My Book Reviews

SPIRIT LAKE
by Dwight Dixon
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

reviewed by Rebecca L. Morgan

“He had a rough moment as he beheld her once pretty face, crushed and distorted forever.”

By all appearances, Dan Rice leads the typical American family life. He is a tenured professor at a conservative college, lives near a beautiful lake with his wife and fifteen-year-old son, and has aspirations of finishing a novel that will provide both the respect and financial success he seeks. But looming beneath the surface is a dark desire to release his frustrations over his struggling marriage and unhappiness through rage and violence. Impacting his situation are the terrible headaches he is experiencing. A fainting incident on the college campus leads to an encounter with a female colleague that attracts his attention. Suzanne Lacey is attempting to create a new life for herself after escaping a difficult past and recent allegations of murder following her husband’s death. When she refuses Dan’s advancements, he spirals into a series of brutal acts that erupt into a volatile scheme to capture his prey.

In this gripping, cat-and-mouse crime novel, the author develops a dizzying plot that keeps the reader stunned with each turn. Set against the backdrop of a Northwestern mountain community, the story is shaped by the haunting legend of Spirit Lake and its spellbinding quality that magnetizes the characters and ultimately lures them to their demise. Despite the sinister narrative, the novel quietly addresses the imbalances of society, weighing the disparities that exist between the wealthy, educated public and those toiling to carve out a better existence. In a startling twist that alters the direction of the story, Suzanne and Dan unite on a mission to elude authorities and create an unfathomable tragedy that solidifies their sociopathic behavior. While the tone of the novel is bleak and callous, Dixon crafts multifaceted characters that successfully guide the reader through this absorbing and chilling tale of passion and sin.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

BANDWAGON: A Retrospective
by Dwight Dixon
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

book review by Kathleen Heaney

“One by one the members of the commune turned from their flight and joined, defying the fire and standing their ground.”

The Author tells the story of a commune of marijuana growers founded by Smokey fifty years ago. Big Man, a former convict, is now out of prison and beats the Judge to death, and the Author brings him back to life. Narc poisons the drugs being grown in the commune and kills Big Man, so the Deputy arrests Narc. The Author and Nancy, an accountant for Clark, Smokey’s father, say “Grow Garden Grow,” and the garden grows, after which the Author leaves because the people think he is a prophet. Narc and Big Man’s girlfriend escape prison and set fire to the hill near Bandwagon. Nancy and the Author stop the fire by saying, “Stop Fire Stop.” Clark invites the commune members to a party, and Nancy declares her love for the Author.

In his short fable set in the 1960s, Dixon manages to weave in a variety of positive thematic elements. The themes of bravery and dedication to a worthy cause are evident when the commune members ban together to stop the fire. Love and devotion are demonstrated in the story of Smokey and the waitress Lenora as is the teamwork of Nancy and the Author in helping the plants of the commune grow and in stopping the fire. Leadership and justice are strong themes in the story as well. The Author shows leadership when he makes the garden grow and stops the fire. Justice is demonstrated by the death of Big Man and the arrest of Narc. The theme of the “good guy” winning is shown by the Author bringing the Judge back to life and by Nancy and the Author making the garden grow again.

An Occurrence in Big Sur
by Dwight Dixon
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

book review by Michelle Jacobs

“When they are satisfied with the drug, they’ll market it in the U.S., where it will corrupt and kill the infidels from within their own depraved culture.”

A German pharmaceuticals company is forced by a terrorist organization to buy the company of a gifted, autistic chemist and his brother. Before the multi-billion-dollar sale of the company is finalized, the chemist must create a highly addictive, lethal drug. The drug will then be introduced into the illegal drug supply in the United States through a Mexican cartel. This creative plot to kill Americans through their own vices offers an unusual take on the terrorist thriller. The author’s idea of using illicit drugs as a weapon iintroduces a totally different kind of chemical warfare in the terrorists’ struggle against the West.

The autistic chemist, Damon, does not want to be a part of creating a lethal drug and is intent on double-crossing the German company. After stalling in the lab for too long, suspicions are aroused, and a crew is dispatched to the Big Sur lab to coerce and threaten. The excitement intensifies as the plot builds and subplots develop revealing the terrorist mission shadowed by the German company.

Romance abounds as well when Damon accidentally hits a woman on the road when he is driving to his home in Big Sur. Clair is in a coma, but Damon cares for her even though she is a stranger to him. When she wakes from the coma, she develops the ability to see the future, a useful gift when Damon and his extended family are pursued by terrorists. Clair and Damon fall in love despite the questionable ethics of their initial encounter. Other romantic entanglements are scattered through Dixon’s fast-moving story rife with sudden developments and unbelievable plot twists. Characters are forced together through coincidence. and the action is extended, fueled by gunfights, close calls, and exotic locales.

Meet the Author

Dwight Dixon

I was born Illinois in 1949 but spent most of my early life in Seattle and Spokane. After graduation from the University of Southern California in Music and English, I studied creative writing at Brown University. I spent several years in France and Germany working as composer and pianist, composing ballet scores in Paris and for the Cologne and Heidelberg Opera houses. In New York and Los Angeles, I wrote underscore for commercials, industrial presentations, feature films (‘Perfect Strangers’ and ‘The Stuff’) and Broadway — ‘Starstruck’, an Off-Broadway play, has been continued as a successful comic book series.

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