by Nate Kenyon

Nate Kenyon grew up in Maine and sets his book there, echoing a couple other Maine writers we know. The fact that he refers to 'Salem's Lot, for instance, as well as The Exorcist, as inspiration therefore shouldn't surprise us. ('Salem's Lot fueled the early writer dreams of more than a couple of us in the right age range!) The good news is that Kenyon delivers—his portrayals of small-town life and small-town evil are dead-on.

Billy Smith is an ex-convict with the proverbial demons. In his case, a drunken driving accident which led to multiple deaths. He may have done his time, but his suffering has just begun because horribly wicked dreams and visions drive him to actions he can't explain. For instance, the kidnapping of a Miami hooker, whom he handcuffs to his car as he drives northeast, knowing he's heading for White Falls, Maine, but not knowing why. His captive, Angel, is the good-girl-gone-bad, but she's been having the dreams, too. Kenyon does a good job of setting up the fact that both are captives, of a sort. From this shared destiny may come an alliance, and perhaps an answer to their questions.

Young Jeb Taylor has just collected his father's ashes and belongings. Imprisoned for heinous murders, the elder Taylor has left Jeb a legacy that calls to him even as it calls Billy and Angel home. After a careful set-up, the town's Spring Festival on May 1 culminates the plot, and past and present come together in a showdown that's a bit predictable, but highly entertaining and more than a little surprising, as well.

White Falls, Maine, reminds one of Stephen King's small New England towns filled with history and ghosts, and others who have mined the rich vein of Old World atmosphere transplanted to the New World. Indeed, Bloodstone includes journal entries and letters by one Frederick Thomas, one of the first Englishmen to populate the area, and—unfortunately—build near the strangely desolate pond even the local Indians avoid. Thomas writes of an amulet, and what occurs once he has taken its possession.

Kenyon's characters may be archetypes, but they also resonate partly because his sparse dialogue strikes a realistic chord. Billy and Angel are both stronger and weaker than they think, and Jeb becomes a vessel for hereditary evil in an effective descent. Annie, the town "mad lady" whose madness hides a deep knowledge, and Harry Stowe, noble town doctor, round out the small but hard-working cast. Vivid references to guilt, penance, and redemption, duty, and familial obligations, all grant the narrative an additional moral layer of meaning. King and Blatty, yes, they may be influences. But there are nods also to Night of the Living Dead and Lovecraft (a Necronomicon mention and the glimpse of something tentacled). These and other elements come together in a striking, atmospheric first novel that's just perfect for those who prefer their horror cerebral rather than graphic.