The Lost Village

The Lost Village

Mark Edward Hall

Page Free Publishing Inc.

ISBN 1589610601 $19.95 508 pages

Between the never-ending battles of good vs. evil, there stands a secluded patch of land known as James Village, Maine. The Lost Village takes us on a quest, an exhaustive journey of human emotions, pain, suffering, and wanderlust. It takes us on an inner exploration of those very themes, and the inhabitants that reside there. From the haunting cover, rich with the infusions of blood stained tears of lost children, to the final page where one can actually catch their breath--this is a genuine must read!

Mark Edward Hall is an insightful author with the ability to craft a brilliant story to speak to any reader of all genres. Throughout the prolific and sometimes somber story, the readers will be forced to question their own level of thought and conscience. He bestows upon each individual his vast ideas of a unique frame of mind, where you hope to wake up, but find solace in the realm between. It's a multifaceted story where you want to pay attention, because things go on many different routes. Each character is realistic with their own set of baggage, desires, despairs, and secrets. With absolute attention to detail, setting, and ambience, you are along for an incredible ride.

James Village is home to a plethora of strange and unexplained events, giving it a history that is dark and unpleasant. Sadly children have gone missing, yet the lack of grief among the families is unsettling. The ambience of the village is reminiscent of a walk through a forest late at night with a thick fog, disabling your view and fueling your imagination with disturbing apparitions. It's the unnerving realization someone or something may be watching you, but still you stumble on in the dark, hoping you don't lose your way or your mind. The Lost Village also suggests we as humans are far too removed from our past, ignoring it and seeing only what we're told to see. When we take a step back and dig from our insides, we may not like the outcome, but it's a part of us. The legacies and ancestry behind us may be a wake up call for the here and now.

The characters are well developed and thought out with qualities that allow you to forgive whatever sins they have. Within the pages of The Lost Village are the disappearances of the children, as well as their return. It's a constant uncovering of times, places, and the forgotten, with an ending that will surprise you. The most terrifying part of this compelling and supernatural story is that it borders on reality. I look forward to reading all of Mark Edward Hall's work.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Midwest Book Review
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group