Sep 26, 2015: It was the title that first stirred my curiosity. An evocative mix of poignancy and tension drew me into the story of a depressed man grieving a lost love, who allows himself to be coaxed by chipper pals into a seaside vacation in an oddly gloomy town. At some point, I realized I we were getting into something like Lovecraftian territory. Except . . . Ok, he is the father of supernatural horror, but (heresy) I’ve always found Lovecraft a tough slog. Maybe this could be Lovecraft if he was readable? And had more sympathy for his characters?

I like the kind of horror or weird mystery that’s eerie, rather than gory, and this is a nice example, with an unusual twist.

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Oct 18, 2016: I just finished reading the whole thing in less than 24 hours, which, given that I’m a slow reader, shows how much this book hooked me. In the beginning it had shades of Lovecraft but also Environmental Horror, but as it went on it headed more directly into Eldritch Abomination territory.

I tried to think of something other than a glowing review for it, but struggled. I suppose the most frustrating part is actually the prologue, since it gives away that [more . . .]

May 7, 2015: The story opens with a prologue of the narrator looking at objects that we know will be part of the story, talking about the past. My first thought is that this removes a touch of drama, as we know the narrator survives, but piqued my curiosity just enough to keep going. The story is told in first person storyteller, which is to day, it feels like a person sitting at a bar telling the bartender their life story, in between shots of gin. This DOES drag the story at times, [more . . .]