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The Black Lodge By Robert Weinberg Official Website The Black Lodge is set in Chicago and there is a new guy in town. The Dark Man is a creature of the shadows and he dresses all in black. From his cowboy hat down to his old work boots everything is black, and even in summer he wraps himself up well in gloves, a scarf and a long, thick overcoat. The only thing about The Dark Man that isn't black is his butcher's cleaver. Most of the time it is red, but it gets a lot of use, so that is only to be expected.  The other thing worth noting about the man in black is that he appears to be totally unstoppable. Knives don't cut him and bullets are no more effective, which is bad news for anyone who is connected to the Children of Danballah. The Children of Danballah is a religious organization, founded by Willis Royce. Royce claims to be a powerful voodoo Bocar but it is all a con and the Children is only a front for his crack cocaine business. A business that The Dark Man is bringing to its knees by murdering everyone involved. Even the customers. The Dark Man kills 'em slow and chops 'em small, and he loves every minute of it. The Dark Man is an impressive and very scary character, but there are plenty of other characters in The Black Lodge that are just as interesting and what is happening to the Children is only one small part of a much bigger picture. There is a lot going on in this novel, folks, and it makes great reading. Sid Taine is a psychic detective who is working on a case for wealthy socialite Evangeline Caldwell who is looking for a black magician who calls himself Arelim. Evangeline tells Taine that her very soul depends on him finding this man, and he must find him by Friday. Pappa Benjamin is a voodoo priest and, unlike Willis Royce, he is the real deal and controls a powerful magic. Like Taine's, Pappa Benjamin's path is also destined to cross that of The Dark Man. Janet Packard is a millionaire's daughter and a successful business woman in her own right. She is a strong and very capable lady, but when she find out that her son Timmy is in danger her investigations of a secret society called The Black Lodge bring her to Taine's office were she and the big detective find themselves powerfully attracted to each other. All of the aforementioned characters are very believable and help bring the book to life and it is great characters like these that are one of the things that make The Black Lodge such an interesting read. My favourite character in the book, though, is Ape Largo. Ape is Willis Royce's bodyguard and he is one ugly-looking dude. It was Largo's appearance that earned him the name Ape and he has carried it for so long that he cannot remember ever having any other. Largo doesn't just look like an ape, he is as strong as one too, but there is much more to him that meets the eye. He is an extremely intelligent guy and when The Darkman starts targeting the Children of Danballah and Royce seeks the help of Pappa Benjamin,  Largo understands the old man's words a lot better than his employer does and so, maybe, he has a better chance of coming out of things alive. The Black Lodge is 275 pages long. It is a well thought out story, there are always plenty of things happening, to keep the reader turning the pages and this reader enjoyed it very much.    HOME