By Francis Cottam
Thomas Dunne Books, $25.99, 324 pages

Mark and Adam Hunter have the perfect father-son relationship. However, a malevolent sorceress is bent on destroying them both. Mark is a devoted father in mourning. He has recently lost his wife and daughter in an “accident,” and his ten-year-old son is his only treasure. Unfortunately, Adam is tormented by prophecies and possessed by spirits. Adam’s psychologist believes these behaviors are due to bullying or violent video games, but Mark has a hunch that his son’s torment is connected to a curse he incurred years before Adam was even born. Mark devotes his life to curing Adam. When his only son goes missing, will he fall apart at the seams, or will he find the strength to conquer the curse?

“He owed Adam the life he had not lived. He would not die, not easily. He would not forsake his boy”.

While F.G. Cottam’s new book is suspenseful, it lacks a solid plot. Cottam makes it clear that his antagonist seeks to “put her tilt upon the world,” but this vague threat is never fully illuminated for the reader. If you enjoyed The House of Lost Souls and Dark Echo, if you like thrills and spills and can be spared an actual plot, Cottam’s third book may be a good fit for you.

Emily Davis

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