The Dust of Wonderland

A panicked call from his ex-wife summons Ken Nicholson back to New Orleans, where his son has been attacked and left for dead. While his child’s life hangs in the balance, Ken endures visions connected to a terrifying time from his past. As a teenager, he witnessed the brutal deaths of several young men, an act orchestrated by his benefactor, Travis Brugier. Following the shocking spectacle, Brugier kills himself before Ken’s eyes. Now, decades later, someone wants Ken to remember, wants Ken to return to those violent days. With the lives of his estranged family and his lover, David, threatened, Ken has no choice but to follow his nightmares back to their origin. There he will battle a corrupt and powerful being that believes every life is a story to be captured and rewritten, a being that doesn’t believe in happy endings. Welcome back to Wonderland.“Eloquent writing, wholly dimensional characters and spooky atmospherics power this compelling combo of chilling horror story and ultimately satisfying love story.” — Richard Labonté, The New York Blade“Offers further promise that Thomas could emerge as a leading voice in modern horror fiction.” — Publishers Weekly

From Publishers Weekly

Stoker-winner Thomas (Stained) delivers an intermittently eloquent supernatural tale reminiscent of Peter Straub's Ghost Story. Kenneth Nicholson returns to New Orleans when a late-night call from his ex-wife breaks the tragic news that their son, Bobby, is in a coma, after being bludgeoned by an unknown assailant. As he waits for encouraging medical news, Nicholson gets visions that suggest the possible return of an old evil that was responsible for several gory deaths at a gay lounge popularly referred to as Wonderland. The operator of that club, Nicholson's lover Travis Brugier, was believed dead, but Nicholson begins to wonder if his spirit has resurfaced, possibly in the form of Bobby's attractive girlfriend, Vicki Bach. Thomas's writing is somewhat erratic but often quite good, offering further promise that Thomas could emerge as a leading voice of modern horror. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Lee Thomas has had stories published in the anthologies A Walk on the Darkside , The Book of Final Flesh and Inferno. His first novel, Stained won the Bram Stoker Award. Visit leethomasauthor.com.

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