by Roger David Francis
Richie, recovering from a recent motorcycle accident, books a cottage for a weekend away with his family. He’s looking forward to spending some quality time with his family and to also sneak some time with a virtual reality headset that he secretly purchased. But unfortunately for Richie, this getaway will not provide him with the rest and relaxation he so desperately needs; not only does he have to contend with his irritating and insulting mother-in-law, Richie has an even bigger problem – one that involves alien lifeforms.
Richie isn’t the only character whose life is disrupted by aliens. In the quaint village town where Richie and his family (his wife, Irene, and their children, James and Mia) are vacationing, we get to know some of its inhabitants. The book closely follows Martha and Reggie, who both do various jobs to keep the cottage clean and tidy, and the family who runs the village pub – Gordon, his wife Tess, and their daughter Keelie. Not only are they all connected to the cottage in some way, they also have another thing in common with Richie: The virtual reality headsets.
Some of the book’s best scenes involve Martha, an older woman who lives alone with her cats. Her cheeky, tough personality shines through her inner dialogue and in her curt conversations with Reggie and others. There are also quite a few creepy scenes involving Martha as well, and her biggest fear, which readers will likely relate to – the dentist.
The banter between Richie and his mother in law, Irene, is quite entertaining. And as frustrating as Irene may be, she doesn’t hold a candle to who is the clear bad guy here: Wesley, the greedy, sleazy landlord of the cottage (and of the pub), who had, as far as I could tell, no redeeming qualities.
But are the aliens villains, too? No spoilers here! But as far as the alien portrayal goes, there is definitely creativity at play here. The visions and hallucinations were quite dreadful and creepy – if you’re wondering where the virtual reality headset plays a role in the story, this is it. Again, no spoilers.
I also think Francis has done his research into alien abduction claims, as some concepts show up here (e.g., the concept of missing time), but done in novel ways. While reading, I appreciated this approach to alien contact.
Overall, Rhesus X was an enjoyable read. Not only did Francis include some genuinely funny and amusing moments – particularly when Richie was battling Irene – there were creepy moments as well. Scenes involving caves, a church, and the dentist’s office were filled with dread and nightmare-ish visions. The characters were fairly fleshed out; each major character had distinct personalities and quirks, which helped since there the story closely follows the perspectives of Richie, Martha, Reggie and Wesley, among others. The women in the story were written as well as the men; even Irene, who could have been portrayed simply as a mean woman, had some dimensions to her personality.
While I wasn’t completely sold on the wrap-up and conclusion, ultimately Rhesus X is a satisfying read for someone like myself who is interested in both horror and extraterrestrials.
Rhesus X: Blood is Thicker Then Water by Roger David Francis [ASIN
B07G2WSJYV] was published July 31st 2018 by Averill Lodge Publishing, and is currently available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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