S.R. Murray's Blog

A Darling Obsession by S.R. Murray

An Editorial Review by SPR:

Pulling back the shadowy corners of history and exposing unsettled spirits, A Darling Obsession by S.R. Murray is a psychological, character-driven thriller with a sharp, dark edge.

When a young boy disappears from the small town of Sandy Beach, everyone fears the worst, but there may be older and more dangerous forces at work than a mere kidnapping. Months later, Detective Bobby Justice is still on the case, and follows a lead to the Sand Beach Hotel, a haunting testament to a horrific beachside crime. The mysterious Marina Kerrigan, looming like a ghost over her hotel, is just one of the intriguing figures in this story, as the novel has myriad bizarre characters and red-herring suspects – from archetypal school bullies, street criminals, and suspicious janitors to the occasional ghostly child running the halls.

Murray nails the deeply submerged secrets and tension of small towns in this perspective-jumping tale, putting readers into many different shoes as the pieces of this paranormal puzzle fall into place. Embodying the free-wheeling wildness of a ghost story in one moment, and intense examinations of loss, guilt, regret, and anger in the next, his storytelling is powerful, flexible, and distinct. Relying heavily on dialogue, the writing can occasionally feel too polished, as it loses the authentic flow of normal conversation, but the outsized personalities of these characters offer continuing surprises throughout the narrative.

Overall, the deeply developed players in this story, and the subtle blend of the supernatural with family strife and interpersonal drama, make the novel a riveting, genre-bending work of paranormal horror. - Self-Publishing Review

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