As a former prison chaplain, I was very intrigued by this - but I couldn’t get ini it for some reason. Maybe the writing or characters, but it didn’t vibe with me. Apologies, DNF.

Thanks to NetGalley for presenting me with the opportunity to read this one!

I never would have picked this up if I hadn’t stumbled upon it in NetGalley and I’m glad I did!

This was a fun easy read with a couple of great twists! It did feel more like a thriller novel than horror, but I enjoyed it none the less.

This book was creepy and had such a unique premise. The plot felt a little disjointed, but I enjoyed the ride!

Is it possible to commit murder from beyond the grave?

Sing Sing Prison, 1962. Joseph Hickey is executed for a series of gruesome murders. But what should be the end of the nightmare is only the beginning.

John Henry thought that by quitting his job as prison chaplain he could start a new life, but instead he finds himself pulled back again and again as the murders continue.

Can John Henry stop the endless cycle of torment and solve the mystery before it is too late?

This book was a slow burner but I am glad that I persevered through it because it turned out to be a pretty good read.

Hall has created a twisty, manipulative plot that dug its claws deep into my brain. I just couldn’t get the antagonist Joseph Hickey out of my head; with his sadistic mind games and persistent toying with John Henry all throughout the book. It gave me Green Mile meets The Shining vibes - Stephen King-esque in content but with Hall’s own original style. Filled with gruesome imagery and creepy occurrences this book is definitely going to keep you on edge.

Wish I could have read it, but the file didn't work for me. It was archived before I could figure it out, and as a new reviewer I didn't realize I could bug support for help.

Thank you to NetGalley, Richard Wall and Burning Chair for allowing me to enjoy an ARC of Near Death.

I was pleasantly surprised by this indie author. This was not the book I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A horrific crime has been committed. A death-row prisoner makes a haunting promise that he will return to kill again as he sits in the electric chair. When an identical crime occurs, the police must act fast to find out how. Is it a copy-cat, or has he come back from the dead as promised? This story reminded me so much of the movie Fallen (1993) with Denzel Washington, and that to me is a great thing.

Wall has set this story in 1960's Appalachia, bringing together a disenchanted former priest and an alcoholic cop who has reached breaking point. With social commentary, PTSD and a corrupt NYC police department all serving as background, this was always going to be a gritty, fast-paced thriller.

There was something extra here that I really loved. Wall puts in little details that make the characters seem more real. For example, his main character loves cars. How often have you read about a main character with a hobby that has nothing to do with the progression of the story? Especially in a thriller? I'm going with never, because every author knows about Chekov's gun and so avoids it. But here, it was a touch of genius. I have no personal interest in cars. But having the main character notice engine noises and have them interrupt his train of thought made me like him more. It made him feel real, rather than a contrived invention.

I particularly enjoyed reading about a lawyer named Vinnie, and two days later I can still remember the names of the smaller side characters. Something that never happens in thrillers with me, because characters are normally a means to an end to further the plot.

I will absolutely pick up more work by Richard Hall in future and you should too.

I would surely say, that Near Death by Richard Wall is a good attempt in entering the horror universe. The author still need to do much effort in the plot. The plot, sometimes, diverted itself and because of which I lost interest. The horror element was weak and climax was little disappointing. I had great hopes for the book as it started with a positive note. The only exciting thing in the book which got me into reading it full were the characters.

I could only give the book 3 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Burning Chair for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book.

Near Death was absolutely incredible. It was not what I was expecting, but in the best way possible. It was full of twists, and thrills, and a little bit of paranormal.

It was an entertaining enough read, I'll give it that. The problem was that the story was heavily masculinized, there's was a bizarre almost stereotypical rural South representation (I come from the rural South, so), and the use of racial slurs as a cop-out way of saying "the antagonist is a bad guy!!!" Every male character seems to be trying really hard to be the image of the gritty tough guy, and after a while, it's exhausting trying to pick through all that testosterone for the plot. The plot itself wasn't bad, something that isn't quite new but isn't done that often. Overall, 3/5.

A sadistic killer finds a way to commit murder from beyond the grave. Joseph Hickey is executed for killing an entire family, after doing unspeakable things to the parents than making them watch as he tortured, brutalized, and slaughtered their young daughters. He gives no excuse, as for no mercy, and seems quite proud of what he has done.

The prison Chaplain at Sing-Sing is John Henry, a disillusioned man who no longer has the faith that brought him to the priesthood, and a killer like Hickey just reinforces the feeling that there is no God who cares. It’s his job to give last rites to the condemned men, and when it’s Hickey’s turn, John Henry makes no bones about how he feels about the killer and his deeds.

Hickey is executed, in the grossest fashion the writer could describe, but he’s far from done with killing or with John Henry.
A few months later, a man walks into the police and confesses to a crime that is an exact duplicate of Hickeys and he wants to talk to John Henry.

