More Deaths Than One

When Bob came out of the bathroom, face tingling from his after-shave lotion, he found Kerry sorting through the paintings he had stashed behind the chair.

"What are you doing?"

She glanced up with a saucy smile, apparently not at all put off by his curt tone. "Looking at these paintings. They're very good. Why aren't they hanging on the walls where you can enjoy them?" She pulled out a two-by-three-foot canvas and propped it on the chair where last night the jungle scene had lurked.

Bob peeked at the canvas. The painting depicted a pond with no ripples, surrounded by forest.

"This is lovely." Kerry swayed as she focused on the picture. "Very serene."

All of a sudden, she stiffened and stepped back. She blinked rapidly, then bent forward and peered at the painting. A visible shudder went through her.

"Whoever painted this is either an artistic genius or a very disturbed individual." She reached out as if to touch the painting, but jerked her hand away before it made contact. "You can almost see the monstrous thing that lives in the slime deep at the bottom of the pool."

Bob studied the forest scene. Feeling disquiet creep over him, he averted his gaze.

"Who painted it?" Kerry asked.

He hesitated. "I did."

She whipped her head around and stared at him. "Jeez, Bob. What the hell were you thinking?"

Stealing a look at his creation, Bob shivered.

"I tried to paint what's in here," he said, tapping his chest with a fist. He gestured to the picture. "I don't know how that happened."

You have got to read this novel, More Deaths Than One. Who has stolen Bob Stark's identity? Why is he being pursued by the henchmen of a shadowy multinational corporation? What does it have to do with his old friends from his brutal days of service in Vietnam? These are but a few of the exquisite and tantalizing questions and scenarios painted and which must be answered in Pat Bertram's riveting and excellent new novel, More Deaths Than One.

Try to put yourself into Bob Starke's shoes. Your mother died more than 20 years ago and you actually attended her funeral, at that time. Then, you travel to South East Asia where you end up staying for eighteen years, only to return and discover that your long lost mom has just died again and another you is at her funeral. Sound startling, eerie or suspenseful? Believe me; if you start reading this tremendous read, you will not want to stop until it is completely finished. It is one of the best novels I have ever read in years.

As a novelist, one of the most important things a writer must do is to grab the reader's attention, on the first page. Pat Bertram's novel, More Deaths Than One certainly hooked me immediately. Bertram has a natural talent and has created a story that gets readers deeply into the story and holds them. Her plot and her very realistic characters took my total concentration. The characters are so fascinating, attention-grabbing and human. By the end of the book, I felt as if I knew them well and for a long time. I am convinced that if the reading public learns about this spellbinding new novel, a very large number of people will want to read it and Pat Bertram will have a best seller. I consider her to be one of the smartest writers I have had the pleasure of meeting.

I think we will read a lot more from this excellent storyteller, Pat Bertram. She has stated that when the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of books that are character and story driven novels, which can't easily be slotted into a genre, she decided to write her own. She certainly achieved her goal, with More Deaths Than One. The residents of Pat Bertram's native Colorado, where she is a lifelong resident have much to be proud of, from one of their own. There are many words that come to mind to describe this powerful and suspenseful novel, such as exciting, powerful, suspenseful or mesmerizing. But, without a doubt, the best word I can use to describe More Deaths Than One by Pat Bertram is nothing less than Superb.
Author Steven Clark Bradley
Nimrod Rising, Patriot Acts, StillBorn!, Probable Cause

*******

"Pat Bertram, author of More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire, is one of the best of the new crop of writers. Pat's work is insightful, superbly crafted, and completely involving. I would unhesitatingly recommend her books to anyone who enjoys speculative fiction of the highest order." Suzanne Francis, author of the Song of the Arkafina series from Mushroom Ebooks.

*******

In More Deaths Than One, Bertram created two characters I'm ready to watch take off. The combination of Bob and the waitress is great-she's obviously the one person he's letting pull him out of whatever shell he's been in. Bertram raises so many interesting questions in her initial chapter that it definitely compels me to want to read more. Why is Bob in Denver, and where has he ben? Is this a story of timeshifting madness, or what? Why are the police at the funeral? And on and on! Bertram's writing is also well-crafted and flows so well. The dialog is a strong suit." Ann Barks, fellow FCC contestant.

*******

While we are intrigued and caught up in the absurd story of a man who goes to the second funeral of his mother (long dead) and sees himself (living a life he doesn't realize he's lived) and his brother (with a trophy wife young enough to be his daughter), the real clues Bertram leaves us as to what's going on are to be found in Bob's perpetual headache, his troubled/troubling art, his mysterious reappearance in his hometown, and the questions asked by the friendly, persistent waitress. I enjoyed the dialogue, with unique phrasings such as "son of rabid dog". Denver is an unusual setting that must figure into the story in multiple ways. I enjoyed the rock solid POV, as well as the nice, just-slightly-more-than-minimal descriptions (like the way Bob concealed himself in the lilac bushes or the description of the young couple in the diner). Above all I appreciate the way Bertram builds mystery on several levels into the story. Good job." Lazarus Barnhill, author