The Shimmer

Written by David Morrell

Narrated by Phil Gigante

Creator of Rambo and co-founder of the International Thriller Writers organization, David Morrell has been called “the father of the modern action novel.” Now this award-winning, New York Times bestselling author delivers The Shimmer, a novel of chilling impact.

When police officer Dan Page’s wife disappears, her trail leads to Rostov, a remote Texas town where unexplained phenomena attract hundreds of spectators each night. Not merely curious, these onlookers are compelled to reach this tiny community and gaze at the mysterious Rostov Lights.

But more than the faithful are drawn there. A gunman begins shooting at the lights, screaming “Go back to hell where you came from!” then turns his rifle on the innocent bystanders. As more and more people are drawn to the scene of the massacre, the stage is set for even greater bloodshed.

To save his wife, Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights. In the process, he uncovers a deadly government secret dating back to the First World War. The lights are more dangerous than anyone ever imagined, but even more deadly are those who try to exploit forces beyond their control.

With The Shimmer, David Morrell takes readers on a brilliant, terrifying journey. Suspenseful, yet thought-provoking, it is the master at his very best.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jul 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781423397236

David Morrell

David Morrell is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight books, including his award-winning Creepers. Co-founder of the International Thrillers Writers Organization, he is considered by many to be the father of the modern action novel. To learn more, go to www.davidmorrell.net.

Reviews for The Shimmer

[coachtim30 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good, not great read, especially in comparison to some of Morrell's other works like First Blood, Scavenger, and Creepers. The plot is rooted somewhat in the real world as it revolves around a set of mysterious lights appearing nightly outside of Rostov, TX. (the real lights are located in Marfa, TX)Morrell draws a connection between the lights and the possibility of a government coverup due to a devastating weapon created at the end of WWII. Morrell provides the minimum in character development as he spends most of his pages talking about the lights and their effect on people. There are a number of stretches of suspended disbelief that readers must deal with in order to continue to buy into the plot.

[jonimfisher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thrills and mystery in The Shimmer

The story accelerates from a marriage in trouble into a world of intrigue, danger, and wonder. Loved the flying scenes!

[kmmsb459 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good read. Not great but good.

[christineellei · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Strange lights appear in the sky above the town of Rostov, Texas. Dan Page’s wife disappears on the way to her mother’s house and is found mesmerized by the lights. When police officer Dan finds her with the help of the local police department the “shoot ‘em up” action starts. As much as I enjoy Mr. Morrell’s books I found this one just a little bit “pat”, like its been done one too many times before by too many others. The book does take interesting little side treks into the history of the town. In his author’s notes Mr. Morrell does always tell us where the idea for the book came from and his books are usually based on some tidbit from the news or from history. For me that does add to the story. He would get my nod for most interesting author’s notes in his books.

[astults_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Before reading The Shimmer I'd never heard of David Morrell although he's most famous for creating the character, John Rambo. I suppose this is one case where the author has been eclipsed by the creation.The lights in Rostov, Texas are based on similar lights in Marfa, Texas (someplace I'd like to visit). I liked how he took a remote, yet known place, as the setting for the book and turned it into somewhere else. The story is well plotted. It's difficult to pin it down as a political thriller or science fiction so it's best not to even try. Overall I found it solidly written and a worthwhile vacation read.

[someguyinvirginia · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Bad in every way. Not even bad enough to be enjoyably bad.

[dbree007 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

mystery lights in texas, no apparent cause, draws people in, amplifies what is already in them, good or evil. Private pilot looking for wife who was drawn away, discovers his life again but does he solve the mystery of the lights. Oh yes, another evil government military conspiracy afoot. Just love those evil military guys. When they are bad, they are really bad.

