Curse of the reaper

Despite McAuley's experience as a horror film screenwriter (Dismissed), his debut novel is long on gore, short on scares, and adds nothing to the clichéd trope of an actor becoming obsessed with his signature role. In 2005 Los Angeles, 65-year-old Howard Browning, best known for portraying the sadistic killer the Reaper in a series of 1980s slasher flicks, is still trying to profit from appearances at horror conventions despite the steep decline in attendees' interest in him. He has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's when he learns that the series is being rebooted, with his part to be played by Trevor Mane, a former child star now in and out of rehab for substance abuse. The news of Howard's replacement coincides with disturbing violent outbursts that he can't control, leading him to fear that the Reaper has taken over his mind, leaving him "a helpless spectator with another force at the helm." Predictable violence follows as Browning struggles to preserve his legacy and sanity. McAuley never makes the popularity of the Reaper, who punctuates kills with groan-worthy one-liners, plausible, undercutting the core of his plot. Few will be surprised by how it all plays out or feel any fear along the way. This is one to skip. (Oct.)

DEBUT Screenwriter McAuley's debut novel is a metafictional, multigenerational clash of monsters. Actor Howard Browning played the murderous Reaper through an entire series of Reaper movies in the 1980s. Now Hollywood is rebooting the franchise, but the titular psychopath will be played by a younger actor, former child star and recovering addict Trevor Mane. While Trevor battles his addictions and self-doubt, Howard battles his deteriorating mind, which is being influenced by the Reaper. To reclaim the role he created, Howard would do anything, including unleashing the Reaper on the upstart after his legacy. The novel is at times deliriously fun and delightfully gory. Its blood-filled heart, however, is its main characters and their personal struggles. Both actors, in their own ways, strain under the unrelenting pressure of others' expectations. To give the Reaper life, McAuley shares snippets of fictional movie screenplays that show the Reaper is just as deadly and entertaining as Jason or Freddy. VERDICT This book is a must for fans of the slasher genre, but it also offers a sickle-sharp critique of the expendability of actors fed into the Hollywood machine.--James Gardner