Horror
Eyes Everywhere
Written by: Matthew Warner
Published by: Raw Dog Streaming Press
Reviewed by Justine Manzano
This would be the third time I have reviewed a book by Matthew Warner. His first published novel, The Organ Donor, was reviewed by me for the website www.ybfree.com. His next release, a collection of short stories entitled Death Sentences: Tales of Punishment and Revenge, was the perfect transition piece for my newly started career at this website. Both were brilliantly crafted works of horror fiction. So, naturally, when Warner approached me about his latest release, Eyes Everywhere, I jumped at the chance to work with him once again. Eyes Everywhere was just as brilliant.
The novel follows Charlie Fields, a young legal secretary (which brought me a chuckle, since so am I) who has recently started a family. Happily married to his wife Lisa, who is helping him to raise his young children Brian (4) and April (3), he doesn’t have the heart to tell his wife that his job is in danger because he may be laid off. Despite this, he struggles to hold on to his job, even as he begins to feel that his employers are just looking for reasons to rid themselves of him. Suddenly, the signs are everywhere—they follow him home, they have software loaded into his computer at work, they won’t let him buy the new house he wants, and they are making his wife behave more and more suspiciously. Suddenly, Charlie is in the fight of his life, struggling to rescue his children from a home invaded by spies and from the testing he knows they are about to undergo.
If you didn’t get it yet, Charlie is a bit whacked, and the most intriguing thing about this novel is the subtle way in which Charlie’s descent into madness is written. At the beginning, the things he notices could be truth or fiction. The reader wonders if this is the beginning of a conspiracy thriller. Then, he spirals downward, and by the time he is looking for the messages in the garbage left behind on the stoop, you know it’s true—Charlie Fields is completely insane. The most amazing thing that Warner gives us is a peek into the mind of a Schizophrenic that is so palpable, we can’t help but understand the strange leaps Charlie’s mind is making. We know he is crazy and that he is doing things that the rest of the world can’t possibly understand, but the character is likeable and feels justified in his actions and we are along for the ride, whether we want to be or not.
I have always applauded Warner on his incredible researching skills, but this book shocked me out of my seat. Having experienced a friend’s bout with Schizophrenia, the accuracy of Warner’s portrayal unnerved me and also forced me to view the whole situation in a whole new light. Warner’s always gritty and truthful style hammered home a point in the reader—there are times when our mind is the worst enemy we can have.
Eyes Everywhere is most certainly another brilliant creation by my writing idol, Matthew Warner. While you can’t help but chuckle at some of Charlie’s earlier observations, you’re heart will be torn in two by the end. This novel is truly an emotional read. So, buy this book! Support this amazing up and coming writer. Your prize—the limited edition comes with a short story, Die Not In Vain, a strong story about the experience of death. Believe me, it is a prize. Remember, Warner is poised to be the newest genre master, so get in on this ride to the top early. You will want to be able to say you remember his writing back when…
Related Article: Death Sentences
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