This book is a Horror novella, about 30 K words, set in modern-day Eastern Europe.
The trick in a horror story is to set up a completely normal life, and then gradually slip in hints and feelings that turn the normalcy into terror. This book follows that pattern very successfully, starting out with three women having a riotous lunch in a sidewalk café. We soon learn why. A temporary downturn in the main character’s life seems to be over. Her husband has a job again, she’ll be taking her autistic son to a new and better daycare, and they will be caretakers in a mansion for a wonderful salary.
Until they get to their new home and the weirdness begins as her husband’s gambling problem takes on metaphysical dimensions.
And I’ll leave it to the author to tell the rest of the story. The strength of the writing is the power of the main character’s feelings as she is dragged slowly into the horror that awaits. Unfortunately, you can have too much of this. When every small incident is dragged out in agonizing detail, there is a tendency after a while to start skimming for the end of the problem. The solution might be a better balance, with more events happening, spending less time on each one.
Recommended for all horror fans, especially in the New Adult age bracket.
(4 / 5)