TO THE BONES

A man
exits the interstate in coal country and enters a waking nightmare.

Federal
auditor Darrick MacBrehon is en route from Tennessee to Washington, D.C., when
someone attacks him at a Redbird, West Virginia, gas station. He wakes,
bleeding, in a dark pit full of human remains. His assailant has stolen his
phone, wallet, keys, and the medication he takes for ataxia—a disease that
affects muscle control. Darrick manages to claw his way out and seeks refuge in
a sweepstakes parlor staffed by Lourana Taylor. Per Lourana, Darrick wouldn’t
have been the first to go missing in town: A scientist disappeared after
testing the heavily polluted river, and Lourana’s daughter, Dreama, vanished
while working for Kavanagh Coal and Limestone. The all-powerful Kavanaghs are
likely to blame, but since they essentially own Redbird, calling the police is
pointless. Regardless, Darrick insists on investigating, so Lourana invites him
to stay, hoping he’ll also find Dreama. When Darrick’s would-be murderer tries
again, Darrick unleashes newfound psychic abilities and kills him. Discovery of
the corpse coupled with zombie rumors inspired by glimpses of a shambling
Darrick spark a panicked manhunt. Evocative, intelligent prose conjures an
anxious mood and strong sense of place while spotlighting the societal and
environmental devastation wrought by the coal mining industry. Regrettably, the
story collapses under its own weight after Nieman (Blood Clay, 2011,
etc.) incorporates elements of Celtic lore and gothic monster myth. Darrick and
Lourana are subtly shaded characters with rich backstories, but their
burgeoning romance lacks heat.

What
starts as a supernatural-tinged small-town mystery devolves into cheesy B-movie
horror.