Let’s delve into a selection of gripping novels that will transport you to shadowy landscapes where grotesque creatures wander, minds unravel, and the unthinkable comes to life in a macabre scene of murder, monsters and madness. Welcome to #WickedGoodReads Month here at Chapter Adventure. Every October, we talk about books with Wicked People & Creatures, Dangerous Places & Things.
Murder
Miracle Creek, Angie Kim
How far will you go to protect your family? Will you keep their secrets? Ignore their lies? In a small town in Virginia, a group of people know each other because they’re part of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But then the chamber explodes, two people die, and it’s clear the explosion wasn’t an accident. A showdown unfolds as the story moves across characters who are all maybe keeping secrets, hiding betrayals. Was it the careless mother of a patient? Was it the owners, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? Could it have been a protester, trying to prove the treatment isn’t safe?
The story is told from the point of view of seven characters, all of whom were present the night the explosion happened, including the Yoo family (Pak and Young Yoo and their teenage daughter, Mary), Elizabeth, Matt (a doctor who was undergoing HBOT for infertility) and his Korean-American wife, Janine, and Teresa, who survived the explosion with her daughter Rosa. Each person is hiding something relevant to the case … each person is lying or holding something back. I kept being surprised, disappointed, switching loyalties, changing who I thought started the fire … there’s just so much going on in this book, but the author manages to weave everything together seamlessly.
Monsters
The Passage, Justin Cronin
First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear – of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.
The title of The Passage should be – You’re Never Safe – because something always happens! The narrative kicks off with gripping tension as Cronin meticulously explores the military’s efforts to create “virals,” only to escalate towards a terrifying release that signifies the end of hope for humanity when the Virals get out into society. Each character’s plight reflects the overwhelming despair of a world gone awry, with the virals wreaking havoc and transforming civilization into a nightmarish landscape. The elegance with which Cronin captures the gradual descent into chaos is nothing short of masterful, solidifying the book’s theme of inevitable doom.
The pacing shifts dramatically as we jump 100 years into a post-apocalyptic future, where a beleaguered colony’s survival hangs by a thread. As Amy and her companions embark on a perilous journey back to the origins of their nightmare, the tension accelerates, leading to heart-stopping confrontations with the virals. Cronin’s ability to blend hopelessness with glimpses of salvation keeps readers on the edge of their seats, reinforcing the enduring human spirit even in a world ravaged by despair.
Madness
Mr. Mercedes, Stephen King
In the predawn hours, in a distressed American city, hundreds of unemployed men and women line up for the opening of a job fair. They are tired and cold and desperate. Emerging from the fog, invisible until it is too late, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes. Months later, an ex-cop named Bill Hodges, still haunted by the unsolved crime, contemplates suicide. When he gets a crazed letter from “the perk,” claiming credit for the murders, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, fearing another even more diabolical attack and hell-bent on preventing it.
Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes, the first book in the Bill Hodges trilogy, marks a departure from his typical horror narrative, yet it remains a gripping thriller that showcases the masterful storytelling we’ve come to expect from him. King’s prowess in character development shines brilliantly as he immerses readers into a world consumed by madness rather than horror, providing an intimate look at the human psyche.
Bill Hodges, our retired detective protagonist, quickly became my favorite character. His relatable qualities and authentic struggles resonate deeply, especially as he confronts the stark reality of retirement after dedicating over 40 years to a demanding profession. The cat-and-mouse game between Hodges and Mr. Mercedes is both captivating and terrifying, filled with tense moments that kept me on the edge of my seat. King’s ability to craft suspenseful sequences is evident throughout, creating a pulse-pounding atmosphere that complements Hodges’s deeply introspective character arc. The mix of relatable human emotion with high-stakes drama is intoxicating, showcasing that while the story is grounded in the gritty realities of human life, it doesn’t shy away from exploring the horrific aspects of the human condition.
Those are 3 of my favorite recent reads in each category. I’d love to hear, What books would you recommend for this list?
