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A review by motherhorror
Beneath Ash & Bone by D. Alexander Ward
5.0
Sometimes you read a book and you're like, "Why isn't this WAY more popular?!"
Beneath Ash & Bone by D. Alexander Ward is that book. First of all, the blurb across the cover from Ronald Malfi reads, "Engaging, resonant, smart and downright goddamn terrifying."
AND from Josh Malerman,
"I wanted to invite the narrator of Beneath Ash and Bone over to my house for whiskey and have him tell me the whole damn thing in person. Great voice."
I fully agree with both of those statements. The narrator, town sheriff Sam Lock is a new favorite literary character. He gets this story of a boy gone missing and travels out to the estate in the middle of winter to see what's what.
It's 1860 in Virginia before the Civil War.
The author does an impeccable job of setting, characterization and building suspense.
Sam Lock does not take any shit and yet, he's tender and observant. I enjoyed being in Sam's head as he tours the grounds, interviews witnesses and speculates on just about everything. I also falsely assumed where the story was going to go and so I was pleasantly surprised when the author pulled a few fast horror tropes on me.
I wanted to jump up out of my chair and applaud! I love being shocked and surprised.
I'm also adding this book to my growing list of stories under 200 pages that you could possibly devour in one sitting. If it wasn't for adulting and life stuff, I could have easily stayed with this one from start to finish--maybe only pausing to get snacks and coffee.
Unputdownable.
I'm recommending this one to fans of: Winter horror, historical fiction, suspense, murder mysteries, twists & turns, strong male protagonists you could easily develop a fictional crush on AND books to read in one sitting.
Beneath Ash & Bone by D. Alexander Ward is that book. First of all, the blurb across the cover from Ronald Malfi reads, "Engaging, resonant, smart and downright goddamn terrifying."
AND from Josh Malerman,
"I wanted to invite the narrator of Beneath Ash and Bone over to my house for whiskey and have him tell me the whole damn thing in person. Great voice."
I fully agree with both of those statements. The narrator, town sheriff Sam Lock is a new favorite literary character. He gets this story of a boy gone missing and travels out to the estate in the middle of winter to see what's what.
It's 1860 in Virginia before the Civil War.
The author does an impeccable job of setting, characterization and building suspense.
Sam Lock does not take any shit and yet, he's tender and observant. I enjoyed being in Sam's head as he tours the grounds, interviews witnesses and speculates on just about everything. I also falsely assumed where the story was going to go and so I was pleasantly surprised when the author pulled a few fast horror tropes on me.
I wanted to jump up out of my chair and applaud! I love being shocked and surprised.
I'm also adding this book to my growing list of stories under 200 pages that you could possibly devour in one sitting. If it wasn't for adulting and life stuff, I could have easily stayed with this one from start to finish--maybe only pausing to get snacks and coffee.
Unputdownable.
I'm recommending this one to fans of: Winter horror, historical fiction, suspense, murder mysteries, twists & turns, strong male protagonists you could easily develop a fictional crush on AND books to read in one sitting.