The Mirror’s Edge

by: Steven Sidor

Published by: St. Martin's Press

Reviewed by Mark M. Owen, Ph.D.

Steven Sidor writes. He pens thriller novels. Frightening, like a dark, damp place you have to put your hand inside. Go for it, I say.

This is my take on his style of writing, where he employs short, taut sentences that carry a clear voice, calling from some uncomfortable life experience. Steven Sidor’s newest offering, The Mirror’s Edge, is a fast read, clocking in at fewer than 300 pages in hardback form. It’s not a lighthearted novel by any stretch, but fans of his should be more than pleased, and I’d recommend this novel to anyone who thinks characters like Hannibal Lecter are pure entertainment.

The story is written in the first-person perspective, effectively pulling the reader along. We see the world through his sarcastic and often depressed eyes, as he stumbles through locales trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of two boys. It has happened before too close to home, and that is motivation enough. Obscure clues like mirrororrim lead the narrator to investigate a strange cult that makes Wicca seem normal. Dark magic is on the menu, and you will have to finish the book to find out if and how the leading man survives.

There are a couple minor flaws, which are easily tossed aside. The book gets off to a choppy start by screwing around with the timeline, and it’s not entirely clear that the near-end brings us back to the beginning. I think it did, but I’m not sure. I was also mildly perplexed by the protagonist’s significant other, who coincidentally happens to be neck deep on the wrong side of the plot. It seemed a bit unrealistic.

However, these issues can be dismissed because Sidor’s dark voice is so willful and strong. I’d recommend this book to fans of Thomas Harris, or anyone looking to take a walk on the dark side.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

Author’s Web site: http://www.StevenSidor.com