Review: The Dark Game

The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This morning I wrote a blog post in which I termed several novels "perfect" in my view, among them three by author Jonathan Janz, including THE DARK GAME. This novel and THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER (released Fall 2018) I think are his two best novels to date. THE DARK GAME intertwines psychological thriller, high suspense, paranormal, metaphysical, and wonderful character evolution (and devolution, as some of the characters experience decompensation, to their peril). Mr. Janz has a fine eye for the layers of personality and character usually hidden from the world. He also has an excellent understanding of the meaning of being a writer, and here I am speaking of both the act of writing itself, and of the act of presenting one's work to the world--agents, publishers, critics, trolls.

Ten writers are invited to the retreat of one of the most admired authors of our time (think Hemingway, Norman Mailer, Henry Miller status; also think of their lifestyles). The competition is for an enormous amount of prize money plus (unspoken) an in with publishers and agents: guaranteed best-seller outcome. But only one of course can win. If this seems like an act of tremendous generosity on the part of the host, Roderick Wells (whose work is studied in universities everywhere), it's really not--for Wells is a Narcissist (and more) who sharpens only his own axe, at the expense of all others. However, not all of the ten writers turn out to be patsies to be swatted like flies. We have heroes here, too, of both genders. The characters herein really rock this novel, and I think it ought to be read by every adult.

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