This was a dark story of grief, guilt, loss and redemption.

The feelings of sadness, pain and grief so strongly permeated this novella that I couldn't help but feel all of it right along with our protagonist, Kasteel.

Kasteel is grieving for the loss of his son. He is grieving so much he cannot bring himself to leave the Castle,a huge sprawling hospital complex where his son was being treated. The Castle has been there for centuries and has seen its share of death and loss.

Ultimately, this story became something more than the sum of its parts. Will Kasteel ever be able to fully leave the castle? Can he ever cast off the pall of grief that hangs over him every single minute of every day? Can he or will he ever be redeemed?

You will need to read this to find out. Make sure you leave enough time to finish it because it's very hard to tear yourself away from this compelling story. Highest recommendation! ( )

A perfect blend of genres; suspense, thriller, fantasy and horror. The Walls of the Castle by Tom Piccirilli is all of this, and more.

If you've read any of my reviews, you probably know how I feel about opening lines and how they can really grab you and pull you into a story from the very beginning. Case in point..."His son had been dead for two weeks, in the ground for ten days, he was told, and Kasteel was still sitting in the ICU waiting area, spooking the nurses." I'm in, and what a great read this turned out to be.

What follows is a series of vignettes about Kasteel's strange new life behind The Walls of the Castle. The Castle hasn't always been a hospital, it has a rich history dating back to before the American Revolution when it was constructed by Dutch settlers as a stronghold to fight off Indian attacks. Today the hospital employs over nine thousand people so you can imagine how easy it might be to become invisible if you wanted to.

At times cringe-worthy and occasionally gruesome, The Walls of the Castle is more than just a story to make you squirm. It's about a father's love, about redemption, about good versus evil. In short, it's a damn fine story.

Originally available as a signed limited edition hardcover from Dark Regions press, you can now get the book from Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle formats. If you happen to subscribe to Amazon Prime you can borrow it for free as one of your monthly selections from the Kindle lending library.

Also worth noting is the excellent cover and interior art, from artist Santiago Caruso, included in the Kindle edition.

I can highly recommend The Walls of the Castle from Tom Piccirilli. ( )