Last year the Resurrectionist by Wrath James White blew me away and easily took the top spot as best book of 2009. Now, with only a few days to spare, I have just finished what I consider the best book of 2010. Cherry Hill by James A. Moore is simply fantastic. An early (or mabe not so early?) adventure of Moore's iconic Jonathan Crowley, Cherry Hill is filled with mystery, action, ghosts, and gore. Oh, the gore! Iwon't go into detail; I would hate to spoil the pleasure of you reading this for yourself.
I will say this, With Jonathan Crowley, Moore has created one of the most compelling characters in horror fiction. Featured in many novels, novellas, and short stories, Crowley travels the world with a nasty smile, a rapier wit, and a heaping helping of muscle and magic. Not one to suffer fools, Crowley puts them in their place while still saving their lives. A tragic anti-hero, he stands head and shoulders above so many of todays "monster hunters."
Cherry Hill is a tightly paced piece of terror that reveals some of the hidden past of Jonathan Crowley. (JC. Hmm.) In a year filled with great books, House Of Fallen Trees by Gin Rinnalli, Book Of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff, Draculas by Kilborn, Strand, Wilson & Crouch, Children Of Chaos by Greg F. Gifune, to name a few, Cherry Hill rises to the top and earns my pick as Best Book Of 2010!
