Requiem For Thursday

A Supernatural Mystery

Fiction - Supernatural
293 Pages
Reviewed on 10/27/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Doug Cockell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and did graduate work in Literature with acclaimed novelist and playwright Robertson Davies at the University of Toronto. Doug has taught Literature, Art, and Media Studies in Oakville and Burlington and was awarded the McLuhan Distinguished Teacher Medal for showing the common visual language shared by illustration, the movies and computers. He has offered courses through The University of Toronto, Brock University, and The Art Gallery of Burlington.

In addition to being an author, Doug is an accomplished artist who came to art through his love of the great Twentieth Century illustrators, delighted by their charm and whimsy as well as their skill. Requiem For Thursday is Doug's debut novel. However, it is not the only novel he has written. So, add this author to your watch list because you won't want to miss the collection of well crafted murder mysteries Doug has in store for you.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite

In Requiem For Thursday by Douglas Cockell, when Detective Eilert Weiss is called to a supposed accidental drowning, the clues do not correspond to unintentional death. Another drowning of a young girl in similar circumstances not long before raises the suspicion that a serial killer could be at large. Could the deaths be connected somehow? Weiss's investigations lead him to Marcella Cole, a known sociopath who was known to both victims and acquitted of her husband's death five years previously. As Weiss tries to find Cole, a best selling author dies in an apparent suicide but with no bullet and little blood - was this another murder? Weiss, still struggling to come to terms with his own wife's suicide, discovers the author's study holds many secrets within its walls and bookshelves. Secrets and clues that could solve each mystery. But what he uncovers is both shocking and unbelievable.

Requiem For Thursday by Douglas Cockell is a true suspense novel with a fast-paced, riveting plot that will keep you guessing right until the very end. The twists and turns were gripping and the whole setting was eerie and chilling at times, thanks to the author's masterful descriptive narrative. Detective Eilert Weiss and Carly had so many layers to their personalities, both flawed by their past experiences. Carly's re-evaluation of her life after her father's death was so poignant and believable. I admired how the author included the characters' backstories and artfully linked all the situations together. There were many scenes when I felt I was actually in the study, experiencing the chilling events. The ending was spectacular and one of the best plot twists I have encountered for a long time. I cannot wait for the next novel, Requiem For Noah. I am sure it will be of the same high standard as this superb novel.

Lit Amri

“He’d felt it—he’d felt the tug on the wheel towards the abyss. The thought horrified him, but it occurred to him that he was being given a second chance, a chance to make things right.” When famous author A.L. Rouhl is found dead in his home office, suicide seems to be the apparent cause. Yet Detective Eilert Weiss believes that there's more to the case, and Rouhl's daughter, Carly, suspects that there's a sinister truth relating to a local nurse and ruthless killer, Marcella Cole. Requiem For Thursday is a supernatural mystery by Douglas Cockell.

The story primarily moves through the perspective of a sociopathic killer, a detective haunted by the death of his wife, and a publisher who had a complicated relationship with her late father. The details ground the scenes well as the POV moves from one main character to another, revolving around their past and present. Several dramatic and tense moments lead to unexpected reveals which will delight mystery fans. The plot moves at a steady pace, allowing readers to dive deep enough into the characters' psyche. Marcella Cole is amply disturbing and dangerous to others, and Eilert Weiss's propensity to see beyond the obvious is enlightening. However, Carly Rouhl anchors the story the most when her father's death leads her into the mystifying conundrum that he left behind. Baffling and affecting at the same time, Requiem For Thursday is a mystifying murder mystery laced with a subtle supernatural aspect; a solid debut from Douglas Cockell for the Requiem Series.

Susan Sewell

A detective attempts to tie two drownings, and a suicide to a cold-blooded murderer set free five years earlier in the thrilling novel, Requiem for Thursday (A Supernatural Mystery) by Douglas Cockell. Detective Eilert Wiess and his partner Prem Joshi are called to the scene of a drowning victim. Being advised that this newest floater could be related to another drowning, which occurred a year earlier, Eilert notices connections between them and an acquitted murderer. Later Eilert and Joshi are called to the suicide scene of a famous author. While looking the room over, Eilert spies some inconsistencies. Some aspects are missing that are intrinsic in a shooting. While investigating all the unusual facets of both cases, the face and name of Marcella Cole, whose acquittal he was partly responsible for, keeps cropping up. Can Eilert finally get Marcella behind bars before she kills again? Or is he too late to stop her?

Suspense and chills dominate the brilliant supernatural thriller, Requiem for Thursday (A Supernatural Mystery) by Douglas Cockell. Reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock film, the expertly written storyline smoothly flows from start to finish. The suspense created at the beginning increases in intensity, gradually building to a riveting and climactic peak, then finally culminating in an exciting and surprising conclusion. The intriguing plot skillfully portrays compelling characters who strive to find logical answers to a muddled and conflicting reality, compounded with the schemes of a cunning psychopath with serial killer tendencies. Their hair-raising conflicts blended with an otherworldly element cleverly propel the story forward, leading the reader on an electrifying adventure. If the thrills and chills of a supernatural suspense novel fascinate you, then you will not want to miss this one! A word of caution, there are a few expletives and some moderately sensual scenes.