This is a great book, I loved it from beginning to end. Leo is an addict, and in order to get what he needs, he has to do things he is not proud of. He has alienated himself from his parents, and his dealer is out to get him. When Leo goes to the house in the forest, he soon realizes that his dealer was just the beginning of his problems. I could not put this book down, I just kept wanting to know what happened next. I highly recommend this book to those that love a good suspenseful story. ( )

Leo is running through a night-time forest, frantically trying to escape unseen, but evil, creatures that are chasing him. He stumbles upon a small house, and pounds on the door. Twyla, the elderly woman inside, eventually lets him in.

Leo's only thought is to find a phone, or the nearest road, or maybe he can outrun his tormentors (in an unfamiliar forest at night). Twyla tries to tell him that there is no phone, or road, and with an injured shoulder, Leo should forget about trying to outrun the creatures that are waiting for him. She also tries to tell Leo that his presence at this time is not an accident.

Included is the story of Leo's immediate past. He became a junkie with "help" from Saint Nick, the local drug kingpin. Leo's parents have thrown him out of the house. Leo wanders the streets in a torrential rainstorm. A local priest tries to help, but Leo is not interested. Leo owes Saint Nick a considerable amount of money, and really needs a "hit" to calm his physical agony.

Back at the house, someone else is pounding on the door, desperate to get in. Keir, a young boy who lives with Twyla, eventually lets him in, and takes him to a different part of the house. It is vital that Leo and the other man don't see each other until the right time. The other man's thoughts are also consumed with escape, and Keir tries to tell him that it's not possible. The other man tries to escape, but does not get very far.

Twyla takes Leo into a different room in the house, which opens into a vast room, full of shelves containing a book for every person who has ever lived. Leo's name is on one of those books. He also gets to confront the other man, who Twyla says is the source of all of Leo's problems. Is it Saint Nick?

The author does an excellent job at turning up the tension in the first few pages, and keeping it going until the end. It also gets nice and weird, without going overboard, by the end. This one is very much worth reading. ( )

This is an interesting story of how one man paid for his sins. The story isn't wholly Biblically-based; I would categorize it as allegorical along the lines of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Pilgrim's Progress".

Some of the dialogue in the beginning of the story between Leo and the old woman in the cabin was a bit repetitious, in my view. At times, it felt like they were talking in circles. Despite this, I believe it's a book worth reading and contemplating on. ( )

I didn't know what to expect when I received this book in the mail. I've never heard of a 'Thanatology' until this book. I was intrigued from the very beginning. The book is very well written. I have dealt with addiction (not myself) and have witnessed first hand what it does to a person and how it affects everyone around you. 'The Sinful Man' definitely hits home. A must-read for anyone who is familiar with addiction or those who don't have a clue what lies beneath addiction.

Wow! I have read similar, though not as dark. It reminded me of Rooms, and The Shack, similar, but different.

A new twist, if you will. I was hooked with the first sentence, and have to say it was hard to put down. It keeps you guessing, with the past and the present. It was book three in a series, and I hadn't read the other two, though hopefully I will soon. ( )