The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

Template:Infoboxsort Gifted with the ability to feel what others feel, Reben knows the moment that his sister, Rachel, dies. Knowing that she was murdered, Ruben and his brother Cole set out to where Rachel was found in order to solve the mysteries surrounding her death and enable Rachel's body to be released so that their grieving mother may lay her to rest.

But when they get to Dartmoor, the place where Rachel died, they discover that there is something much, much worse going on, and with their unwelcome presence, their lives are put into danger. People who they thought were their friends are lying and deceiving them in order to save themselves, and they must turn to those who they thought were their enemies in order to save their own lives as well as let their sister rest in peace.

The novel climaxes in a series of violent and revealing events which brings the story to its conclusion in a style typical of Brooks, which manages to hook the reader and keep them up until the early hours of the morning until they finish the book.

Whilst Brooks writes for teenagers, The Road of the Dead would be appreciated by adults as well, as the topic is very mature, and the violent nature of some of the characters would need some maturity in order to understand them. For these reasons, the book would be most suited for people over 14 years old.

Brooks was initially concerned that some of his readers would not be able to relate to the novel due to its violent nature, I believe that, without this, the book not be the work of genius that it is, and the violence is integral to the story. As is the crime, the corruption and the danger, all of which contribute to the tone and character of the book and put it in a league of its own, just like the rest of Brooks' novels.

The two main characters in the book; Reuben and Cole are contrasting characters but this means that every reader has someone to whom they can relate, as Reuben is the sensitive, calm character, whereas his older brother is a sort of dark angel, with aggressive tendencies and without a care in the world. The pair of them create a very Western cowboy feel about them, as they are on a vigilante mission in a town full of dark secrets and corruption and must work their way through it all in order to come out on top.

The Road of the Dead is another classic from Brooks, an original and engaging author, who, time after time, delivers gripping action packed novels which are highly recommendable and well worth the read.

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