WHATEVER HAPPENED TO UNCLE ED?

A man must confront his deepest fears inside the haunted mansion left to him by his missing uncle in Miller’s horror novel.

Max Brown has a strange routine every day after work: collecting weapons and ammo for the monthly life-or-death battles that take place in his basement (“The helmet, boxes of ammo, and other supplies make a growing, sloppy pile”). Max is a former high school basketball star whose life has long since peaked; after the disappearance of his mysterious Uncle Edward, Max inherited not only an eerie old mansion and a mountain of cash but also a chilling family curse. Beneath the house lies a supernatural arena in which Max must battle demons to free people trapped there. Working alongside two men named Walter and Tommy to rescue these poor souls, Max worries that their efforts are futile, especially since his allies are only the latest in a long line of people who have arrived at the house to fight, only to give up after months of struggle. Max is also still mired in grief over his mother’s death and dealing with the unexpected turmoil of falling in love while fighting for his life. Can Max come out on top, or is he doomed to the same unknown fate as his uncle? Despite the dark premise, the novel’s tone is campy and self-aware, balancing the horror of the characters’ situations with moments of absurdity and humor. Even the high-stakes climax strikes notes of levity (it takes place during a basketball game). The narrative is full of developments that blend affecting emotional truths with feats of writerly imagination and deeply enjoyable plot twists—Miller manages to make the prospect of facing one’s own worst nightmare simultaneously horrifying and hilarious. (This is a great read for fans of horror who enjoy seeing common tropes and references being playfully subverted.) Sometimes the emotional stakes are undercut by the humor, but, overall, this is an effective blend of comedy, heart, and scares that defies expectations in a way that will intrigue readers without losing the plot.

An imaginative horror novel that provides more laughs than gasps.