My Two Cents (Book Review): WICKED HANDS by Desiree Horton

"Wicked Hands," the latest release from author Desiree Horton, may be short in length, but it still packs a hell of a punch. In it, a young woman named Fidelina has the ability to resurrect the dead with her touch. This seems more curse than gift to her, as those she brings back to life are irrevocably changed, becoming savage, violent versions of the people they once were. She fears and hates her power, until she discovers that her touch can also absolve the crushing holds of addiction, violent tendencies, sexual perversions, and other dark traits. When she resurrects someone who'd been good in life, they become wicked, but the wicked, it seems, become good because of her. They also become fiercely devoted to Fidelina in the process, and before long she's amassed a sizable and zealous following of the resurrected who will do anything for her. And from there, the story takes a dark, unexpected, and gruesome turn.

This story is a great example of why I enjoy religious horror. Beneath every faith's facade of morality and righteousness, there's an underlying darkness, the threat of a God who is malevolent and vengeful. That dread lingers in our minds like an inherent fear of deep water or the dark, and religious horror taps into that wellspring of fear, begging the question: What if, in order to do something good, you must be willing to do something bad? Very, very bad?

Horton gets this, and so as Fidelina continues to build her flock of happily resurrected converts, the reader knows the other shoe's about to drop at any moment, that sooner of later, the shine's going to come off this seemingly new penny, and the dark side of that coin will be revealed. And it's a hell of a twisted, ghoulish side, too. No spoilers from me. Suffice to say, Horton keeps proving that, like Fidelina, she's someone worth following and having faith in. She has yet to disappoint.

"Wicked Hands" is available here.