T. C. LoTempio, Author

Reporter and photojournalist Jessica McCall has a tenuous relationship with her sister Amanda who still lives in their hometown of Ebony. When Amanda doesn’t return Jess’s phone calls Jess decides to return to Ebony to find out why she hasn’t heard from her. Taking a leave of absence from her work and saying goodbye to her ex-boyfriend, Jess heads to the town she swore she would never return to. Living in Ebony is journalist Frankie Marshall who moved there after a devastating incident on the job where he was forced to take a life. After receiving a cryptic message from Amanda McCall and then learning she has disappeared, Frankie and Jess, who are falling in love, begin to suspect something evil is happening in Ebony. Soon the lovers learn that this sleepy town is at the heart of a conspiracy lead by practitioners of voodoo and anyone missing from Ebony may have been turned into zombies.

Ebony is the first horror book I have read that held me spellbound from beginning to end. T.C. Lo Tempio does a wonderful job creating a dark mood in the book that gave me shivers. The characters and their relationships are skillfully woven into the unfolding drama but that was not my favorite part of the book. For me, the best part of the book has to be the details given in each scene. The descriptions of not only the actions of the characters, but also of the smells and sights around them were so vivid and real that there were times while reading when I had to turn on all the lights in the room. Ebony is a book fans of horror and suspense will truly ENJOY.

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW:

Ebony
T.C. LoTempio
Whiskey Creek Press
PO Box 51052, Casper, WY 82605-1052
9781593748381 $14.95

Amanda and Jess were sisters, but that was about as far as the likeness between the two of them went. Their home was the town of Ebony, that is until Jess found her way to New York City and became a famous photographer, while Amanda on the other hand stayed behind and worked as a Court Clerk. Jess hadn't seen her sister in years and only spoke to her occasionally by phone, but now Amanda wasn't answering her phone calls and that worried Jess. She decided that it was time to take a trip back home and find out what was going on with Amanda. On the day of her departure Amanda receives an envelope from her sister that states, "To be opened in the event of my death." Inside she finds newspaper clippings of articles of missing people and one of the Mayor receiving an award. What could this mean?

Upon her arrival her sister is no where to be found and she is told that Amanda took a leave of absence but no one seems to know the reason why. Jess is suspicious and has a gut feeling that something is terribly wrong. Taking a job at the local paper she meets a reporter who was to meet Amanda one night with the promise of a big story, but Amanda never showed and who also received newspaper clippings from Amanda. Together, with the help of several others, they begin to investigate strange happenings, missing people, and townspeople who are anything but the upright citizens they portray themselves to be. Just what secrets does this town hold?

Evil is uncovered, evil that is not of this world but is from the very pits of Hell as you come face to face with the undead, literally. The question plays in your mind: Is Amanda dead or alive, and will Jess escape Ebony or be a one of the many victims that this town has claimed? It certainly appears time is running out for all of them, and the chips are definitely not stacked in their favor.

This is quite a hair-raising read, full of the supernatural taking place in modern times. The author does an excellent job of pulling you along as you try to figure out what sinister plot is unfolding and who or what is behind it and why. The characters are pretty creepy at times, ghoulish if you will, yet others are as normal as apple pie and the mix adds to the story. You wonder who can Jess truly trust and will Jess and her friends be able to stop the supernatural? The ending is a real block-buster and definitely leaves you feeling quite uneasy. Somehow you know the story doesn't end there and you wish that it did.

Ebony is a supernatural, mystery packed read that will keep you nail-biting your way to the end. A well written story with great character development, local and intense drama. Don't miss this one!

Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer