Review: Clever New Twist on Urban Legend
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 8, 2014
I first saw Highway 24 on the Preditors & Editors poll where it was nominated for best Horror story -- and deservedly so. The cover intrigued me, and I’m very glad I got a chance to read it! Chapman’s ghost story reminds me of the urban legend of the “Lady in White” who appears on a roadway flagging down unsuspecting drivers, rides with them a while, and then vanishes.With masterful prose that was a pleasure to read, Chapman takes the urban legend in a new direction. The ghost is no mere haunting. She wants something, and she’s not giving up until she gets it. In a town full of quirky characters who are as interesting as they are creepy, a mystery unfolds that the main character must solve—even if it uncovers ugly truths from his past.Even when I thought I knew where the plot was going, the author pulled out new twists to keep me turning the pages. Secondary characters became more important than I expected and helped drive the story to a satisfying conclusion. In fact, the final scenes were so well described that I was really sorry when the book was over. I’d love to read more from this author!