Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
"Equal parts engaging and creepy, this twisty tale deftly examines how secrets and regret can continue to reverberate through generations. A suspenseful story that examines how families haunt each other in life and death; possibly too creepy for late-night reading." --Kirkus Reviews
Will Connor returns to his hometown, a village north of Boston, to care for his injured mother. He's kept his distance from the town since high school, but once home he finds himself reexamining a horrific incident that took place during one of his mother's "spirit circles." His mother had embraced the hippie generation's fascination with New Age and the arcane, but the unexpected death of a close friend put an end to the meetings of the modern-day coven.
Or did it?
As Will looks deeper into his family's history he discovers that her practices weren't so much a passing fad but the latest link in a long tradition of New England witchcraft, which still seems to hold a strange power over the town. Will hopes that unearthing the facts about the death will put his questions to rest, but there are those willing to resort to violence to keep those secrets buried.
"Will Connor returns to his hometown, a village north of Boston, to care for his injured mother. He's kept his distance from the town since high school, but once home he finds himself reexamining a horrific incident that took place during one of his mother's 'spirit circles.' His mother had embraced the hippie generation's fascination with New Age and the arcane, but the unexpected death of a close friend put an end to the meetings of the modern-day coven. Or did it? As Will looks deeper into his family's history he discovers that her practices weren't so much a passing fad but the latest link in a long tradition of New England witchcraft, which still seems to hold a strange power over the town. Will hopes that unearthing the facts about the death will put his questions to rest, but there are those willing to resort to violence to keep those secrets buried"-- Publisher's description.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Publishers Weekly Review
College professor Will Connor, the hero of this enjoyable supernatural thriller from Olson (The Black Painting), reluctantly returns to his unnamed Massachusetts hometown to care for his injured mother, Abigail, who fell down some steps after arguing with a friend about "a dream of Will in peril." While there, he begins to look into the facts behind a terrifying incident from his childhood that took place one night at a meeting of Abigail's New Age "spirit circle," an experience that traumatized five-year-old Will and has haunted him ever since. As Will and his childhood friend Samantha Hall dig deeper, ominous connections begin to emerge involving old New England family secrets, a tradition of witchcraft, and a pattern of strange deaths among members of the spirit circle. While the book begins slowly as settings and characters are established, the pace picks up in the second half, culminating in a suitably dramatic climax. The paranormal elements are subtle, gradually creeping in around the edges with unsettling effect. Both mystery and weird fiction fans will be pleased. (Oct.)
Booklist Review
The latest from the author of The Black Painting (2018) follows literature professor Will Connor as he's forced to travel home to the small New England town where he grew up after his mother, Abigail, is injured in an accident. Will has always kept his mother at arm's length since he still carries traumatic memories of a night from his childhood when one of Abigail's spirit-circle gatherings led to a man's death. Upon his arrival, Will is bombarded with reminders of the past, from his mother's friend Muriel, who was with Abigail when she fell to Sam, the alluring neighbor whom Will remembers running to on the night of the fatal gathering. Sam's ex-husband, Jimmy, a local cop, is none too pleased to see his ex getting close to a man he believes is cursed. When Jimmy confronts Will, it sends Will spiraling, forcing him to confront what happened that fateful night and working with Sam to get to the bottom of the supernatural conundrum he finds himself in. An appealing, atmospheric yarn.--Kristine Huntley Copyright 2010 Booklist
Kirkus Book Review
A college professor returns to his hometown and confronts figurative and literal demons from his childhood in this modern-day ghost story.The novel opens as Will Conner attends a faculty-student mixer in Manhattan and talks with his teaching assistant, Beth, about the return of some disturbing dreams he's been having. The dreams contain flashbacks to a confusing night from his youth when his mother hosted a "spirit circle" in their home. Beth tries, unsuccessfully, to help Will understand the dreams. As Will walks home after the event, he receives a visit from an unearthly being, a demon or spirit, perhaps a hallucination, he's not sure. He hurries the rest of the way to his apartment, where he is greeted by a ringing telephone and the news that his mother is in the hospital, unconscious. Will returns to his small New England hometown to care for his mother, who suffered a head injury. During his visit, he reconnects with a long list of characters from his childhood and tries to determine what happened on that fateful night from his youth that continues to haunt his dreams. Will begins to detect secrets about the people he grew up with and how those secrets may have impacted his own life. Yet, every time he moves closer to discovering the central mystery, another obstacle materializes to thwart his efforts and make him question his path. Written in a fast-paced, colloquial prose, the text will pull readers in right from the start. Drawing on New England's historical connection to witchcraft and mob hysteria, the author brings to life contemporary covens and small-town reactions to the unexplainable. Despite the novel's heavy emphasis on flashbacks and retelling of family folklore, which can feel overly convoluted, the author creates nuanced and realistic interpersonal relationships that lend much-needed grounding to this darkly supernatural story. Equal parts engaging and creepy, this twisty tale deftly examines how secrets and regret can continue to reverberate through generations.A suspenseful story that examines how families haunt each other in life and death; possibly too creepy for late-night reading. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
TextPublisher: Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Hanover Square Press, [2019]Description: 316 pages ; 22 cmISBN: