cover image Scrolls of Darkness

Scrolls of Darkness

Paul Henry Johnson. Outskirts, $16.95 paper (209p) ISBN 978-1-4327-9531-3

Corporate attorney Brent Michaels confronts the sinister and Satanic in Johnson's formulaic supernatural thriller. Michaels, a descendent of ancient prophets, is called upon by David Baumann%E2%80%94a friend of his late father%E2%80%94to locate the Scrolls of Darkness: ancient Satanic scripts sought by the evil Sons of Darkness. Throughout the novel, plot elements are reminiscent of Ian Fleming's James Bond series, but the author's uninspired prose and pedestrian foreshadowing fail to inject tension into the narrative. Even the plot device that resolves the final crisis is flimsy, and Baumann's ultimate double-dealing is too heavy-handed to surprise readers. The book's conclusion points to a sequel, but few readers will likely be interested in a second helping.