Ashes in Her Eyes

Gather around, kids, as yet another horrifying story from the mind of Alan Spencer is upon us.  This time, it's about what happens when the cremated ashes attack, specifically by entering the eyes and take over a body.  That's what you get with his third novel Ashes in Her Eyes.

The novel begins when crematorium worker Stephanie Garris accidentally gets ashes of a killer into her eyes after they spill out of an urn she was carrying to a different place.  It is after that where there are three different stories intertwined into one: Becky Lowen and her friends worrying about Stephanie/Michael Demner killing her, Stephanie's husband Ryan worrying about Stephanie's sudden change in habits such as smoking and drinking, and Michael's attempt to escape the cremated world by taking over Stephanie's body and mind.  The take over is gradual, which lends itself as far as developing the story and suspense factor.  Along the way, there are also some gruesome murders, which are told in a fair amount of detail, as well as the fraying emotions of both Becky and Ryan.  The end of the book is not lacking in excitement, as the frantic moments add to an already intense read.

Ashes in Her Eyes has an interesting plot that is carried out quite well, despite the silliness of the premise of ashes taking over someone's body.  Then again, logic has to be thrown out the window for horror books.  The characters are fairly well developed, though when Becky's boyfriend got smashed into pieces, I wasn't shedding any tears for they guy.  And the novel has one of the best one liners after he bites the dust: "God-Damn, Becky, your boyfriend stinks.  I think he shit himself on impact."