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Look out Stephen King: ‘Rex’ is coming

By Staff | Dec 3, 2012

Robert Pobi gives Stephen King a run for his money in “Mannheim Rex.”

Gavin Corlie is a highly successful horror writer who is still reeling from the tragic death of his wife. His depression is worsening into something suicidal, so he decides a change of location may help and enlists his assistant to find him a quiet country house.

Gavin’s new home is on Lake Caldasac, in the ramshackled house known as the haunted house in the small town. As he hires a local man to rebuild the property, Gavin sees a young handicapped boy fishing on the lake and tries to say hello, scaring the boy.

Finn Horn, a 13-year-old dying of cancer, seeks his solace in fishing. But his usual day is forever changed when he sees Gavin. For on the way back to his usual spot, he encounters something big in the lake, something that attacks his boat and leaves him almost dead. Something that is responsible for many of the “accidental drownings” on the lake in the past.

An unlikely friendship springs up between the horror writer and Finn, who is determined to catch the monster. And Gavin finds something to live for again, not only the child he is befriending, but a charasmatic lady doctor as well, and Finn’s quest to bring down the leviathan before it kills again.

But as Gavin and Finn will soon discover, the monster in the lake isn’t the only monster hiding in their midst. And when terror strikes on land as well, will they survive both threats?

This is a wicked page turner that veers between human drama and emotion, to bloody horror, to heartwarming story about friendship and back to terror. It is full of deeply rich characters that readers will enjoy cheering for and both “monsters” are terrifying. If you liked “Jaws” or Stephen King or both, check this one out.

“Mannheim Rex” is published by Thomas and Mercer. It is $14.95 and is 501 pages long.