Robert Liparulo Comes a Horseman

Comes a Horseman

Robert Liparulo

WestBow, Oct 2005, $21.99

ISBN: 0785261761

Luco Scaramuzzi plans to be recognized as the Antichrist as he assumes he will become the wealthiest person on the planet. To achieve his goal, he starts with a bizarre assassination. Others homicides follow. FBI Agents Brady Moore and Alicia Wagner investigate the weird serial killings. Brady struggles with the accidental death of his wife forcing him to raise a son by himself; Alicia has her own cross to bear as she wants her partner, but being the stronger of the partners hides her deepest regard accepting unrequited love means do nothing to cost her his friendship.

An affluent sect The Watchers and a lone card Pip Farago know that Luca is not the Antichrist as both wait the fulfilling of a millennium old prophesy. While Pip worries about the emergence of the most dangerous person on earth, the group looks forward to support him. Luco works to meet the test that would prove his claim; Pip has proof otherwise, but he wonders if he should share it with the Watchers, which by doing so would brings attention to him from that dangerous group. Meanwhile as part of his campaign, Luco targets the two Feds, who have found an apparent weird religious link.

COMES A HORSEMAN uses the premise that for every light there is a dark counterpoint so that readers observe influential groups working for the success of a demonic age on earth. The story line is bloody frightening (literally and figuratively) as Robert Liparulo pushes his premise that hell's minions are nearby trying to conquer humanity and good deeds and faith may not be enough. Fans will appreciate this gritty apocalypse thriller that takes no prisoners, but should have a warning label to keep your most powerful religious symbol in your hands at all time; you will need it as they are coming.

Harriet Klausner