Review of Holy Terror

[RJ Reviews]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Holy Terror" by John R. Dougherty.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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A slew of seemingly implausible killings baffles Detective Ian Jelani and his partner, Lane Madigan. The victims die brutally, often in a mind-boggling way, with no apparent motive or clues. The only thing they could determine is that all the victims share a history of being criminals—bullies, crime lords, abusers, terrorists, and murderers. People dub this vigilante as Holy Terror. Both detectives try their best to nab this alleged vigilante until tragedy strikes. Will they be able to cope with their loss and remain faithful to God? Who is this vigilante with supernatural strength? Read Holy Terror by John R. Dougherty to find the answers to these questions and much more.

This book has two parallel storylines. While the detectives are the human protagonists, Thumos, a warrior angel, is the supernatural protagonist. When he witnesses the suffering of good people at the hands of evil, he takes matters into his own hands, motivated by a desire to impart justice. But are his actions justified? The author takes readers on a thought-provoking journey throughout the book, which is the beauty of this story. Despite being a supernatural entity, Thumos is as relatable as the detectives. Both Thumos and Madigan fail to fathom the depth of God's intentions and question why He let His beloved creations suffer. This story raises a few questions about morality and the strength of faith when someone faces injustice and personal loss. I found this to be very relevant in today's society. Is vigilante justice the right path?

The book deals with the themes of love, faith, morality, personal growth, resilience, and divine interventions. All the characters are relatable and well-crafted. The story proceeds at a brisk pace and is full of unpredictable twists. It has supernatural elements. Though the concepts of heaven and God are Catholic-based, I see no reason for others not to enjoy the universality of good versus evil. The initial chapters flow smoothly and make readers emotionally invested in the story.

Unfortunately, the praise ends there. I found a lot of missing or wrong punctuation, missing quotation marks, unnecessary paragraph changes in the middle of a dialogue, and many more editing and formatting issues. Dialogue and action tags are abrupt, making the flow choppy. Thumos sounds like a pouting child, which is uncharacteristic for an ancient angel. Rather than dialogues, his monologues could have been portrayed as inner thoughts. His interactions with other angels feel unrealistic and stilted. The fighting scenes between angels are long and repetitive. They barely add to the actual plot. The final chapters drag on unnecessarily. The interaction between God and Thumos fails to impress due to their unrealistic dialogue and behavior. I would have preferred it to be shorter and more direct instead of lengthy conversations with a choppy flow. While a mere human chooses faith over vengeance, an angelic being fails to do so. I find this a little odd.

This story has potential, but it certainly needs another round of editing and formatting to enhance the reading experience. Due to all these reasons, I can only rate it 3 out of 5 in its current form.

It is the first book in a series and has an open ending. It does answer some questions and gives a sense of conclusion. Due to the gruesome nature of some scenes, I will recommend this to mature readers only. Overall, this story is thought-provoking and an emotional roller-coaster. 

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Holy Terror
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[Anozie Stephanie]

Holy Terror by John R. Dougherty as the name implies seems like a terror book and books that contain lots of deaths and abuses are not just my thing.

[Gerry Steen]

Vigilante actions are portrayed and questioned in this novel. This is a good subject. So much is a stake for society. This book will definitely be thought provoking for me. The characters are interesting and so is the plot. Your honest review points out shortcomings that the author can correct. A great review as usual.

[Bettny Andrade]

This book interests me from the point of view of the saint who is taking justice or revenge into his own hands. That position seems interesting, but it doesn't convince me. I understand your point about errors and formatting in general, if at some point I decide to read it I will keep it in mind. Thanks for your review.

[Kshitija Sonawane]

I have seen this book in BOTD once, I think. However, you did a good job with the review and I am glad the author got a chance for their book to be reviewed by you. Good job as always.