Hank Schwaeble

Review copy

Angel of the Abyss is book three in the Jake Hatcher series. If you're thinking about diving into this one. I do recommend going all in, by reading Damnable and Diabolical first. Sure you can read any of them as a standalone novel, but they work much better as a series.

Before I get started on the review, I need to tip the proverbial hat to cover artist Dean Samed. Go ahead and blow it up to full screen. Check out the detail. I've read more than a hundred books this year and that is the best cover I've seen so far.

If you've never read a Jake Hatcher novel before, the following pretty much sums up his character...

...a man who knew in his heart he was damned for all eternity, who I am certain has always known that, whether it is true or not, and still chooses to do good, to fight for what is right. Not for his salvation, not for his God, but simply to do what a good man must.

The Angel of the Abyss begins with our intrepid hero in a cave looking for answers, what he found was a hoax. Where this leads is a wild ride involving demons, carnates (physically perfect females, the unusual hybrid offspring of a demon and a human), psychics, a special child, and a plot to throw hell into chaos. A story packed with explosive action from start to finish. Pure escapism.

Be sure to check your suspension of disbelief at the door and prepare for a kaleidoscope of images and a story that may seem convoluted at times, but will all come together in the end. And then get ready for the set up for the next story in the series. We just need to be patient while Hank Schwaeble puts pen to paper.

Look for Angel of the Abyss: A Jake Hatcher Novel available soon from Cohesion Press.

Hank Schwaeble is a writer and attorney in Houston, Texas. His debut novel, Damnable, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. He is also the author of Diabolical, and now The Angel of the Abyss (all three in the Jake Hatcher series). Hank is also the author of the horror-noir collection American Nocturne and numerous short stories.

Hank is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers Association.… (altro)

5 of 5 Stars

Not long ago, I received an advance copy of The Angel of the Abyss: A Jake Hatcher Thriller by Hank Schwaeble. Having previously read American Nocturne, I was excited about the prospect of reading more of Hank's work. Then I found out, the new novel is the third book in a series. Even though I was assured the new book works well as a stand-alone novel. I had to read the whole series. Maybe I have a touch of OCD.

Long story, slightly longer. I'm so glad I'm a completist. Had I not read Damnable, I would have missed a terrific read, and a Bram Stoker Award winner for best First Novel, which I didn't realize until after I read the book.

In the beginning of Damnable, the author shows a bit of his love for noir. It doesn't hold through the entire book, but it was nice to see.

At the counter nearby, the babe, a sultry minx with milky skin, sat sidesaddle on one of the stools, smartly arrayed in a taupe linen skirt and vest, sipping her coffee like a lounging starlet nursing a gin and tonic.

The we meet Jake Hatcher, in military prison, basically for doing his job, perhaps a bit too well. When Jake is released to attend the funereal of a brother he never knew he had, things start going sideways, quickly.

Meet Valentine, an amazingly well-crafted villain and a truly despicable character, bent on bringing an end to heaven. His scheme is complex and includes a monster he calls the Get of Damnation.

They stood there watching as the thing in the cage finished the heart. It ate it like a piece of fruit, crouched over, shifting its weight on its haunches, hiding partially behind its shoulder, looking sideways at them every few seconds. Between bites.

They say the devil is in the details and some of the smallest bits in Damnable are some of my favorites, like Jake Hatcher's mother's obsession with flamingos. Certainly not needed, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Schwaeble creates powerful images, both with spurts of lyrical prose and the ability to get down and dirty when he needs to. Damnable is both a captivating and horrifying read. It's also an adult read,with both hardcore sex and extreme violence, all totally relevant to the story.

There are a number of well timed twists throughout Damnable, enough to keep the reader guessing to the very end.

Published by Jove, Damnable is available in both Paperback and e-book formats.

Hank Schwaeble is a writer and attorney in Houston, Texas. His debut novel, Damnable, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. He is also the author of Diabolical, and the soon to be published, the Angel of the Abyss (all three in the Jake Hatcher series). Hank is also the author of the horror-noir collection American Nocturne and numerous short stories.

Hank is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers Association.… (altro)

There are so many talented writers working in the fields of horror and speculative fiction that I'm constantly discovering authors I've not read before who immediately leave me wanting to read more of their work. Case in point, Hank Schwaeble. Prior to being sent a copy of this new collection from Cohesion Press, I'd never even heard of him. Maybe I just need to get out more or stay in and read more.

Jonathan Maberry, an author I have read and greatly respect, has penned an excellent introduction to Hank Schwaeble in general and specifically to American Nocturne. In essence, he says Hank is the real deal, and that's good enough for me.

Five of the stories in American Nocturne are original, never-before-published ("American Nocturne," "Cold Service," "Nurture," "Natural Selection," and "A Murmur of Evil"). The remainder are reprints. But, if you are new to Hank's work, as I was, that shouldn't make any difference.

American Nocturne - This piece truly sets the mood for the rest of the stories as it opens with a gal at the piano in a nearly empty bar. This quote pretty much sums up all of the stories which follow. "Pieces like this are call nocturnes. They're meant to capture the mood of the night, remind one of things that happen after dark." This particular story has the prose of a classic noir tale. Things aren't always what they seem and the truth is much darker than what you might expect.

Midnight Bogey Blues - A bogey is a demon of sorts in this imaginative story of a serial killer traveling down a country road with a severed head in the truck's cab with him.

Gomorrah - In this story, a group of guys plan on a night of gay bashing, but things certainly don't go as planned. It also features one of the most disgusting opening lines ever. I can't even bring myself to quote it here. It's really gross.

Bone Daddy - A tale of a high priced call girl talked into an on-camera liaison with a very unusual partner.

Phantom Hill - Trying to find man with a pure heart in the weird west is anything, but easy.

A Murmur of Evil - And right in the middle of the collection is a Carl Kolchak story. What a pleasant surprise.

Nurture - One of my favorite stories in the collection and one of the best I've read this year. A cringe-worthy tale of rival academics.

To Judge the Quick - More fun in the weird west. A story of a cross and a double cross.

Mugwumps - A very effective way of making one's enemies disappear without a trace.

Cold Service - Another cool story, this one with a huge twist.

Natural Selection - A Lovecraftian tale, and a good one at that.

AB-IV - A story set in the world of Robot vs. Zombies, a retro-futuristic comic book universe created by Chris Rydall and Ashley Wood where the human population is facing extinction and pre-programmed robots are waging a post-apocalyptic war against a zombie plague that has blanketed the Earth.

Each story in American Nocturne has it's own distinct voice, it's own feel, it's own flavor. It's not at all like a single writer telling a series of stories. It's almost as if each story was written by a different writer.

American Nocturne is available now as an e-book from Cohesion Press. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this collection at no additional charge. Also, if you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can borrow this book for FREE from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

This is one collection I can seriously recommend.

Hank's first short story, "Mugwumps," (which is included in this collection) appeared in the anthology Alone on the Darkside in 2006. In 2007, he won a Bram Stoker Award for the anthology Five Strokes to Midnight, which he co-edited with Gary Braunbeck. The book was highly regarded, winning two Bram Stoker Awards and a World Fantasy Award nomination.

Hank is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers Association. In addition to reading and writing, Hank enjoys keeping in shape and playing guitar. He is currently working on his next novel.… (altro)