Book Review: His Favourite Graves, Paul Cleave
Thriller/Mystery: His Favourite Graves, Paul Cleave
Note: UK spelling of title used in review
There is one thing that truly stands out to me about this book. Nobody is what they seem to be. Well, some of the minor characters might.. The rest, well, you’ll just have to read the book.
Sheriff Cohen’s life is falling apart. His father, in a dementia-induced fog, burned down the care home. Cohen brought his father home, but his wife could no longer handle the situation and moved out. His son is bullying other kids at school and is generally hostile and rebellious.
Then, teenager Lucas Conner is kidnapped. Suspicion immediately falls on the school janitor, who left the school in a rush the same afternoon Lucas disappeared. “Simple” Simon seemed to be a harmless, mentally challenged man. His sudden disappearance, coinciding with Lucas Conner’s disappearing, makes the sheriff’s department fear the worst.
Paul Cleave’s novel is dark and intense. Ghosts of past and current trauma guide the decisions of all of the main characters. Cohen is driven by the personal and financial pressure he faces. Simon is acting out his own victimization. Other characters hide secrets and tell lies. Every chapter brings new revelations that pull you further into the swamp of these intersecting lives. The result is a story that is part mystery, part thriller, part horror, and entirely compelling.
Cleave is a sharp writer. His prose pulls you from page to page. His plot is convoluted, but never confusing. At the end, you are very glad you do not know these characters in real life. You are also somewhat shaken by this visit to the darkest aspects of human depravity and brokenness.
Our thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things for our copy of His Favourite Graves, provided so we could give it an honest review. The opinions here are solely those of Scintilla. For other perspectives, check out the other bloggers on this tour.
Book Review: His Favourite Graves, Paul Cleave