Title: Geist Esser: The Story
Author: Jim von Tesmar
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 9781543454291
Pages: 124
Genres: Mystery
Reviewed by: Dave Bishop
Pacific Book Review
Philosophy and religion play major roles in this tale of individuals in search of answers. The story begins with the incident itself. Three young friends come upon a body seemingly hidden in the brush. At first they think the body is dead, but suddenly it moves and speaks. Then it expires as all three watch helplessly. The memory of that experience will haunt each of them as they grow to manhood.
Some forty years later, the death of one of the boys, Digger, brings the other two together. Matthew returns to the town they all grew up in and stays with the third member of the trio, Luther. As they mourn their friend’s passing, they begin to witness a series of odd events. Multiple people begin to die, and as they die, each mouths the word “Anima.” Anima is the same word that the man who was found by the boys uttered some forty years previously. Matthew and Luther become determined to find out what really happened to Digger and why these other people are all dying with the same word on their lips.
Research into Christian religion, analytical psychology, plus their own brand of interrogation techniques, lead them to look into a mysterious house of worship that had been abandoned, but more recently reopened. Everything about “The Church of Lost Souls” seems strange and secretive. Its building is black with red-trimmed windows. Its congregation wears hooded robes that hide their identity. They meet on a day of the week not similar to most major religions. And their practices include rituals far outside the realm of traditional spiritualism.
To go deeper into the plot would spoil a number of the novel’s twists and turns. Lets simply say that the protagonists encounter revelations that shake them to their core and have them reexamining the strength of their own convictions.
The author is an enthusiastic writer. He moves his story along at a rapid pace. While he does a good job depicting the bonds of friendship between the two principal characters, the use of clichés in both prose and dialogue lessens the impact of some passages. Jarring tense and phrase collisions seem to indicate that English may not in fact be his first language. Still, there is a vivid respect for his subject matter that is evident in how he approaches each character’s individual faith. It feels evident that Jim von Tesmar had more in mind that simply penning a by-the-numbers thriller. Within his pages one also finds a treatise on good and evil, the desire to lead a worthwhile life, and the sanctity of religious belief. If you’re looking for a mystery that aspires to be more than a typical whodunit, you might want to snack on Geist Esser, which loosely translates to ghost or soul eater.
