Rhiannon
Fast paced occult detective noir brimming with mystery, excellent world-building, and characters I love.
I was initially sent an e-ARC by the author, but by the end of the first chapter I had to send him a message to say I wasn’t going to be finishing the ARC.
‘Oh no!’ you think. Bad sign.
But wait! I had to immediately place an order for a physical copy, I’d fallen in ❤️ with the book that fast. And when I truly love a book, I absolutely must own a physical copy. So. I immediately placed that order.
It was an excruciating wait, but when the book arrived I dove right back in. I was not disappointed.
Seriously, by the beginning of Chapter 2 I was fully immersed in the late 90s nostalgia that felt effortless and weirdly comforting. But also, how Tyler managed to write a perfect 1998 when There Is No Way he’s old enough to have experienced it first-hand is a testament to his talent. Tyler’s creativity and imagination are wondrous things to behold – his characters are tough, funny, flawed, and wholly relatable.
Here, he writes a detective noir in 1998 Salem, Massachusetts, replete with occult critters, demons, ghosts, reanimation, pretty gruesome murders (but not so gruesome that the more squeamish will be put off, so it’s got a broader audience appeal in that way.) The main-Main Character, Ed, is scruffy, world weary and cursed to rise from the grave once a year (the opening scene of his death gave me strong Eric Draven vibes, again amping the 90s feel) to partner up with Sam, the young adult son of an old friend and solve some pretty heady supernatural crimes in the space of a week. Their relationship is touching, funny, and utterly relatable.
The mystery they’re pursuing is rife with action but the humanity and emotional connections are what really surprised and impressed me. I was quite thrilled with the plot, but these characters... I absolutely adored them and yes, Tyler, we need to hear more from this world!
And Tyler’s afterword, a tribute to someone who changed his life, broke my heart and made the story all the more moving.
Seriously folks, Tyler Downs does not disappoint! (And thank you Tyler for the e-ARC I didn’t read because it was too good.)
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
Fast paced occult detective noir brimming with mystery, excellent world-building, and characters I love.
I was initially sent an e-ARC by the author, but by the end of the first chapter I had to send him a message to say I wasn’t going to be finishing the ARC.
‘Oh no!’ you think. Bad sign.
But wait! I had to immediately place an order for a physical copy, I’d fallen in ❤️ with the book that fast. And when I truly love a book, I absolutely must own a physical copy. So. I immediately placed that order.
It was an excruciating wait, but when the book arrived I dove right back in. I was not disappointed.
Seriously, by the beginning of Chapter 2 I was fully immersed in the late 90s nostalgia that felt effortless and weirdly comforting. But also, how Tyler managed to write a perfect 1998 when There Is No Way he’s old enough to have experienced it first-hand is a testament to his talent. Tyler’s creativity and imagination are wondrous things to behold – his characters are tough, funny, flawed, and wholly relatable.
Here, he writes a detective noir in 1998 Salem, Massachusetts, replete with occult critters, demons, ghosts, reanimation, pretty gruesome murders (but not so gruesome that the more squeamish will be put off, so it’s got a broader audience appeal in that way.) The main-Main Character, Ed, is scruffy, world weary and cursed to rise from the grave once a year (the opening scene of his death gave me strong Eric Draven vibes, again amping the 90s feel) to partner up with Sam, the young adult son of an old friend and solve some pretty heady supernatural crimes in the space of a week. Their relationship is touching, funny, and utterly relatable.
The mystery they’re pursuing is rife with action but the humanity and emotional connections are what really surprised and impressed me. I was quite thrilled with the plot, but these characters... I absolutely adored them and yes, Tyler, we need to hear more from this world!
And Tyler’s afterword, a tribute to someone who changed his life, broke my heart and made the story all the more moving.
Seriously folks, Tyler Downs does not disappoint! (And thank you Tyler for the e-ARC I didn’t read because it was too good.)
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
Added to listLgbtqia2swith 180 books.
