Book Review: It’s Only Death by Lee Thompson

Title: It’s Only Death

Author: Lee Thompson

Genre: Dark Fiction

Age Group: Adult

Rating: 3,5 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Six years ago James blew town after killing his cop-father in a bank job gone bad. When his sister informs him that their mother’s health is fading fast, he returns home, wanting to make peace with her before she passes.
But James quickly finds there is little peace left for him at his childhood home.
His father’s old partner has been biding his time, waiting for a chance at retribution, and finally discovers James is back. But he’s only one of the many shady characters James must face if he is to survive the next few days.
Not only must James survive his return, he must also face the devastation he left behind, the shattered pieces of what remained of his life before he was forced to run.
Now his days on the run are over.
Upon the edge of reckoning, James’s past comes full circle to the final showdown with his personal demons and the devils that are closing in.
It’s Only Death is an explosive, gritty tale of urban crime and one man’s descent into the nightmares in the darkest recesses of our society.

In It’s Only Death, James killed his father during a bank robbery, and fled town after. His sister informed him of their mother’s failing health, and now he has returned home, trying to make peace with her before she passes away. However, home is anything unlike the childhood home he remembers. Some people are out to take revenge on James, like his dad’s old partner. Others, like his mom and sister, are broken, having no idea how they can ever forgive him for what he’s done.

The story is gripping and intriguing, and told from the POV of James. The character becomes so raw, flawed and realistic over the course of the book, I half-expected him to show up on my doorstep. While James certainly isn’t easy to empathize with, I did get a sense of understanding by the end of the book.

While this book showed little horror, it did show heartbreak, and it touched upon some difficult themes. It’s a crime book, focusing on one character’s journey, and it succeeds in what it tried to do – to give the readers a better feel of James, his background story, and who he is. The writing style was nothing short of brilliant, and makes up for the story that sometimes feels a little flat. It’s understandable everyone hates James, but the amount of violence going on in this book sometimes seemed over the top. So the book gets a lot of points for writing and character development, but not so much for plot. I did enjoy it though, and if you’re a crime fan, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.