I would give this book three and a half stars if possible. It is a fairly fast-paced story of dark places, witches, monsters, and walking dead. (Not zombies, just dead people who walk.) Protagonist and private investigator Miles Huerdeen is rocked by the news of his father's sudden illness and soon discovers that much worse lies in wait. Investigating a possible stalker, he finds a list of men who are dying one by one in unspeakable ways and races to find a connection. A homeless woman gives him nonsensical clues, a safe deposit box raises eerie questions, and every step forward brings him one step closer to an abomination thirsty for blood and hungry for revenge. The characters are well-sketched but never fully developed, which seems almost true of the plot as well. There always seems to be something lacking, some spark of connection or authenticity that never found me. And the conflict resolution seems inappropriate for such a build-up. After the blood and gruesomeness, the dark implications and almost otherworldly goings-on, I expected some real fireworks ... but got snap-and-pops and ash snakes instead. It felt weak and, well, somewhat silly. Despite that, it's a pretty good read. An enjoyable night-time adventure, a good summer book to make those hours at the beach more interesting. But unfortunately not the "horror event of the year" as the cover blurb promises. This is my first Little, and perhaps not the best introduction, but I think there is a lot of potential in his writing. Whether or not he exercises that elsewhere, I have no idea, but parts of The Walking were downright chilling and I intend to keep an eye out for his other works.
3.5 STARSI am a fan of Bentley Little. I've read most of his books and I haven't disliked any of them. However, many have sort of irritated me. Little has a way of presenting a story like it's going to be something truly disturbing and psychological, and then pulling a bait-and-switch at the last minute and giving it an absurd paranormal ending. The Walking doesn't do that; it starts out paranormal and ends up paranormal. The ending fits. It isn't tacked on. I appreciate that.Aside from that, it contains a plot element that I'm a complete sucker for (I won't say what, because it's a little bit of a spoiler, even though it's only a secret for maybe half the book) and there are a lot of characters I liked. As a matter of fact, I don't think there were any that I didn't like, which is rare; I can be awfully picky about characters.
What do You think about The Walking (2000)?
If you liked this one, (and I just started reading it so I have no opinion of this book yet) try Bentley Little's "The House." I've read 10 of his books so far and that was my favorite. Other good ones are "Death Instinct" and "The Association." If you like really twisted, blood, guts and perverted sex in your books, then definitely pick up "Dominion" and "THe University." Someone recommended this author to me and so far, I haven't been disappointed.
—Angela
The Walking is strange to say the ultimate least. It isn't like my favorite type of Little novels where a small event eventually snowballs into something unimaginabley horrible, but it is still a great book. Basically, The Walking is about an epidemic of the dead getting up and walking toward a specific destination and the characters trying to figure out the whats, hows, and whys. I thought that it was a unigue idea and very interesting and exciting read, but the memorable quality that I love in Little's novels wasn't quite as prominant in The Walking. It's a great horror novel and a great Bentley Little novel and definitely worth reading.
—Adam Wilson
Stephen King recommended author. He says: "BEST OUTRIGHT HORROR NOVELIST. Bentley Little, in a walk. Don't know Bentley Little? You're not alone. He's probably the genre's best-kept secret, but at least 10 of his novels are available in paperback; you can pick up three for the price of that flashy new hardcover you've got your eye on. The best thing about Little is that he can go from zero to surreal in 6.0 seconds. My favorites are The Store (think Wal-Mart run by SAYYY-tan) and Dispatch, in which a young fellow discovers that his letters to the editor actually get things done. Bad things."
—Debra
