Enthralling horror!!

Before we view into my thoughts on Dead Man's Song I would like to say a few words about Jonathan Maberry. If you read the notes within the book Maberry is akin to or better than King, and I would warmly agree with this. What Stephen King is able to do so successfully is create small town America and give to the reader some really memorable characters. There is Jack Torrance and his lovable yet strange son Danny, former home loving nurse Annie Wilkes and her obsession with writer Paul Sheldon (she's his no. 1 fan and we all know where that will lead!)The Green Mile which is part fantasy and part horror exploring the relationship between prison guard Paul Edgecomb and new prisoner John Coffey and of course not forgetting that cute mouse Mr Jingles!.....but hold on I hear you say this is a review about Dead Man's Song by Jonathan Maberry...and what a memorable and fantastic story it is. This is the second part of a trilogy, my review for Ghost Road Blues can be read here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/527248980  the final part being Bad Moon Rising. So Dead Man's Song continues the story of Pine Deep, a fictional rural Pennsylvania town that becomes plagued by an evil force thought previously killed 30 years before. What a wonderful cast of characters we have; Malcolm Crow reformed drinker, ex cop and now out to fight the evil fast invading his town, his lovely partner Val (whose Dad Henry was murdered by the evil Karl Ruger at the end of Ghost Road Blues)...there is one very memorable love scene between Crow and Val when Crow gets all sentimental with the love potions and candles....really well written and described by the author over some 8 pages. Two-Truck Eddie (who gets a sexual high from his god worship) is such a mixed up evil predator who believes that God is sending him messages to destroy the beast in the form of young Iron Mike Sweeney. Iron Mike Sweeney, a true 14 year old hero who narrowly escaped death at the hands of Two-Truck Eddie (Ghost Road Blues) and is at the mercy of his butchering evil step father Vic Wingate. Crow comes to the rescue of Iron Mike and offers the youngster a job at the "Crows Nest" where he is determined to teach him the art of self defence..I'm hoping that Iron Mike will teach Vic Wingate his own,very painful, lesson in the final part of the trilogy. Terry "Wolfman" wolfe...the mayor, eloquent speaker but manically depressed, he keeps seeing visions of his dead sister Mandy and believes she wants him to commit suicide. Vic Wingate the ultimate thug who is laying the seeds of destruction and groundwork for the return of Karl Ruger and ultimately the very evil Ubel Griswold. The significance of Griswold and his master plan for the inhabitants of Pine Deep is now made known (but I will not spoil the story by disclosing!)And through all of this carnage walks Oren Morse, The Bone Man singing softly, playing the blues and watching over the unfolding drama. A great cast of characters once again makes the second installment of the Pine Deep trilogy a must read for all true horror fans, it's a journey that will leave you with some great memories and along the way you will meet some great friends and stare the devil in the face!!!