Book Review: The Crymost by Dean H Wild

I have been a fan of Blood Bound Books for a while, and I was lucky enough to nab an ARC of their new novel by Dean H Wild earlier this year.

“The Crymost ” is a small town horror, revolving around Mick Logan, teacher turned handyman with a tragic past, and his best friend Harry Kroener, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Running away from a horrible situation with a student, Mick and his wife hoped to find a peaceful life in the picturesque small town of Knoll, but this wouldn’t be a horror novel if things turned out as Mick wanted.

Mysterious lights are turning the sky green at night, bright flashes coming from the Crymost – an old flooded quarry where the people of Knoll offer keepsakes of their loved ones to help them grieve – and an ancient evil is waking up.

Will Mick, Harry and a small group of friends be able to stop it before it devours Knoll?

The author captures the feel of a small town very well, with its peaceful routine and easy going familiarity, as well as its less savoury aspects and lingering secrets. I particularly loved the idea of the Crymost. It was the one part of the book that completely captivated me, and I wish that the author had done more with it.

“The Crymost” moves at a good pace, has lots of creepy preternatural things going on, and sticks to the rules as set out in the narrative. I think fans of Stephen King will particularly like this tale of ordinary folk battling evil on their home turf.

What kept me from rating “The Crymost” higher was that the plot covered familiar ground, and I just couldn’t get into the characters. I think the author had all the ingredients for something new and terrifying, and I enjoyed “The Crymost“. I would read another book by this author.