Book Review: Double Vision by Hamelin Bird

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“Forgiveness is not enough.”

📚

Double Vision is a supernatural horror/mystery that follows Michael Lunsmann, a former detective whose failed marriage derails both his personal and professional lives. Estranged from his teenage son, Doug, and harboring deep-seated love for his ex-wife, Kathleen, Michael struggles with alcoholism, self-loathing, and inner demons that leave his life in shambles and his health on the brink.

Following a disastrous episode with his son, Michael goes on a bender and witnesses a bizarre crime that appears to defy reality and logic. He later awakens in the hospital to find that he’s been shot, and when he discovers that four teens disappeared the same evening, he becomes determined to investigate the incident and unravel the truth.

Double Vision is a dense, introspective slow burn imbued with flawed, believable characters whose weaknesses and imperfections instantly tug on the reader’s heartstrings. The writing is layered and nuanced — particularly the dialogue, which sparks with understated brilliance — and the sinister storyline that underscores the narrative is as dark as it is fascinating, as creative as it is compelling. As is the structure, which interweaves dual character-driven journeys and multiple points of view into a captivating race against time.

Further detail in certain chapters would allow the reader to more fully grasp and appreciate the eerie history and supernatural lore that produces some of the most page-turning portions, but this novel is nonetheless a gripping reflection on addiction, loss, generational trauma, and fatherhood and a testament to the writer’s skill and talent (especially considering that this is a debut!).

Thank you to Hamelin Bird for sending me a physical copy of this unique and impressive novel!

❤Amanda

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