Ivy Seidel's life gave nothing to write about. It lacked
that certain inevitable evilness. It was probably one of the
reasons that she had never been published before. That was
until she started a part-time position teaching a group of
inmates at Dannemora Prison. Her students wrote what they
knew, which made one inmate, Vance Harrow, an intriguing
read. His writings were substantial and chilling. His
characters so real that the came off the page and made Ivy
convinced that he actually was innocent of his convicted
crime. His anger seemed justified as he tried to protect his
cellmate, a man guilty of an intellectual crime from the
Latin Kings, a hard core gang. His intellect was far greater
than those with whom he was imprisoned, and his talent was
the motivational catalyst for Ivy to investigate talents of
her own.
With the need to prove Harrow's innocence, Ivy set off on a
research adventure that stepped back into the time of the
crime. Meanwhile, Harrow wouldn't stop covering for the wife
he was so obsessed with. In doing that, Ivy realized that
Betty Ann held the key to the proof that would set the
records straight. The problem was that the police couldn't
find Betty Ann or the money that was stolen from the
robbery, so how could she? After loosing her regular job,
Ivy had nothing else to loose but her inhibitions. Being
published, was nothing as exciting as the journey that she
had embarked upon. Finding the characters who knew Harrow
and setting him free became her obsession. She was so
convinced in her conclusions, that she was blindsided by
reality. Finally, she experienced first hand the dark side
of the inevitable evil that her writing had lacked.
Peter Abrahams', END OF STORY, reminded me of the Russian
dolls that stack one inside of another. He had numerous
stories within the main story, all as interesting as the
next. His ability to pinpoint the evil side of the human
psyche was chilling. His characters were real. As a reader,
you could feel the oppression of the prisoners' lives as you
and Ivy read their writings together. But like being a doll
that is opaque, you never saw what was coming next. Abrahams
is brilliant. His writing is suspenseful and compelling. A
definite must read for the reader who wants more than just a
good thing.
Aspiring author
Ivy Seidel accepts a part-time position teaching writing to
a group of
convicted criminals hoping the experience will add depth and
darkness
to her own work.
But in the haunting writings of
charismatic
inmate Vance Harrow she discovers a talent possibly greater
than her
own. And in the startling, disturbing stories Harrow has to
tell, Ivy
finds a dangerous new purpose—and a terrifying temptation
that lures
her into an inescapable world of shadows.
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