Death Game

Death Game
Cheryl Swanson
Zumaya Publications
ISBN: 1-554110-326-6
Fiction, Thriller
Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

CG expert Cooper O’Brian’s life turns upside down when her younger brother, a troubled teenager, is accused of murdering another boy in what looks like a deadly game. In spite of the evidence, including a tape which shows her brother shooting the victim, Cooper believes something just doesn’t feel right. Is the tape fake? How can she prove it?
With her brother on the run and the authorities after him, Cooper begins to investigate on her own- only to discover a bottomless vortex of deceit, rage and death. As the story unfolds it becomes obvious that something much more sinister and terrifying than a simple murder is stake.
Twisted computer games, “closed cities”, terrorism, and a massive conspiracy mix together to create a suspenseful thriller that will touch readers in an emotional level. Its horrifying implications are not far from reality in the present world we live in. Though the story is written in first person, which is somewhat unusual for a thriller, talented author Cheryl Swanson maintains a quick pace that reaches a spine-tingling, heart-stopping climax. Sensitive readers who are easily offended by explicit language should be aware that this book contains its fair share of it. Swanson’s style is characterized by a stabbing wit and razor-sharp sentences that suit the plot and add momentum to the pace. An impressive debut novel by a promising author.