Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Eyeball Collector by F. E. Higgins


Not usually one to turn to the back of a book for anwers, The Eyeball Collector opens quickly with an imbedded riddle that simply begged to be resolved before I could continue reading. The whole book offered such compelling questions that it was hard not to continue flipping to the back. Smart, macabre and mysterious, this title from F. E. Higgins features exceptionally bright, Hector Fitzbaudly, a young man who is raised in affluence and comfort. But Hector is quickly thrust into poverty and danger when his father is ruined (to death) by the scheme of a one-eyed con man. With an abiding thirst for revenge, Hector crafts the means to discover the criminal and upon finding him, follows the con man to his next victim. But the criminal's target is dangerous in her own right and may claim Hector's revenge first. The foreboding backdrop is filled with chilling imagery that will satisfy fans destined for Lovecraft, Poe and Dickens. Sprinkled with riddles, some of which are resolved in the afterword, and peopled with smart characters, I recommend this title for the eyeballs for teens and advanced middle-grade readers. (Feiwel & Friends - Macmillan)

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