 Many people know Nashville as the City of Music, but author D. Alan Lewis has written a much darker narrative for the capitol of Tennessee. That may actually be fitting for the city because a study ranked Nashville sixth in the list of Americas most sinful cities. I’d put that on a plaque or something. Anyway, in his novel, the Last Encore, Nashville is the unwitting host to all manner of supernatural activities. We’re talking ghosts, vampires, demons, the works, and of course the man who hunts them, Thomas Dietrich, a sort of modern Van Helsing. When you read that description, you might assume that the book will just be a rehashing of old tropes and things that have been seen before, you would be incorrect. Yes, the idea of a monster hunter is not exactly new, but I found the book to be captivating, well written, and not at all stereotypical. The book is more complicated than just simple monster hunting. The main character, especially, has an interesting dichotomy; at first glance, he’s an alcoholic, rough and tumble guy, but as you read further you discover that under all that he’s a kind person. In other words, he’s portrayed as human, not just a strong man. I was particularly interested in the relationship that Dietrich has with his sister, turned into a vampire/demon hybrid by the devil, who now runs a strip club in the city. Even though he despises all forms of the supernatural, he still has a semblance of affection for her, and she can even be provoked into taking measures to help and protect him towards. That stood out to me because I thought it spoke to how strong the ties of family can be for some people and could even outlast one’s humanity. His sister is also a well-written complex character, one of my favorites from the whole book. The writing itself keeps you hooked on the story, which I always appreciate in a world full of abbreviations and emojis. However, the one issue I did have with the book was Dietrich’s girlfriend. I found her to be a little two-dimensional, and an obvious plot device, and overall I found her addition to be somewhat unnecessary. I don’t think she detracted from the overall story, but at the same time I don’t feel like that character helped it either.  Bio Jarad attends Fayetteville High School, loves tea, and tries to spend every spare second reading. Jarad wants to be an English major. Bless his heart! Let's all light a candle for him and send him happy thoughts!
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