If you are looking for a suspense/thriller novel that doesn't rely on some of the usual thriller tropes and themes, this might be a book for you!
I was so happy to be approved for the audiobook via Macmillan and NetGalley! It fits right in to my Water 2025 theme, and, I could not resist the cover at all.
(Cover art by Peter Bergting and Cover Design by Errick Nunnally)
To be 100% honest, I might have skipped over the title if I hadn't seen the cover. I'm not at all familiar with Christopher Golden, and the firs time I read the description, it... maybe didn't pique my interest, but darn it all, that cover!
In short (No spoilers!) Charlie and Ruby used to be an item, but, alas, many good things come to an end. Charlie's working for the state on a research project involving a partially submerge freighter ship with a team of characters who you'll come to love. As often happens in Galveston, a storm is brewing. Charlie's team part ways for the night, with Charlie intending on spending the night on the ship. Arriving at the dock he's confronted with Ruby- a very personal "blast from the past". She needs his help. She's got an infant in tow and obviously, they're running from something. So far this sounds exactly like a lot of thrillers you've read, indeed. I was settling in for this, when the novel took a macabre turn involving some very creepy beings, birds and lots of ritualistic behavior that had me floored. This novel has the suspense and the thrills but also come dripping in gore, pure terror, and dark creatures not of this world. There were some moments when I really felt I needed to look behind me while I was listening to this narration! While there aren't exactly "jump scares" in this gem, there are many moments which had me sort of sucking in a breath. I was surely engaged for all of it. In fact, I finished this in record time because I HAD TO KNOW!
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this wild ride which takes place in a span of maybe 18 hours. It's well written and has a sort of cinematic feel to it, leaving the reader with very little time to catch a breath as the adventure rolls on.
The narrators for this adventure are Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins. I was never distracted by the narration, and felt that they did a great job with the super creepy, gory material!
This goes on sale May 6th. I think it would make a great gift for Mother or Father's day - for the Right Mother and Father. (Mine will be getting some goat's milk soap- but others... might go for this wild ride of grim horror!)
STATS
First Published May 2025
Pages: 304
Available as an Audio Book : Yes
Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, theme of abuse and loss, Supernatural killers, infant loss, natural disaster angry birds,
(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
The cover is really stunning. I'd love to have a poster of something like that, we live near a bay.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the story. It wasn't anything like what I've been reading and I liked it being on a partially sunken freighter, definitely fit my water theme also, which was a happy coincidence!
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