[bcquinnsmom · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There's just no way a person can pigeonhole this book. It's a novel that's a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, suspense and action-packed thriller. Personally, I think it defies categorization, unless you lump it into one of my favorite categories -- escape reading.In an afterward following the novel, David Morrell explains that he used the true-life, strange-light phenomenon in Marfa, TX as his inspiration, moving them to the fictional town of Rostov, TX in his book. As the novel opens, Dan Page, a police officer in Santa Fe, is trying to unwind by flying his small plane, but unwittingly becomes involved in a high-speed chase on the ground that doesn't end well. He returns home to share his day with his wife Tori, but she's nowhere to be found. Tori has gone off to visit her mother, 800 miles away, by car. Dan alerts authorities along the way to keep a lookout for her car, and she turns up in the tiny little town of Rostov, where he eventually finds her staring out over the desert at some mysterious lights in a viewing area where other people are waiting for the lights as well. Dan doesn't understand, but people who can see the lights are mesmerized by them. In the midst of a gathering crowd, one crazed man begins a wild shooting spree to make people stop looking at the lights. This is where the action begins, and it doesn't let up from there.It's a fun read, although sometimes the characters are bit larger than life and maybe just a wee bit stereotypical, but then again, this book isn't purporting to be great literature. If you want something just a little different, and if you can suspend your disbelief for a while, you might enjoy this one. This is more for people who like action-type thrillers, a genre that is not my cup of tea in the larger sense of things, but this one was fun.

[writergal85 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Police officer Dan Page’s wife disappears en route to her mother’s house. Tori ends up in the remote town of Rostov, Texas where for centuries mysterious lights have attracted and mystified onlookers and residents alike. Tori becomes obsessed by the lights. What causes these colorful, patterned lights that some people can see clearly and others cannot? Those that can see the lights become mesmerized and believe in special powers, sometimes healing, of the Rostov Lights. The main story of The Shimmer is that of the strained marriage of Dan Page and his wife, Tori, who recently found out she has advanced stage breast cancer. One night there’s a shooting by a crazed gunman where Tori heroically saves a crowd of people. This event instantly brings more attention to the strange lights and to Rostov. Media outlets and curious onlookers descend on the small town. While Rostov detectives try to figure out what happened, Page does his own parallel police investigation. He finds out curious details about the lights and a covert military operation dating back fifty years. Author David Morrell has based his thriller The Shimmer on real life events based on the Marfa Lights in Marfa, Texas. Throughout the novel, he weaves intriguing, yet ordinary, characters into the mix. Morrell explains things very well and does not get caught up in military or technical mumbo jumbo or minutiae that would only confuse a reader. Instead he focuses on the story and the characters: why these people are where they are and doing what they are doing. What is their unique relationship to the Rostov lights? All this makes The Shimmer a suspenseful, relatively satisfying thriller.

[samsattler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dan Page is having a bad day. Flying the small airplane he inherited from his father usually provides him with an escape from the pressures of being a Santa Fe policeman, but today Page finds himself involved in one of those high speed chases the news people so much love to follow while pretending they are not hoping for a chase-ending crash of some sort. This one does end in a crash and, despite having done everything correctly, Page cannot help but feel a bit guilty about his role in the chase as he heads home to his wife.The problem is that his wife, Tori, is nowhere to be found, and she has left behind only a short note telling Page that she has gone to see her mother. Page’s confusion becomes genuine concern when a phone call to his mother-in-law reveals that Tori has chosen to drive the 800 miles to San Antonio rather than fly there. After she fails to arrive in San Antonio as scheduled, Page, who has alerted authorities to be on the lookout for Tori’s car, is more confused than ever to learn that his wife has stopped in the little West Texas town of Rostov.Rostov, Texas, is no ordinary small town. The mysterious lights that have appeared just outside town most nights for more than 100 years have turned Rostov into a tourist attraction, and Tori Page is just one of many who have become mesmerized by their existence. Tori is so taken with the lights, in fact, that she finds it hard to wait for darkness and is oblivious to everything around her when her husband finds her in the viewing area provided for those in town to see the lights. What happens later that night is just the beginning of a nightmare that Dan and Tori Page will be lucky to survive.Fans of David Morrell’s thrillers are not likely to be disappointed by "The Shimmer," a novel involving elements of the supernatural, government plots to produce new super-weapons, religious fanatics, mass murder, miracles, and a handful of dedicated lawmen who never give up despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them."The Shimmer" is an action-packed thriller but it only works as well as it does because Morrell has peopled his plot with characters about whom the reader will care. It all begins with Tori and Dan Page, two ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances that make them realize how much they still love one another. Working with the Pages to solve the mystery of the lights, and to contain the nightly violence the lights cause, are some of Rostov’s finest citizens, including the local police chief, a deputy, and an antique dealer who knows as much about the lights and their history as anyone alive. Morrell’s use of flashbacks to the experiences previous generations had with the Rostov lights gives the book a realistic feel that makes its fantastic plot all the more thrilling.This one will be a page-turner for thriller and sci-fi fans, alike.Rated at: 3.5

