Letter from Hell by M. Lee Mendelson - #review

A simple, routine call to 911 unexpectedly erupts into a grisly suicide. Mike, a well-seasoned deputy is uncharacteristically disturbed by the gruesome scene. Who was this tortured soul, and why did this happen? Innocently, most of us accept our destiny. We assume our life experiences are the result of mere chance. Few of us discover that our fate is actually an orchestrated tapestry woven from beyond our world. When that influencing weaver is from the netherworld, you may likely find yourself on a dark, terrifying, and tragic journey. What if you discovered a letter penned by a desperate soul from beyond the grave, a literal letter from hell? What if that letter could alter your perception of reality by revealing that you are not in control? Would you dare read it?

GoodReads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

~~~oOo~~~

MY REVIEW

M. Lee Mendelson is a sick and twisted individual - BUT then so are Stephen King (author) and M. Night Shyamalan (filmmaker) - two masters of the horror genre.  The story is so frightening that it should come with a warning, like you might find on a particularly exciting amusement park ride:  "Do not ride if you have a heart condition."

That being said, if you are a fan of the horror genre and adore things that go bump in the night, you should be addressee of a "Letter From Hell".

Lots of people talk about writing a letter to their 'younger self'.  I suspect many of the 'younger selves' walking around today would take a look at such a letter from their 'future selves' and think, "Ye-e-e-e-ah, right," crumple up the letter, maybe burn it, visibly shudder and then go watch some episodes of The Smurfs.  Silly, silly, younger selves!

I felt a LOT of sympathy for 'young Mike'.  Bullied relentlessly in middle school, he vows one summer to work out a lot and buff up before starting high school.  His father, a former college sports hero, and his mother, a former college cheerleader, had previously I think 'given up' that they would get a repeat of their glory days through the efforts of their son.  But when they see he is serious about getting in shape, they start to take notice and an interest in their flesh and blood.

I could have done with much less description of episodes of his *ahem* daydreams in his bedroom and the numerous references to "Mr. Crunchy" definitely made me uncomfortable.  Especially in this case, the term 'crunchy' brings up a whole lot of visuals that killed my appetite for a while.

And the summer between middle and high school, he starts catching the attention of young ladies, including the daughter of the family newly moved in across the street.  She is less than happy when she notices other young ladies noticing Mike when the school year starts up.

I don't think it's giving too much away to remind people of a little movie from a while back called "Fatal Attraction".  Hmmmm?

Mike goes on to have a brilliant college sports career until an accident ends that future for him.  So he turns to police work.  As time wears on, he becomes a detective and just happens to catch the really disgusting, grizzly crimes, especially child abductions and ritual murders and the like.

The 'bad guys and gals' in Letter from Hell make Freddy Krueger, Michael Meyers, Frankenstein and most others of their ilk look like the "Little League of Horror".

This book is definitely disturbing and riveting as....well, ... h-e-l-l!

~~~oOo~~~

MEET THE AUTHOR

Website * Twitter * Facebook

A first time author, M. Lee Mendelson and his wife Yvonne have six children between them, three boys and three girls. Yes–the Brady Bunch.

He was inspired and encouraged by Yvonne to write his first book after he proposed the concept to her. M. Lee never dreamt of writing anything before his first book, but has now discovered he has a passion for writing, with one idea after another pouring out of him.

A rare native Floridian, M. Lee recently retired from a career as a full-time firefighter and part-time law enforcement officer. His twenty-six years of experience on the streets have given him a vast array of experiences; some good, some bad. His recent retirement allows him much more freedom to dedicate to his new-found obsession with the written word.

His first book, “Letter From Hell,” is a complex horror novel with a little something for everyone M. Lee’s real-life experiences, coupled with an active and vivid imagination, allow his stories to come alive. Striving to paint pictures with words, he immerses the reader into his scenes.

His ambition is that people will enjoy reading his work and deem it worthy to recommend to others.

~~~oOo~~~

Click the link to go to the tour site where you will find more reviews as well as guest posts and author and character interviews.  You can also apply to become a virtual book tour host site yourself!

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the author and publishers via Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for my objective review.  This post may contain affiliate links.)

~~~oOo~~~

PLEASE NOTE:

I did not post my review on the day it was scheduled.  The mistake was my fault and I deeply regret any difficulties this may have caused for the author, publishers or tour organizers.