Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This story follows Marcus, as he visits his uncle to help him prepare to move away from the farm that has been his family’s home for generations. As they wait for the small lake, that has been haunted by misfortune, to drain, the uncle reveals all that he knows about the family’s history, including secrets that have been long ago buried. 

The current cast of characters we encounter is small, only featuring Marcus and his uncle, but the way they are haunted (by loss, by death, by violence, by their past) is ever-present and unavoidable in the best way. This book drags the past up and does not let you forget any of it as it creates an incredibly tense and scary atmosphere. 

This book is a wonderful example of generational horror, filled with atmosphere, creeping dread and the trauma of grief and violence that refuses to be ignored any longer. Atmospheric writing and incredibly dialogue work keep this slow-burn horror from becoming a slog and instead left me feeling like I was there, on that lake side being told the same story. And just like Marcus once I started listening, I was unable to stop. 

If you enjoy short and haunting horror, horror exploring a haunted family and the way blood never rests I can absolutely recommend this book to you. 

TW: abuse (child + domestic), alcoholism, child death, death, drowning, murder, torture, violence