[phoenixterran · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I probably would have skipped right over David Morell's The Shimmer if it hadn't been brought to my attention. Morrell is frequently referred to as the father of the modern action novel though I must admit, I didn't recognize his name. He is probably best known as the creator of the character Rambo and for his award-winning novel Creepers. The Shimmer is his most recent offering and is heavily based on the ghost lights that appear near Marfa, Texas and the stories and theories surrounding them. It was this that particularly interested me when I was offered a copy of the book to review.Just outside of the small cattle-town of Rostov in southeastern Texas, something bizarre occurs on an almost nightly basis. Strange lights appear and no one knows for certain what they are or what causes them. Even stranger, not everyone one can see them. People are almost inexplicably drawn to Rostov and the mysterious lights. Victoria Page remembers seeing them as a child and on a whim decides to see them again, disappearing without telling anyone. Dan, her husband, follows her there, concerned about her and desperate to save their crumbling marriage. Brent Loft is a news anchor searching for a story, hoping to make it big, while his camera operator, Anita, simply needs the extra cash. Colonel Warren Raleigh has both a military and a personal interest in the phenomenon, much like his father and grandfather before him. Edward Mullen has become obsessed with the lights after his wife died, an obsession that leads to tragedy--neither the first nor the last to befall Rostov.For as many primary characters that are used in The Shimmer (and I haven't even mentioned them all), characterization is really not the books strong point. While not exactly stock characters, none of them have much depth and their personal relationships (particularly between Tori and Dan) come across as too easy. The first thee quarters or so of the book were the best. Unfortunately, by the time Morrell reaches what is supposed to be the climax, it doesn't feel like much of climax and the ending falls a bit flat. I found the lights and their mystery to be much more interesting earlier in the book before they started behaving differently for some reason, in almost an intelligent or deliberate sort of manner, which seemed a bit..."out of character" is the phrase that comes to mind.Overall, The Shimmer didn't leave much of an impression on me. It wasn't a bad book, neither was it a great book; I feel rather ambivalent towards it. The story was an entertaining enough diversion, but it failed to really grab me. In addition to some clever alternate history, I did like how Morrell was able to tie many of the Marfa lights stories together (I recognized several of them from reading up on the lights before The Shimmer arrived on my doorstep) and managed to hit upon most if not all of the major theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon. Morrell also includes an afterword in which he discusses the Marfa lights and his inspiration for The Shimmer further. I found this section to be very interesting; perhaps the book would have been better had he not decided to novelize his research, though by doing so he has written a very accessible, if fanciful, introduction to the real-life mystery.Experiments in Reading

[dasuzuki · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have heard great things about Morrell’s books but this one just was not for me. It starts off strong and there were certain threads that was interesting to follow but overall the story just didn’t do it for me. I did not feel like I connected with either Page or his wife. Even the general who was portrayed as the nemesis in the story seemed very mediocre and didn’t invoke any real strong emotion for me. In fact, the only character I really got into was the arrogant reporter, Brent. His character starts off utterly unlikeable and then the reader gets to see him transform through out the story that ultimately made me smile. I will say Brent is probably the main character that will stay with me when I think about this book.

[jmchshannon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is my first experience with David Morrell's work. I can see how he would be considered a great thriller writer. Unfortunately, I suspect that The Shimmer is not an example of his best work, which is extremely disappointing because it has such great potential. The premise itself is intriguing. Mysterious, unexplained lights hold some interest for me because there is a location north of Houston, Texas that has a similar phenomenon. My husband took me to see these particular lights when we were first dating. Besides, I'm a sucker for anything that is unexplained and has a hint of something otherworldly. The Rostov lights are based on the real-life Marfa lights in West Texas, also unexplained and mysterious. In fact, Mr. Morrell mentions that many of the events that occur in the book are based on experiences that occurred around the Marfa lights. It all makes for a lot of potential for the book.My disappointment with the book has to do more the with pacing of the plot and the lack of character development. I never felt sympathy with any of the main characters, never understood why they chose certain actions, never feared for their safety. To me, the characters were caricatures rather than characters - the jaded policeman, the evil military officer with his own secret agenda, the wife who doesn't understand the husband, and so forth. As for the plot, it moved so quickly that I never got a chance to absorb what was happening. By the time I got to the climax of the story, I was so confused that it took me a day to understand it. I understand that the pace was designed to build suspense, but it is difficult to build suspense when the reader doesn't particularly care what happened. Another point of disappointment was how Mr. Morrell chose to explain the mysteries. The answers were the only reason that I kept turning the pages - I did want to find out the reasons why for all of the situations. Unfortunately, I was disappointed here as well. In fact, the explanations left a particularly sour taste in my mouth and a definite WTH moment. I understand that Mr. Morrell was working with real-life unexplained phenomenon, but I feel that he could have explained them a bit more satisfactorily. Overall, it wasn't a bad book, in spite of my words to the contrary. It kept me reading as I wanted to find out what happened and how the lights were to be explained. It isn't Mr. Morrell's fault that I had high, possibly unrealistic, expectations for the ending. I can definitely see this being made into a decent movie. It wasn't the worst book I've read but it wasn't the best either. I know many others are going to really enjoy The Shimmer. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.Thanks to Anna Sukov at FSB Associates for the opportunity to review this book!

