Review: Chilling blend of mystery, suspense and horror with a unique plot
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 21, 2012
This book introduces us to Paskagankee-a town that harbors an ancient secret. A curse that quickly spirals out of control once it is reawakened. I love Native American legends so I found myself intrigued by this book that centers around a shocking and tragic occurrence; an occurrence from the past that comes back with a vengeance and reeks havoc on the town and its residents. The underlying legend, once revealed, almost had me rooting for the 'evil' which is a twist. To say more would spoil the backstory, which I found to be a unique concept that is expertly told, so I will stop there regarding the plot-you'll have to read it to understand my sentiment.The cast of characters we are introduced to are rich with detail and harbor past secrets of their own. I felt connected to the characters and genuinely cared about what happened to them, which is refreshing when so many other books fail to deliver when it comes to character development.  There is some light romance, but it adds to the story rather than detract from it, develops at a natural pace and doesn't feel forced or cheesy.**Personal preference note: This book does contain some graphic and violent scenes and language, but its not over-the-top. I personally have ZERO issue with either of these but I know some do, so this is just an FYI for potential readers that may take issue. I do tend to shy away from all out gore fests but this book uses psychological terror combined with some violent horror without delving too deep into blood and guts descriptions. Therefore, fans of horror and/or mysteries should be able to enjoy this book-no problem.Additional praise: this book is edited! Proper editing is one of my pet peeves, so I was delighted to note as I was reading along that blaring errors were not popping out at every turn. Also, the book ended without a blasted cliff-hanger (I detest those) so no unanswered questions at the end. With that said, it does leave room for many more books to come along in this series.This novel was hard to put down and it picks up speed pretty early on so be sure to set aside a good chunk of time for this one. All in all, this is a great first book for what appears to be an ongoing series. In my opinion, the best overall attribute to this novel is its unique premise and masterful storytelling. I hope future books in this series keep the originality flowing. Happy reading!