An inventive, thoughtfully constructed, chilling fantasy.
A former cop becomes haunted by more than just her past in this dark fantasy series opener.
Liz Raleigh is staying alone in a cabin in the middle of the New Hampshire woods, 30 miles from the nearest town, so when she hears footsteps on the porch late one winter night, she can’t help but go into cop mode. She’s not on the force anymore—she left her job at a coastal Maine police department after her actions unintentionally led to the death of her partner, Brody Aritza. Then her relationship with her photographer fiance fell apart, and now she’s hiding out in this remote cabin, trying to clear her head. But that’s easier said than done. Local New Hampshire forest ranger Hank Feld is sniffing around for a missing person—a man who happens to look a lot like Liz’s dead father—and she has been imagining that she sees and hears Brody everywhere. Or at least she thinks she’s imagining him. Then things start to escalate. Liz and Hank get in a car accident when a shadowy figure steps into the road. She staggers to the nearby ranger station, where she finds broken furniture and a lot of blood. The people in the nearby town erupt in panic. It turns out that the ghosts of the dead have come back to walk the Earth—and they’ve brought some very bad things with them. Silva’s prose writhes with angst and urgency, as here where Liz witnesses the chaos in town: “Cardend was a throbbing heart of anarchy. Mothers and fathers sprinted down the road toward us, cradling their children. Others yanked them behind like rag dolls. A man in an oily jumpsuit smashed a car window with a crowbar on our left. I slowed the Jeep, trying to make my way through the human thicket.” The author mixes horror and crime elements with some imaginative worldbuilding and a satisfying psychological element. Though they at times adhere to type, her characters are well defined, and the audience will have no trouble getting caught up in Liz’s emotional plunge through the dark. Readers will look forward to seeing what lurks in the next volume.
An inventive, thoughtfully constructed, chilling fantasy.Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-578-95370-0
Page Count: 364
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It's almost enough to make a person believe in ghosts.
A disturbing household secret has far-reaching consequences in this dark, unusual ghost story.
Mallory Quinn, fresh out of rehab and recovering from a recent tragedy, has taken a job as a nanny for an affluent couple living in the upscale suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey, when a series of strange events start to make her (and her employers) question her own sanity. Teddy, the precocious and shy 5-year-old boy she's charged with watching, seems to be haunted by a ghost who channels his body to draw pictures that are far too complex and well formed for such a young child. At first, these drawings are rather typical: rabbits, hot air balloons, trees. But then the illustrations take a dark turn, showcasing the details of a gruesome murder; the inclusion of the drawings, which start out as stick figures and grow increasingly more disturbing and sophisticated, brings the reader right into the story. With the help of an attractive young gardener and a psychic neighbor and using only the drawings as clues, Mallory must solve the mystery of the house's grizzly past before it's too late. Rekulak does a great job with character development: Mallory, who narrates in the first person, has an engaging voice; the Maxwells' slightly overbearing parenting style and passive-aggressive quips feel very familiar; and Teddy is so three-dimensional that he sometimes feels like a real child.
It's almost enough to make a person believe in ghosts.Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-81934-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A unique story of transcendent love.
An aimless young musician meets the girl of his dreams only to have his newfound happiness threatened by several inexplicable—and possibly supernatural—events.
The story opens as Leeds Gabriel meets with a detective while his girlfriend, Layla, is restrained in a room one flight above them. Through the interview, readers learn that Leeds was wasting both his time and his musical talent playing backup for a small-town wedding troupe called Garrett’s Band when he spied Layla dancing her heart out to their mediocre music at a wedding. When Leeds approaches Layla, their connection is both instant and intense. A blissful courtship follows, but then Leeds makes the mistake of posting a picture of himself with Layla on social media. A former girlfriend–turned-stalker wastes no time in finding and attacking Layla. Layla spends months recovering in a hospital, and it seems the girl Leeds fell for might be forever changed. Gone is her special spark, her quirkiness, and the connection that had entranced Leeds months before. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, he brings Layla back to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. When they get there, though, Leeds meets Willow, another guest, and finds himself drawn to her in spite of himself. As events unfold, it becomes clear that Willow will either be the key to saving Leeds’ relationship with Layla or the catalyst that finally extinguishes the last shreds of their epic romance. Told entirely from Leeds’ point of view, the author’s first foray into paranormal romance does not disappoint. Peppered with elements of mystery, psychological thriller, and contemporary romance, the novel explores questions about how quickly true love can develop, as well as the conflicts that can imperil even the strongest connections. Despite a limited cast of characters and very few setting changes, the narrative manages to remain both fast-paced and engaging. The conclusion leaves a few too many loose ends, but the chemistry between the characters and unexpected twists throughout make for a satisfying read.
A unique story of transcendent love.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0017-8
Page Count: 301
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
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