When investigative journalist, Kristy, arrives in the tiny town of Birchlake, CA, to look into the disappearance of local teenager, Alaina, she is met with the expected resistance from locals. She is surprised though, to find that the missing girls' father is resigned to her disappearance, and seemingly uninterested in finding out what happened to her.
Meanwhile Kristy's ex-husband Nolan, (star of The Anomaly Files YouTube show) concerned about her interest in the case, finds an anomaly worth researching in Birchlake and calls the team together. They arrive to a more sinister situation that they had expected, and quickly their case and Kristy's unexpectedly intertwine.
What is the history behind all of the ancient stone walls randomly dotted around Birchlake? And why have some of Alaina's friends accused her of being a witch?
Having read The Anomaly, book one in this series, I was very interested to see how what looked to be a Stephen King style ghost/demon story could possibly fit into the same world. I definitely had high expectations, and Rutger's cutting wit and humorously relatable characters did not disappoint. Nolan Moore is a fantastic protagonist, with equal measures of cynicism about the modern world and open mindedness about, well, everything. He is a loveable conspiracy theorist; the exception that proves that some of those guys really do have a point.
Once again, this second novel was filled with fun “what-if”-fake science, which is something that I always enjoy. The world we live in is so vast and complex, that there are certainly innumerable aspects and histories that we will never see or understand, so it is fun to read about what some of those things could be. I don't get the feeling the author is trying to convince people of specific scientific theories, only to convince them to keep their minds open to the possibilities.
Now the cover of this novel states “For Fans of Stephen King”, which I can agree with. However the King novel I think it resembled the closest was probably Needful Things, which is generally agreed to be one of King's worst books. I enjoyed it however, so take from that what you will. The only thing about this book (and Needful Things, actually) that I didn't love so much was the story-flow for the last quarter of the book. Rutger left behind the solid here-and-now in favour of a more dream like mind-world, which although compelling and revealing, I felt he spent far too long on. I just wanted more story, and less soul-searching I guess. It also felt like as soon as the crux of the story began to approach, we were consigned to following the characters who didn't have much to do with it. Alaina and Kirsty were both vastly important in the final sequences, and yet we stayed with Nolan and crew, as they fumbled their way to staying alive, whilst mostly not helping out much until right at the end. I guess it just felt like the reader was missing the important bits, even though it was made out that we saw all of them.
I guess if I'm honest, I feel like a lot of things fell apart near the end, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5. I can't fault the overall story or book, but there are a few issues and a few loose ends that I don't understand. Any paranormal novel of this type is bound to have unanswered questions which add to the story, but that's not really what I'm talking about. However, I still came to the end satisfied, with a general understanding of what had occurred.
This thriller is a flurry of unexpected turns and freaky moments, recommended to be consumed rapidly and obsessively. One is left quietly inquisitive about the unknown world around them, and a little bit concerned about what might lurk in the shadows in their own home...
Another great story from Michael Rutger.
Meanwhile Kristy's ex-husband Nolan, (star of The Anomaly Files YouTube show) concerned about her interest in the case, finds an anomaly worth researching in Birchlake and calls the team together. They arrive to a more sinister situation that they had expected, and quickly their case and Kristy's unexpectedly intertwine.
What is the history behind all of the ancient stone walls randomly dotted around Birchlake? And why have some of Alaina's friends accused her of being a witch?
Having read The Anomaly, book one in this series, I was very interested to see how what looked to be a Stephen King style ghost/demon story could possibly fit into the same world. I definitely had high expectations, and Rutger's cutting wit and humorously relatable characters did not disappoint. Nolan Moore is a fantastic protagonist, with equal measures of cynicism about the modern world and open mindedness about, well, everything. He is a loveable conspiracy theorist; the exception that proves that some of those guys really do have a point.
Once again, this second novel was filled with fun “what-if”-fake science, which is something that I always enjoy. The world we live in is so vast and complex, that there are certainly innumerable aspects and histories that we will never see or understand, so it is fun to read about what some of those things could be. I don't get the feeling the author is trying to convince people of specific scientific theories, only to convince them to keep their minds open to the possibilities.
Now the cover of this novel states “For Fans of Stephen King”, which I can agree with. However the King novel I think it resembled the closest was probably Needful Things, which is generally agreed to be one of King's worst books. I enjoyed it however, so take from that what you will. The only thing about this book (and Needful Things, actually) that I didn't love so much was the story-flow for the last quarter of the book. Rutger left behind the solid here-and-now in favour of a more dream like mind-world, which although compelling and revealing, I felt he spent far too long on. I just wanted more story, and less soul-searching I guess. It also felt like as soon as the crux of the story began to approach, we were consigned to following the characters who didn't have much to do with it. Alaina and Kirsty were both vastly important in the final sequences, and yet we stayed with Nolan and crew, as they fumbled their way to staying alive, whilst mostly not helping out much until right at the end. I guess it just felt like the reader was missing the important bits, even though it was made out that we saw all of them.
I guess if I'm honest, I feel like a lot of things fell apart near the end, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5. I can't fault the overall story or book, but there are a few issues and a few loose ends that I don't understand. Any paranormal novel of this type is bound to have unanswered questions which add to the story, but that's not really what I'm talking about. However, I still came to the end satisfied, with a general understanding of what had occurred.
This thriller is a flurry of unexpected turns and freaky moments, recommended to be consumed rapidly and obsessively. One is left quietly inquisitive about the unknown world around them, and a little bit concerned about what might lurk in the shadows in their own home...
Another great story from Michael Rutger.