Added to listHorrorwith 902 books.
Added to listOwnedwith 2861 books.
Fast paced occult detective noir brimming with mystery, excellent world-building, and characters I love.
I was initially sent an e-ARC by the author, but by the end of the first chapter I had to send him a message to say I wasn’t going to be finishing the ARC.
‘Oh no!’ you think. Bad sign.
But wait! I had to immediately place an order for a physical copy, I’d fallen in ❤️ with the book that fast. And when I truly love a book, I absolutely must own a physical copy. So. I immediately placed that order.
It was an excruciating wait, but when the book arrived I dove right back in. I was not disappointed.
Seriously, by the beginning of Chapter 2 I was fully immersed in the late 90s nostalgia that felt effortless and weirdly comforting. But also, how Tyler managed to write a perfect 1998 when There Is No Way he’s old enough to have experienced it first-hand is a testament to his talent. Tyler’s creativity and imagination are wondrous things to behold – his characters are tough, funny, flawed, and wholly relatable.
Here, he writes a detective noir in 1998 Salem, Massachusetts, replete with occult critters, demons, ghosts, reanimation, pretty gruesome murders (but not so gruesome that the more squeamish will be put off, so it’s got a broader audience appeal in that way.) The main-Main Character, Ed, is scruffy, world weary and cursed to rise from the grave once a year (the opening scene of his death gave me strong Eric Draven vibes, again amping the 90s feel) to partner up with Sam, the young adult son of an old friend and solve some pretty heady supernatural crimes in the space of a week. Their relationship is touching, funny, and utterly relatable.
The mystery they’re pursuing is rife with action but the humanity and emotional connections are what really surprised and impressed me. I was quite thrilled with the plot, but these characters... I absolutely adored them and yes, Tyler, we need to hear more from this world!
And Tyler’s afterword, a tribute to someone who changed his life, broke my heart and made the story all the more moving.
Seriously folks, Tyler Downs does not disappoint! (And thank you Tyler for the e-ARC I didn’t read because it was too good.)
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
Fast paced occult detective noir brimming with mystery, excellent world-building, and characters I love.
I was initially sent an e-ARC by the author, but by the end of the first chapter I had to send him a message to say I wasn’t going to be finishing the ARC.
‘Oh no!’ you think. Bad sign.
But wait! I had to immediately place an order for a physical copy, I’d fallen in ❤️ with the book that fast. And when I truly love a book, I absolutely must own a physical copy. So. I immediately placed that order.
It was an excruciating wait, but when the book arrived I dove right back in. I was not disappointed.
Seriously, by the beginning of Chapter 2 I was fully immersed in the late 90s nostalgia that felt effortless and weirdly comforting. But also, how Tyler managed to write a perfect 1998 when There Is No Way he’s old enough to have experienced it first-hand is a testament to his talent. Tyler’s creativity and imagination are wondrous things to behold – his characters are tough, funny, flawed, and wholly relatable.
Here, he writes a detective noir in 1998 Salem, Massachusetts, replete with occult critters, demons, ghosts, reanimation, pretty gruesome murders (but not so gruesome that the more squeamish will be put off, so it’s got a broader audience appeal in that way.) The main-Main Character, Ed, is scruffy, world weary and cursed to rise from the grave once a year (the opening scene of his death gave me strong Eric Draven vibes, again amping the 90s feel) to partner up with Sam, the young adult son of an old friend and solve some pretty heady supernatural crimes in the space of a week. Their relationship is touching, funny, and utterly relatable.
The mystery they’re pursuing is rife with action but the humanity and emotional connections are what really surprised and impressed me. I was quite thrilled with the plot, but these characters... I absolutely adored them and yes, Tyler, we need to hear more from this world!
And Tyler’s afterword, a tribute to someone who changed his life, broke my heart and made the story all the more moving.
Seriously folks, Tyler Downs does not disappoint! (And thank you Tyler for the e-ARC I didn’t read because it was too good.)
