SHINE YOUR LIGHT ON ME by Lee Thompson

In full disclosure, throughout a couple of years I grew from being just a fan of Lee Thompson to being a friend. But I was a fan first and I can say that this is the best writing I've read so far from Lee, and that's saying something. There's a passion in this piece that comes out in every page, even more so than the other books I've read by him.

Here, he writes of one eventful night in a small town where a group of bar patrons witness an unexplained miracle and it leads to a night of violence and exposed secrets. Lee takes the idea of the breakdown of a small town through mob mentality and tells it in a way I haven't seen before. Instead of the mob being fueled by hate or fear per usual in these kinds of stories, it's spurred by awe and hope, which makes the events that happen in the book that much more twisted. And his dedication to digging deep into the souls of his characters always leads to a rewarding experience, which is especially the case here.

It's always exciting to jump into one of his books because he is so courageous as a writer. His refusal to flinch at depictions of violence and graphic themes as well as his desire to try something new with every book are risky endeavors, but it's inspiring and he always pulls it off. And he has that extremely rare talent of consistently coming up with great titles for his books! Give this one a go, it'll stick with you and it's a good place to start with his work.

GRADE: A-