I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
An aspiring actor and part-time pizza deliveryman working in a wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood discover mysterious and sometimes dangerous voices hijacking his GPS, and soon learns a deadly threat looms behind one of the doors of this wealthy community in author Ronan Barbour’s “The Pizza Deliveryman’s Tale”.
The Synopsis
Can a phone be haunted? That is the question for Dylan Murray, an aspiring actor who gets a part-time job as pizza delivery driver in the beautiful affluent Los Angeles neighborhood of Grantwood. All seems easy sailing until mysterious voices on his smartphone begin to interrupt his GPS, one of which, ‘The Demon Voice, ‘ deliberately misdirects him away from his route and into areas of danger. As his encounters with the quirky and sometimes bizarre residents of Grantwood continue, a mysterious thief known only as The Cat Burglar makes nationwide headlines for a string of high-end estate robberies in the area. Is it a matter of time before the malevolent voice interrupting his GPS leads him to the wrong place at the wrong time? One thing is certain: behind one of these doors awaits Vampire Santa, and you will not like his presence. .
The Review
The first thing that stood out to me was the absolute mastery the author has over imagery through their writing. The entire story felt very cinematic and jumped off the page. The vibrant atmosphere of the Los Angeles/Hollywood setting clashed beautifully with the horrors hiding underneath the city. This was illustrated perfectly by the neighborhood of Grantwood itself, which seems beautiful on the outside but held great terrors behind closed doors.
The heart of this narrative was the rich character dynamics the author established early on and the haunting tone the story set throughout the entirety of the novel. The protagonist highlights and represents the unique backstory of many aspiring actors, working difficult and almost impossible jobs to help until they realize their dreams, only to meet loss after loss in the process. The wide variety of characters the protagonist comes across in his line of work, as well as his coworkers and even his best friend and comedy writer roommate, reflected the setting of Los Angeles and those who often call it home perfectly.
The Verdict
Thoughtful in its approach, haunting and chilling to the core, and thoroughly entertaining, author Ronan Barbour’s “The Pizza Deliveryman’s Tale” is a fun and twisted horror read. A perfect twist in the story adds the perfect holiday element to sink your teeth into as a horror fan this holiday season, and the dynamic storytelling the author employs here makes this one novel you won’t be able to get enough of from a stellar up-and-coming horror author. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Ronan Barbour is an Irish-Canadian actor and writer based in Los Angeles, California. He most recently co-starred in the award-winning shorts MOJAVE SHADOWS and THE McHENRY TRIAL–DON’T JUDGE A KID BY THEIR HOODIE directed by Jaime Torres and Ken Sagoes of A Nightmare on Elm Street fame.
Author Anthony Avina's Blog 