and bury each other. Now a functioning campground, Perry and Dex spend an isolated weekend there to investigate potential hauntings but as the duo quickly find out, there is more to fear on D’Arcy Island than just ghosts. The island quickly pits partner against partner, spiraling the pair into madness that serves to destroy their sanity, their relationship and their very lives. (From GoodReads)


My Review

If I had to describe Dead Sky Morning with one word, that word would be Intense. Intense on every level.  Author Karina Halle continuously ups the ante with each book in the Experiment in Terror series, bringing her “A-Game” every time.

Perry Palomino (ah, how I love that name), is still the endearing, absorbing protagonist that made anyone who has read this series fall in love with her. She’s an Everywoman. She doesn’t have the perfect body, career or guy. She’s just another person, trying to get by the best way she can.  I don’t know that I’ve ever read a character that I could relate to more than Perry. And that’s not to say that I am just like Perry or that you have to have the same issues she does to be able to relate to her. But when you are in her head, living the moment with her, you can’t help but be sucked in, all the way. The author puts you so soundly in Perry’s head that when she is angry or sad, you are so there with her.

Dex Foray, Perry’s partner, friend and object of affection is back in all his twitchy, weird, and extremely hot glory in Dead Sky Morning. Luckily, in this book, Halle gives more insight into who Dex is, the events in his past that shaped him. Perry’s poor heart. The look back just makes Perry embrace him all the more. Really, as a reader, I should hate him sometimes. He pulls some really insensitive, asinine stunts. The kind of stunts that make Perry, and me, want to knock the hell out of him. But when he looks up with those damaged eyes, filled with an unspoken pain, you want to try to make it all better.

As expected, once Dex and Perry are stuck on a (possibly) haunted island together, sparks fly. And I do mean FLY! Between drinking games, such as “I Never” and “Truth or Dare”, and copious amounts of Jack Daniel flowing, the emotional barriers between the two come tumbling down. Dex and Perry begin revealing bits of themselves, alternating between surprising, funny, and poignant. The revelations only serve to endear the characters more, to each other and the reader. Dead Sky Morning left me torn. Torn between hoping and thinking that Dex will be the man Perry deserves. And the fact that although I love Dex, he may never become that man. And Perry Palomino deserves the very best life and love have to offer. But, believe you me, I have me fingers crossed for these two. 

I’ve tried to think of an eloquent statement regarding the dialogue. Here’s what I kept coming back to: the dialogue in Dead Sky Morning just plain Rocks!  The moments between Perry and Dex alternate between wistful or poignant, to laugh out loud funny, especially when Perry and Dex are antagonistic towards one another. And when Dex finally meets Perry’s little sister, Ada? Snarkiness at it’s best! Halle pulls no punches with her characters’ words. I don’t know if anyone writes “Smart-Ass” better.

Karina Halle’s talents also excel in her insane ability to write the nonverbal communication, as well.  The manner in which she can portray an exchange of looks or the observations on a facial expression just takes her work to a whole other level. So if I can’t get Perry and Dex out of my head, I blame her!

On the whole, I can say at this point I honestly have no idea where Karina Halle will take Perry and Dex in the subsequent books of the series. Their world could spin in a hundred different directions and I have a feeling that she will put this captivating pair through a lot more strenuous, funny and passionate times. I can’t wait to journey each one with them.

Favorite Quotes

“Sometimes it felt like looking at his face and just accepting the way things were between us was the hardest thing in the world.”

“He was staring at me. There were so many intense looks flowing across his eyes and lips, waxing and waning with each passing second. He looked deep into my eyes, trying to get something out of me.”

Paperback
Expected publication: October 13th 2011 by Metal Blonde Books  
 
You can find Dead Sky Morning at:

You can find my review of Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1) here.
You can find Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1) for only $0.99 at:

You can find my review of Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2) here.
You can find Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2) for only $2.99 at:
You can find author Karina Halle at the Experiment in Terror website.

*I received an ARC of Dead Sky Morning from the author, in exchange for an honest review."*

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