Private Detective Travis Daniels is thrust into a harrowing investigation when a young woman disappears without a trace. As Daniels delves deeper into the labyrinthine mysteries of the storied New England city, he uncovers a web of sinister cults, ancient rituals, and eldritch horrors that threaten not only his sanity but the fabric of reality itself.
For the most part, this was a rather solid and enjoyable novella. The central setup allows for a great collection of references to Lovecraft’s work, where the slow unraveling of the story starts to make the connections work. As he travels throughout the countryside to where everything sets up the involvement of the peculiar town and the series of secrets it holds within, the tension works quite nicely, meaning the family that he encounters looking for her, the sheriff of the town trying to persuade the private eye to leave town, and the different figures there working to ensure some kind of secret remains hidden. That can keep the book going along into the next encounter to help put the next clue together for his mission.
That leaves the book with a lot to like when it comes to the action within here. Initially focusing on the shady attempts to get him out of the city and they can get back on their mission, the gradual increase of activity involving the discovery of deformed monstrosities hidden away in the depths of their inner circle or the coven of cult members trying to put the finishing touches on their mission keeps this fast and light with the tension mounting. With the whole thing taking on an odd quality with the final few minutes pulling out a series of reveals that are rushed through without much explanation or build-up, so they come off rather confusing, involving these twists, but there’s so much else to enjoy here that it doesn’t matter much.
4.5/5
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