A fun, frightening mystery with strong horror elements.
Two agents for a shadowy organization find themselves in a remote village in this suspense novel.
Ben is an agent of the Mycelia Sterilia Society, an organization so secretive even he rarely understands the purpose of his work. On his current mission, he’s been partnered with a more experienced operative known by a colorful assortment of pseudonyms—though Ben chooses to just call him Grim. They have been tasked with transporting a mysterious package the size and shape of a cooler to the failing lakeside town of Eidercrest—but Ben’s real mission is to keep an eye on Grim and report back any unusual behavior. The package is to be delivered to Radney Atwood, a “specialist” who lives in a lonely cabin on the lake. Ben and Grim make their delivery, but when it becomes clear that Atwood has been in contact with other parties, the organization orders the two operatives to remain in town and keep an eye on him. Eidercrest offers plenty of secrets to keep Ben’s mind busy, from the strange religious commune that has recently taken up residence in some of the abandoned properties to the supposed monster that Grim believes to be the topic of Atwood’s research. It all turns out to be much more complicated—and dangerous—than Ben bargained for, particularly when he and Grim run afoul of Thane, the commune’s leader, who has taken an interest in Atwood’s work. As friction between the two agents festers, Ben decides to take some initiative and infiltrate the commune on his own, which works well—until it doesn’t. He must keep his wits about him if he’s to solve the riddles of Grim, Atwood, Thane, and the very organization that employs him—or simply to survive the mission at all.
In this sequel, Kherbash’s prose is sparse and spooky, slowly bringing the tension to a boil: “Things grew quiet, and all Ben could hear” as he raised “his head was water gently lapping the wooden raft. Even the crowd lining the shore could not be heard. In the eerie stillness, and in his temporary blind state, the odor of slimy water was all he could perceive.” The author withholds information in a way that maximizes the suspense, leaving readers to piece together just what sort of world this is and who within it can be trusted. The characters are perhaps a bit more transparent than they should be—rarely does anyone do anything that is truly surprising. Kherbash offers readers chapters from Grim’s point of view, which has the unfortunate effect of demystifying the man. That said, Ben’s attempts to unpack all that surrounds him are a suitable engine for the plot, and the evocative setting and slightly Lovecraft-ian atmosphere add to the experience. The result is a highly compelling mix of horror and mystery that will keep the audience engaged even if the ultimate reveals are not quite as big (or as satisfying) as those that the author cultivates in readers’ imaginations.
A fun, frightening mystery with strong horror elements.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7338854-5-4
Page Count: 306
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 18, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It's hard to read but hard to look away from.
When two women who share a birthday meet, a journalist becomes the subject of her own true-crime mystery.
On their 45th birthdays, Josie Fair and Alix Summer meet at a pub and discover they were born not only on the same day, but in the same hospital. Alix is a successful journalist, and Josie convinces Alix that her story is worth telling: Josie met her husband when she was 13 and he was 40. “I can see that maybe I was being used, that maybe I was even being groomed?” she confesses to Alix. “But that feeling of being powerful, right at the start, when I was still in control. I miss that sometimes. I really do. And what I’d like, more than anything, is to get it back.” From this premise Alix creates a Netflix series, Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin! which investigates Josie’s life as she reconciles what happened to her as a teen and seeks a new path. With the story unfinished, the narrative unfolds in the present tense, with prose that jingles like song lyrics: “He turns to see if the girl is behind him, and sees her wishy-washy, wavy-wavy, in double vision through the glass windows of the hotel.” Alix is both intrigued and repulsed by Josie, but she initially gives her the benefit of the doubt. After all, Alix’s husband, Nathan, has a drinking problem, and Alix knows what it’s like to be reluctant to leave a bad situation. But Josie seems more interested in being part of Alix’s seemingly glamorous life than she is in fixing her own, and when three people end up dead and Alix’s life is turned upside down, the evidence points to Josie—and turns the TV series into a murder mystery. Transcripts from Alix’s interviews alternate with the narrative, offering increasingly varied perspectives on Josie’s story as told by her neighbors, friends, and family members. With so many versions of events, the ending shatters, leaving readers to decide whose is the truth.
It's hard to read but hard to look away from.Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781982179007
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
A vivid, exciting page-turner from one of our most interesting authors of historical fiction.
When a man accused of rape turns up dead, an Early American town seeks justice amid rumors and controversy.
Lawhon’s fifth work of historical fiction is inspired by the true story and diaries of midwife Martha Ballard of Hallowell, Maine, a character she brings to life brilliantly here. As Martha tells her patient in an opening chapter set in 1789, “You need not fear….In all my years attending women in childbirth, I have never lost a mother.” This track record grows in numerous compelling scenes of labor and delivery, particularly one in which Martha has to clean up after the mistakes of a pompous doctor educated at Harvard, one of her nemeses in a town that roils with gossip and disrespect for women’s abilities. Supposedly, the only time a midwife can testify in court is regarding paternity when a woman gives birth out of wedlock—but Martha also takes the witness stand in the rape case against a dead man named Joshua Burgess and his living friend Col. Joseph North, whose role as judge in local court proceedings has made the victim, Rebecca Foster, reluctant to make her complaint public. Further complications are numerous: North has control over the Ballard family's lease on their property; Rebecca is carrying the child of one of her rapists; Martha’s son was seen fighting with Joshua Burgess on the day of his death. Lawhon weaves all this into a richly satisfying drama that moves suspensefully between childbed, courtroom, and the banks of the Kennebec River. The undimmed romance between 40-something Martha and her husband, Ephraim, adds a racy flair to the proceedings. Knowing how rare the quality of their relationship is sharpens the intensity of Martha’s gaze as she watches the romantic lives of her grown children unfold. As she did with Nancy Wake in Code Name Hélène (2020), Lawhon creates a stirring portrait of a real-life heroine and, as in all her books, includes an endnote with detailed background.
A vivid, exciting page-turner from one of our most interesting authors of historical fiction.Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780385546874
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