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
Water Horror? I let the lake in and I’m so happy I did!
This is my first Hessenauer book and what a great way to start. I love a good ocean/lake/water horror and this one was that, in spades. And it’s a hybrid epistolary structure with film footage, transcripts, interviews, and video diary entries, which is one of my favourite story structures.
We have a documentary film crew exploring a near 100-year-old mysterious ship wreck 🛳️ at the bottom of Lake Superior (an actual shipwreck relocated from Lake Charlevoix for the purposes of this story, which actually adds to the remoteness and jeopardy to good effect), along with a possible red algae bloom, maybe ghosts, superstitions, hallucinations, murder, and definitely people losing their minds.
Hessenauer sets up the story by immediately diving (pardon the pun 😉) into video transcripts of a doctor-patient interview with an apparent survivor of an incident that occurred out on Lake Superior (which, as a 70s 🇨🇦 kid is extra spooky – thanks Gordon Lightfoot.) It gives us just enough to get a good sense of something horrific – through the patient’s actions and reluctance to talk – but just enough to know that at least someone has survived this horror, at least in a fashion. The mystery is immediately apparent by the second chapter when we learn that a doc crew has gone to investigate a sunken ship mystery, and that ghostly mood builds perfectly to the end.
There’s a lot of factors playing into the horror and the atmosphere is made genuinely ominous through the use of the description of diving footage 🤿. There’s also the added bonus of a red algae bloom which, in this tale, is reminiscent of mycelium horror, another horror sub-genre I love.
This is a great take on that, and by having it water-based adds the extra element of ‘shipwreck ghost story’ to it, along with the eerie depths of the lake, which the author conveys perfectly – the murkiness of the water’s depths, the isolation on the water, the strange way water messes with sound and vision… and the main characters are interesting and complex to boot, so there’s a vested interest in their fates.
An excellent, creepy story! I’m definitely checking out more of this author’s work.
My thanks to the author for the complimentary copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
Water Horror? I let the lake in and I’m so happy I did!
This is my first Hessenauer book and what a great way to start. I love a good ocean/lake/water horror and this one was that, in spades. And it’s a hybrid epistolary structure with film footage, transcripts, interviews, and video diary entries, which is one of my favourite story structures.
We have a documentary film crew exploring a near 100-year-old mysterious ship wreck 🛳️ at the bottom of Lake Superior (an actual shipwreck relocated from Lake Charlevoix for the purposes of this story, which actually adds to the remoteness and jeopardy to good effect), along with a possible red algae bloom, maybe ghosts, superstitions, hallucinations, murder, and definitely people losing their minds.
Hessenauer sets up the story by immediately diving (pardon the pun 😉) into video transcripts of a doctor-patient interview with an apparent survivor of an incident that occurred out on Lake Superior (which, as a 70s 🇨🇦 kid is extra spooky – thanks Gordon Lightfoot.) It gives us just enough to get a good sense of something horrific – through the patient’s actions and reluctance to talk – but just enough to know that at least someone has survived this horror, at least in a fashion. The mystery is immediately apparent by the second chapter when we learn that a doc crew has gone to investigate a sunken ship mystery, and that ghostly mood builds perfectly to the end.
There’s a lot of factors playing into the horror and the atmosphere is made genuinely ominous through the use of the description of diving footage 🤿. There’s also the added bonus of a red algae bloom which, in this tale, is reminiscent of mycelium horror, another horror sub-genre I love.
This is a great take on that, and by having it water-based adds the extra element of ‘shipwreck ghost story’ to it, along with the eerie depths of the lake, which the author conveys perfectly – the murkiness of the water’s depths, the isolation on the water, the strange way water messes with sound and vision… and the main characters are interesting and complex to boot, so there’s a vested interest in their fates.
An excellent, creepy story! I’m definitely checking out more of this author’s work.
My thanks to the author for the complimentary copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
