A bleak family story that’s both unnerving and enthralling.
Dark, sinister forces surround a seasonal carnival and its disturbing owner in this debut supernatural novel.
The Marivicos Summerlong Carnivalé Festival is a popular event in the American city of Kayjigville. Papa Marivicos took over the carnival from his father, but his son, Eddie, is less enthusiastic regarding the family business. In fact, a little over two years ago, Eddie ran away, met a woman, and got married only for Papa to track him down and bring him back. But since returning, Eddie has apparently developed telepathy. Displaying his gift at the carnival attracts large crowds, though the overload of people’s thoughts tends to make him physically ill. Eddie finds solace in Lexi, who works at a local brothel and whose thoughts, for some reason, he mercifully can’t hear. Elsewhere in Kayjigville, Papa may have competition. Businesswoman Clara Guadali is certain the riverboat Commodora will draw the carnival’s patrons. But Papa is more formidable and diabolical than Clara anticipates, thanks largely to a particular book he possesses. Inside the tome are “indescribable words” that, when written in a “blood-ink inscription,” give Papa specific abilities that may surpass Eddie’s. These can be lethal powers when there’s a threat like Clara, who, in addition to taking some of his business, attempts to blackmail Papa with something she believes to be incriminating. Meanwhile, a gangster’s son tries using Eddie’s gift for his own selfish benefit. As these people’s acts ultimately jeopardize the Marivicos family, Papa’s response is potent and leaves many bodies in its wake.
Grass’ novel is mostly grim. Papa, for example, is an appalling man, with or without potential magic, and Eddie’s efforts to drown out others’ thoughts include drinking, which isn’t always effective. But parts of the book alleviate this somber tone, such as Eddie’s understated and genuinely appealing romance with Lexi. And Eddie’s carnival pal Abakoum provides some humor—his delightful ramblings showcase a refreshing bluntness. The author highlights the story with a discernible theme of fatherhood. This is bolstered by the inclusion of Dr. Chain (pronounced “Kha-Yeen”), whose simple trip to the carnival finds him embroiled with the Marivicoses. Since Dr. Chain wants children (which he and his wife are unable to have), he essentially becomes a surrogate parent to Eddie, whose father is relentlessly vicious and cruel. As the tale progresses, it elucidates Papa and Eddie’s history, which involves that enigmatic book and strained familial ties. The narrative also turns increasingly violent, and later scenes entail viscera, severed limbs, and accompanying deaths. Throughout the tale, Grass’ prose displays a sharp, confident voice flavored with indelible metaphors. Eddie, experiencing a new power, “felt as though fingers ran along the backs of his eyes, fingers laced with gunpowder—igniting and burning the insides of his orbits, flaring in excruciating bursts.” Despite illuminating moments, the narrative retains a fair amount of ambiguity, allowing for an ending that, while definitive, is open to interpretation.
A bleak family story that’s both unnerving and enthralling. (acknowledgements, author bio)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73588-850-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Dickinson Publishing Group
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Jewell is absolutely a genius at building suspense, but the “man behaving badly” plot is getting tired.
Following her father’s sudden death, Aisling Swann is secretly horrified when her mother begins to date again—and she quickly becomes suspicious of this new flame.
Four years ago: A mysterious male narrator reflects upon his relationship with his wife—along with a few pointed comments about how she is aging. It quickly becomes apparent that this self-proclaimed “very pleasant” man is not who he seems; he already has a girlfriend on the side, and he’s playing both women with sob stories about his job and his traumatic past while taking money from them. Even as they get more and more frustrated with his lack of communication during ever-lengthening absences, he still gives them what they want: “a top-notch husband.” In the present day, Ash Swann; her brother, Arlo; and their mother, Nina, mourn the loss of her charismatic father, Paddy, a successful chef with a chain of lucrative restaurants. Nina receives a sympathy note from a man who claims to have worked closely with Paddy in the industry, which leads to a robust online flirtation that moves into the real world about a year after her husband’s death. Ash is living at home, mired in grief as well as her own mental health struggles, and she’s none too happy to see her mom dating—but particularly this handsome, egregiously suave Nick Radcliffe. Ash begins to notice some inconsistencies with his stories and his past, so she enlists Paddy’s ex-girlfriend Jane to help her investigate. Meanwhile, Ash’s story continues to intercut that of the mysterious man who is now married to his former girlfriend—and still up to his old tricks. Jewell’s cutting between past and present certainly allows revelations to ooze out at a slow, controlled pace; even as the reader makes obvious connections, the full picture remains obscure. Jewell has written some incredibly engaging and strong female characters, Nina, Ash, and Jane foremost among them. What would it have been like to split the narrative between them instead of giving so much voice—and thus narrative power—to the male antagonist?
Jewell is absolutely a genius at building suspense, but the “man behaving badly” plot is getting tired.Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9781668033876
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Even when King is not at his best, he’s still good.
Two killers are on the loose. Can they be stopped?
In this ambitious mystery, the prolific and popular King tells the story of a serial murderer who pledges, in a note to Buckeye City police, to kill “13 innocents and 1 guilty,” in order, we eventually learn, to avenge the death of a man who was framed and convicted for possession of child pornography and then killed in prison. At the same time, the author weaves in the efforts of another would-be murderer, a member of a violently abortion-opposing church who has been stalking a popular feminist author and women’s rights activist on a publicity tour. To tell these twin tales of murders done and intended, King summons some familiar characters, including private investigator Holly Gibney, whom readers may recall from previous novels. Gibney is enlisted to help Buckeye City police detective Izzy Jaynes try to identify and stop the serial killer, who has been murdering random unlucky citizens with chilling efficiency. She’s also been hired as a bodyguard for author and activist Kate McKay and her young assistant. The author succeeds in grabbing the reader’s interest and holding it throughout this page-turning tale of terror, which reads like a big-screen thriller. The action is well paced, the settings are vividly drawn, and King’s choice to focus on the real and deadly dangers of extremist thought is admirable. But the book is hamstrung by cliched characters, hackneyed dialogue (both spoken and internal), and motives that feel both convoluted and overly simplistic. King shines brightest when he gets to the heart of our darkest fears and desires, but here the dangers seem a bit cerebral. In his warning letter to the police, the serial killer wonders if his cryptic rationale to murder will make sense to others, concluding, “It does to me, and that is enough.” Is it enough? In another writer’s work, it might not be, but in King’s skilled hands, it probably is.
Even when King is not at his best, he’s still good.Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781668089330
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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