March | 2016 | Linda Watkins

The Pseudo-Chronicles of Mark Huntley (Part 1) is a fast-paced, absorbing read that, once started, is hard to put down. Set in 2004 against the backdrop of the U.S. presidential elections (Bush v. Kerry), the story begins with a disjointed blog post by an unknown writer warning the reader that there “are more monsters out there.” In an effort to disseminate information about “the monsters,” he posts the journal of a man named Mark Huntley (not his real name).

Huntley, a fact-checker at a Washington, D.C. political magazine, appears at first to be quite ordinary, a twenty-four year old who has yet to define his purpose in life. His writings begin with his thoughts about an affair he has had with a married woman – a relationship he has recently ended. His journal entries are laced with a wry sense of humor and, as a reader, you find yourself easily invested in his fate as the mysteries began and he finds himself facing the inexplicable.

Deck’s writing is seamless and so natural that, as you become immersed in Huntley’s increasingly bizarre world, you forget that the story is fiction. This is the mark of a truly gifted writer.

I read this book in one sitting and have already purchased the second installment in the series. If you are a fan of mysteries or thrillers with a touch of science fiction and/or the supernatural, you will not be disappointed in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it to you most highly and without reservation.

I give it five bright, shiny stars!