That’s just where the roller coaster begins to move. The premise of the book is excellent. How do you fight a killer who keeps coming back as a different person, with no ties to the killing grounds or the victims? How many times will he do this before someone does something to stop him and what can they do? This is beyond mortal experience.

Near Death is well written and the author keeps you interested longer than you expect to be. I can be very cynical about mystery and thriller books. I don’t like a story that is not reasonable even if the elements are Paranormal. Anything less is cheating. There may have been a few spots where I rolled my eyes, but for the most part, Wall managed to make me buy what he was selling.

Thanks to @Netgalley, Burning Chair, and Richard Wall for the chance to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I was highly offended by the testosterone filled, constant racial slurs throughout this book. As for the story, evil man gets the electric chair and comes back from the dead to kill people, has been done many times before. I was not able to finish the book due to all the racist language.

A reluctant priest and an unrepentant killer walk into a death chamber. The killer turns to the priest and says See Ya. The priest goes Nah, unlikely. The killer gets set up on the electric chair and fries like an egg. The priest walks away into the sunset. The end?
Not nearly.
Six months later the same sort of murders occurs and the man responsible seems to be possessed by the spirit of the dead killer and insistent on seeing the very same priest.
The priest who has since burned his collar and moved back to a remote ancestral cabin in the Carolinas to restore an old truck, court a local waitress and generally engage in all sorts of things Americana. And yet slowly at first and then with brutal violence he gets drawn back into the twisted games of a twisted mind of a killer who just won’t die.
That’s the book. Set in the early 1960s and rendered with the sort of near-fetishistic Americana obsession that only a man from a small town in England can muster up, it’s a very testosterone driven sort of story with primarily male protagonists of the tough, war-seasoned and life-leathered variety. They speak with either pronounced Southern or Nyu Yowk accents, they drink copious amounts of alcohol and process their PTSD on their own. Very, very tough individuals indeed.
On a randomly odd note, the book also tries to provide some sociopolitical commentary, which doesn’t quite fit the story but it certainly fits the times we live in, only it does so clumsily – from a heavy-handed stab at Catholic church sexual abuses to race. The latter is actually where it gets really weird, because while the author seems to wave his wokeness proudly by using upper case B when referring to race, it is done inconsistently, plus, he also has given one of the main characters a carte blanche to racially slur left and right, covering just about all races - an equal opportunity slurrer. Also, was the legal process really that sped up back in the day? People are thrown onto electric chairs suspiciously promptly in this book.
That aside, the writing’s quite decent. The book’s quite decent, actually. Aside from the fact that the story rings familiar and not just because of Flatliners. And it’s slightly drawn out. But at any rate, it was sufficiently entertaining. A supernatural thriller with literary aspirations. Thanks Netgalley.

“I gave the last rites to Joseph Hickey before they took him to the electric chair. I remember the look on his face. I remember his twisted smile as I made the sign of the cross. And I remember wanting to kill the sonofabitch with my bare hands.” -Chapter one.
Captivated from the first line. I could feel this was going to be a special book. The kind of book that pops into your head at odd times, makes you try to think of a way out. Knowing what was going on and being unable to convey that to the characters, unable to stop the bloody mess. How do you stop a man when death is but a revolving door? How do you stop a brutal killer when the NYPD just wants to lay the blame of negligence on a detective and think that it’s actually over.
Richard Wall adds little details and emotions that make the characters so real. It makes the story so much more crushing when you have such a fantastic connection. One character named Vinnie is perfect and adds a comedic intermission to a heavy plot. There are several subplots in this intricate book which keeps it fresh throughout the story.
NEAR DEATH runs through all the emotions so be warned. Think of an emotion and most likely the answer is yes, it’s in there.
“For the love of God,” I whispered “why are you doing this?” Webster winked slowly and deliberately. “I already told you. Because I can.”
-I can hear you asking, “but Paul, why is it a different name than the first quote? Are there several bad guys in this?” In reply, I grin devilishly and tell you to go read the book

I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style in the book. The story was decent but could have been better.

Near Death
by Richard Wall
Thanks to Net Galley for providing a copy of this book to review.

Amazing. Honestly, I went into this book not expecting too much as it did not seem to be the kind of book I enjoyed. Wow, I was so wrong. I started the book around 8pm and read it straight thru until I had to go to work in the morning.

Exceptional writer. Mr. Wall truly captures a scene and makes the reader feel apart of the story. Highly Recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Author Richard Wall for this ARC.

This was a gritty, action-packed thriller with a lot going on. The POV character is a chaplain from Sing Sing Correctional. It's set during the '60s in the Appalachian south. Some of the characters were a bit cliche but some of them were phenomenal. The core story of a serial killer who seems to come back after being executed through some sort of supernatural magic and inhabiting the bodies of other men so he can go back to New York and kill again is so intriguing and kept me glued. The first side story of the "Preacher Man's" cop friend and the NYPD was not my cup of tea and bored me, but I kept reading to find out what was going to happen with this nasty serial killer. And I'm glad I did.

If you don't mind some gruesome descriptions, you're going to love this book!