An engaging and delightful creature-feature gem.
A colossal multilegged insect terrorizes the Lone Star State in Bills’ horror novella.
When West Texas lawmen find they can’t explain a human-arm-sized “stubby tentacle” clutched in a dead man’s hand, they know it’s time to bring in an expert. It certainly looks familiar to assistant university professor Annette Carden, who has a degree in entomology and a specialty in centipedes and millipedes. The strange body part likely came from a Devil Head centipede, except one this length would mean the Devil Head is around 40 feet long. As these centipedes are fast, aggressive, and venomous, other Texans are likely in trouble—and soon, another few mutilated bodies confirm the danger. Sheriff Axil Rafferty orders those under his command to gather reliable people and arm them to the teeth, so they can “try to corner this thing and kill it.” They’re not sure how many bullets it will take, or even if such firepower will be effective, but Rafferty and the others will do whatever it takes to protect West Texas. Bills’ compact tale hits the ground running with a prompt introduction to the creature. Much of the narrative, however, consists of prolonged but surprisingly absorbing discussions of the Devil Head centipede. Carden, for example, provides expertly derived specs on the creepy-crawlies, and someone else suggests a local nuclear waste dump as the potential reason for this insect’s staggering dimensions. Accordingly, the novella isn’t so much scary as it is compelling. There are humorous bits, as well, as when Rafferty refers to the scientific name Chilopod as “chilidog.” The book’s only downside is that it’s all over too soon, as the appealing cast easily could have carried a longer work. The denouement, nonetheless, is a knockout, and Bills includes a “b-side” in the short, graphic, and profane bonus story, “The Opening Day.” In it, a horrifying near-future America has legalized killing protesters, and a young, bigoted right-wing extremist’s murderous agenda takes an unexpected turn.
An engaging and delightful creature-feature gem.Pub Date: May 10, 2023
ISBN: 9798218199333
Page Count: 84
Publisher: Starkweather Imprints
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A grim yet gleefully gratifying tale of lost innocence and found family.
A woman fears she made a fatal mistake by taking in a blood-soaked tween during a storm.
High winds and torrential rain are forecast for “The Middle of Nowhere, New Hampshire,” making Casey question the structural integrity of her ramshackle rental cabin. Still, she’s loath to seek shelter with her lecherous landlord or her paternalistic neighbor, so instead she just crosses her fingers, gathers some candles, and hopes for the best. Casey is cooking dinner when she notices a light in her shed. She grabs her gun and investigates, only to find a rail-thin girl hiding in the corner under a blanket. She’s clutching a knife with “Eleanor” written on the handle in black marker, and though her clothes are bloody, she appears uninjured. The weather is rapidly worsening, so before she can second-guess herself, former Boston-area teacher Casey invites the girl—whom she judges to be 12 or 13—inside to eat and get warm. A wary but starving Eleanor accepts in exchange for Casey promising not to call the police—a deal Casey comes to regret after the phones go down, the power goes out, and her hostile, sullen guest drops something that’s a big surprise. Meanwhile, in interspersed chapters labeled “Before,” middle-schooler Ella befriends fellow outcast Anton, who helps her endure life in Medford, Massachusetts, with her abusive, neglectful hoarder of a mother. As per her usual, McFadden lulls readers using a seemingly straightforward thriller setup before launching headlong into a series of progressively seismic (and increasingly bonkers) plot twists. The visceral first-person, present-tense narrative alternates perspectives, fostering tension and immediacy while establishing character and engendering empathy. Ella and Anton’s relationship particularly shines, its heartrending authenticity counterbalancing some of the story’s soapier turns.
A grim yet gleefully gratifying tale of lost innocence and found family.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781464260919
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A standout in the series.
The sixth adventure of Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon explores the mysteries of human consciousness, the demonic projects of the CIA, and the city of Prague.
“Ladies and gentlemen...we are about to experience a sea change in our understanding of how the brain works, the nature of consciousness, and in fact…the very nature of reality itself.” But first—Langdon’s in love! Brown’s devoted readers first met brilliant noetic scientist Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol (2009); she’s back as a serious girlfriend, engaging the committed bachelor in a way not seen before. The book opens with the pair in a luxurious suite at the Four Seasons in Prague. It’s the night after Katherine has delivered the lecture quoted above, setting the theme for the novel, which features a plethora of real-life cases and anomalies that seem to support the notion that human consciousness is not localized inside the human skull. Brown’s talent for assembling research is also evident in this novel’s alter ego as a guidebook to Prague, whose history and attractions are described in great and glowing detail. Whether you appreciate or skim past the innumerable info dumps on these and other topics (Jewish folklore fans—the Golem is in the house!), it goes without saying that concision is not a goal in the Dan Brown editing process. Speaking of editing, the nearly 700-page book is dedicated to Brown’s editor, who seems to appear as a character—to put it in the italicized form used for Brownian insight, Jason Kaufman must be Jonas Faukman! A major subplot involves the theft of Katherine’s manuscript from the secure servers of Penguin Random House; the delightful Faukman continues to spout witty wisecracks even when blindfolded and hogtied. There’s no shortage of action, derring-do, explosions, high-tech torture machines, attempted and successful murders, and opportunities for split-second, last-minute escapes; good thing Langdon, this aging symbology wonk, never misses swimming his morning laps. Readers who are not already dyed-in-the-wool Langdonites may find themselves echoing the prof’s own conclusion regarding the credibility of all this paranormal hoo-ha: At some point, skepticism itself becomes irrational.
A standout in the series.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780385546898
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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