[sandylee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Weird lights have been appearing over Rostov, TX for years. When Dan Page's wife disappears, he traces her to TX but is astounded to see the effect the lights have on her and the residents. Morrell weaves in the too often used bogeyman - the government, as a possible culprit. Although I'm a huge alien fan, this didn't quite satisfy my alien craving. Having read Morrell's CREEPERS, I was hoping for the same intensity but SHIMMER fell short. His background check in the actual lights in Marfa was intriguing although in Marfa and his book the lights are never fully explained. I felt any fifth grader could explain it--an old volcanic site, gases still being emitted into the atmosphere...voila.

[novelbookworm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dan Page, a police officer, comes home one afternoon to find his wife is gone, leaving behind a note that simply says, “gone to see my mother”. But Dan’s mother-in-law claims to know nothing about a visit and his wife, Tori isn’t there either. Dan puts out a missing persons bulletin and tracks Tori down to a small town in Texas. Rostov, Texas attracts hundreds of visitors each year to watch the mysterious “Rostov lights”, which appear like dancing glowing orbs. Not everyone can see the lights, but those who can are drawn to them and compelled to visit this tiny town. A gunman arrives one evening and begins to scream, “Go back to hell where you belong” at the lights, and then turns his weapon on crowds of people watching the lights. More people are drawn to Rostov because of the massacre, TV cameras abound and the stage is set for even more bloody confrontations.The Shimmer by David Morrell is based on Morrell’s interest in a similar phenomenon just outside of the little bitty town of Marfa, Texas. Morrell came across an article in 2004, a sort of “fluff” piece about the Marfa lights, and while reading up on them discovered that Marfa was also the location used in filming the movie Giant, with James Dean. Only David Morrell could take these two little unrelated bits of trivia, do some research, find stuff linking them together and then write a suspense thriller like this! Sort of like a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon thing, but without the Bacon. (*snicker, snicker….)(hey...stop rolling your eyes...)Cops, wives, ambitious reporters, unexplained phenomenon, creepy manipulative military guys in Humvees, and research scientists; this book manages to tie all these weird, disparate threads together and forms a well-told and wonderfully inventive story.

[nickcato · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After discovering her suitcases missing and a note that turns out to be a lie, Dan Page learns his wife Tori has left for a small town in Texas--a town with an unusual history.After some quick detective work (easy, being Page is a cop), Page lands his small plane on the outskirts of Rostov and is taken to his wife by the local sherriff. Before long Page discovers Tori hasn't actually left him, but felt "called" to come to Rostov after a recent medical diagnosis as well as memories of a strange childhood experience.Tori is one of the few people who are able to see the mysterious Lights of Rostov, legendary spectres that have been seen and studied for years by believers, tourists . . . and the U.S. military.Page sits with Tori at an official observation area one night, hoping to see what has drawn her, when a man goes berserk, claiming the lights are evil, and starts firing his rifle into the crowd of onlookers. Page and Tori become minor celebrities when they manage to stop him (after he claims 20 lives), and soon begin to search for the meaning and origin of the Lights.What follows is an addictive mystery, full of suspense and some interesting back-story that'll appeal to fans of shows such as Unexplained Mysteries and the X-Files.While I found the ending to be a bit of a let down (not much is explained and I was expecting more after such a fast-paced ride), I can still recommend this to thriller fans looking for a quick, fun summer read.