In the Shadow of Angels


Fiction - Thriller - General
222 Pages
Reviewed on 06/10/2015
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Donnie J Burgess was born in Roseburg, Oregon in 1974. A lifelong fan of Thrillers and Suspense, he began writing his first novel of the genre, In the Shadow of Angels, in 2014. It was published it in March 2015. He is currently working on a new project, scheduled to be released in early 2016.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

Ashwood is a town filled with secrets, founded on a history that sounds romantic and almost real, but actually has a darker past that most do not know. This is the backdrop of Donnie J. Burgess' In The Shadow of Angels. Devin Bryant, a successful lawyer, finds himself entangled in the mess that his own secrets have caused. One night he finds Jezebel Anders, a woman with whom he has had some fun on the side and who caused a terrible problem in his marriage, dead outside the hotel where she told him to meet her for some unfinished business. A number of people are dragged into the picture and, to save himself, he is pushed into a darker world where he and his wife are left without a choice except to lie, bribe and deceive their way out of it, else risk their own lives and those around them.

With beautiful and vivid imagery, it almost feels like you are walking with the characters. In the Shadow of Angels by Donnie J. Burgess starts out wonderfully in a Rashomon-esque sequence of events where the reader finds himself being the detective in a whodunit novel. This mystery thriller is written in such ominous prose that readers will not want to leave themselves hanging – it urges you to turn page after page, wondering if these characters will ever make it out of their troubles, and how. Uncertainty fills the pages, but the story is woven so well that the elements wrap up neatly, though not as many would expect, which is what makes it a truly fascinating read.

Lisa McCombs

Talk about cloak and dagger! Donnie J. Burgess has revived the perfect tale of twists and turns. This time in the small town of Ashwood. Attorney Devin Bryant is attempting to make amends with his wife for his wayward sexual adventures. He knows he is in the wrong and he knows that his best recourse is to give up the mistress and appreciate the woman he married. That’s his goal. That’s his priority. He agrees to marriage counselling and limits his “boys’ nights out” to his best bro pals doing bro pal stuff. And avoiding all contact with the enchanting Jezebel. But the best laid plans…well, you know the rest. Before he knows it, Devin’s misadventure in rectifying an already bad situation involves a colorful assortment of townsfolk including his marriage counselor, a well-known lady-of-the-night, the town busy-body, and his own wife.

I haven’t enjoyed such a reading experience in a long, long time. In the Shadow of Angels is a fast-paced, entertaining adventure that spans less than twenty-four hours in the lives of its very well-defined characters. Just when the reader knows that the end is near and Devin is a goner, another dead body pops up and our main character’s solution is further and further from a tidy finish. For fans of unexpected turn of events, I highly recommend In the Shadow of Angels. Donnie J. Burgess has left himself wide open for future tales and an endless list of reading groupies. I thoroughly enjoyed In the Shadow of Angels.

Mamta Madhavan

In the Shadow of Angels by Donnie J. Burgess is a thrilling novel set in the small town of Ashwood. Devin Bryant has everything one can ask for - a beautiful wife, a good home and a successful career. Though everyone is envious of his position and status, like anyone, Devin Bryant too has secrets. Jezebel Anders is one of them. The story takes a twist when this particular one of his dark secrets, Jezebel Anders, is found dead outside his hotel room where he goes to meet her. Trying to save himself, Devin Bryant finds himself trapped in a world of deceit, blackmail, and murder from which he finds no way to escape. The snare seems to even tighten around his family and friends. Will Devin Bryant be able to find a way out of this quagmire?

Filled with intrigue, murder, deceit, hatred, anger and mystery, the plot is gripping and will hold readers' attention till the very end. Devin Bryant’s character is well portrayed and he has everything a woman would want in a man. The female characters, Jezebel Anders and Devin’s wife, Beth, are also sketched well. Beth’s inability to have a child and Jezebel’s confession that she is pregnant with Devin’s child form the backbone of the plot which takes interesting turns as the story progresses. The other characters complement the twists and turns, making it an interesting thriller. The story has many dimensions which keeps readers guessing right to the end.