Genre: Supernatural crime | Print length: 308
Age range: This is an adult book but suitable for mature teenagers 16+
About Death Perception
“AVENGE US!”
Nineteen-year-old Kennet Singleton lives with his invalid mother in a personal care facility, but he wants out. He operates the crematory at the local funeral home, where he discovers he can discern the cause of death of those he cremates—by toasting marshmallows over their ashes.
He thinks his ability is no big deal since his customers are already dead. But when his perception differs from what’s on the death certificate, he finds himself in the midst of murderers. To save the residents and avenge the dead, Kennet must bring the killers to justice.
Praise for Death Perception
“Dastardly devious, cleverly conceived, and just a whole lot of fun to read, Death Perception is Lee Allen Howard on fire and at his finest. Rife with winsome weirdness, it’s like the mutant stepchild of Carl Hiaasen and Stephen King, mixing a truly unique paranormal coming-of-age story with a quirky cast of offbeat noir characters into a novel that’s simply unforgettable… and hilariously original. A supernatural crime story, blazing with creative intrigue… don’t miss it.” –Michael Arnzen, author of Play Dead
“Lee Allen Howard’s Death Perception is a red-hot union of Gothic crime thriller and grim humor that burns with supernatural tension. Beneath the sickly sweet scent of caramelized sugar lies the wildly entertaining tale of a man who delivers justice to the dead while fanning the fires of the living. Ever hear the expression, ‘laughing in a morgue’? Death Perception feels just like that. Howard has a gift for crafting eccentric characters and clever plots. This is dark fun at its best.” –Jason Jack Miller, author of The Devil and Preston Black and Hellbender
“Death Perception has officially made me envious of Lee Allen Howard. It sings like a choir of angels, yet weeps like a ghost in winter. Everyone should have this in their collection.” –Trent Zelazny, author of To Sleep Gently and Butterfly Potion
Book Review
Thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours for providing me a copy for an honest review!
Kennet has a gift. He can discern how someone died by roasting marshmallows over their ashes. Considering he works for the local crematorium, he has the chance to use his abilities on the job. But he’s always seen his gift as nothing but a parlor trick. After all, when someone has already died does it even matter if he can discern their cause of death? Until his death perception starts to differ from the paperwork. And as the body count rises, he begins to think a killer is on the loose. As Kennet searches for the truth, he will uncover dark secrets and hidden agendas that may very well mean his own death.
Kennet is a character who is down on his luck but refuses to give up. He lives with his elderly mother in a care facility and knows he must strike out on his own, but feels stuck. He doesn’t make enough money to live on his own, yet at the same time, he wants to do better for himself. Haunted by an abusive past, he refuses to become his father. Kennet is constantly comparing himself to his father, and because of this pushes himself harder and harder each day to do better. Even when his temper gets the best of him, he refuses to strike out at those he loves. Lee Allen Howard succeeded in creating a wholesome character readers can’t help but become focused on. He chose to build Kennet up as a character and allowed his ability to accent Kennet’s personality instead of letting it dominate the storyline.
Death Perception is told from multiple points of view. As the story unfolds, readers are allowed to see the motivations behind the murders and how Kennet stumbles into them. Knowing what the antagonists have in store for the story and Kennet helps build up the tension in each moment. It also adds to the overall darker tone of the story and shows an uglier side to humanity. This story hits close to home because the circumstances surrounding the murder mystery feel like they could have occurred in the real world. It’s disturbing to realize people can sink so low, but at the same time, it makes the perfect murder mystery.
There are some religious undertones to Kennet’s abilities, but they never overshadow the main plot. And Lee Allen Howard has also worked in a coming of age story among the main murder mystery. While the various topics don’t seem like they would fit together, it just works. All the pieces line up to tell a slice of life story peppered with mystery and supernatural abilities. If you’re looking for a book to kick off the spooky season, but you don’t want to dive too deeply into horror, give Death Perception a try.
About the Author
Lee Allen Howard writes horror, supernatural crime, and psychological thrillers. His trade paperbacks include THE BEDWETTER: JOURNAL OF A BUDDING PSYCHOPATH, THE SIXTH SEED, THE ADAMSON FAMILY, and DEATH PERCEPTION.
His fiction titles for Kindle include MAMA SAID, STRAY, DESPERATE SPIRITS, NIGHT MONSTERS, and SEVERED RELATIONS.
Howard edits fiction and non-fiction. His writer’s site is https://leeallenhoward.com. Please visit and subscribe.