Reunion

by Dan Foley

Something lurks beneath the surface of Cooper Lake. Something hungry. Something intelligent. Something that preys on those who venture too close to its domain. The native Indians had a name for it. ONIARE In 1939, its victim was a young drifter. Dave Longo fought and killed it then, but it won’t stay dead. It returned in 1956 to claim the lives of two young men. For Dave, its return was a reunion in Hell. It's now 2014 and the creature has returned again, but Dave Longo is not around to face it a third time. The task becomes the responsibility of Ryan Lowell, a child the oniare had terrorized back in ’56, but can he overcome his childhood fears to vanquish the oniare once and for all.

280 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2016

Reviews

[Stuart West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foley's Reunion comes across as a sort of Jaws meets Deliverance hybrid where men and boys test their mettle by hunting a particularly nasty man-eating lake monster. While the three different era structure can be a bit confusing at times (two eras would've sufficed), Foley ratchets up the suspense nicely and builds to an unexpectedly moving discourse on the loss of life at a young age. There's also a nice sense of nostalgia running through-out the book clearly based on the author's own childhood. And yes, monster-lovers, Foley delivers the goods there. Recommended for creature feature lovers.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you attend your 50th high school reunion? I certainly didn't… mostly because I don't remember but a handful of people from way back then. My reasons had nothing to do with the memory of a monster; the monsters in my high school were human, just not very nice. A 50th reunion is mind boggling on so many levels. That long ago, you didn't have the perspective that half a decade brings. Unlike Ryan Lowell, I didn't go to a small town high school in Vermont, so there was no river emptying into a lake for me. I went to school on a river of concrete.

Dan Foley is a storyteller. The source of the tale varies, but it always reflects a mischievous side that might just make your skin crawl. In REUNION, he has taken an old Indian legend and made it real. Not everyone in the small Vermont town is in on the secret, but the story starts during the Depression and continues to present time. It spans generations, so characters live and die, grow up and grow old..

In some ways, REUNION reminds me of King's novella "The Body," or if you're more into film "Stand by Me." Foley has captured the essence of childhood with all its bravado and innocence. He combines that with the very different adults who must deal with their fears and deep felt obligations to do the right thing, even if they must do it in the shadows.

I hate to consign a book to a specific genre, especially when the story could fit into several. Should we put it with Myths and Legends? Should we put it with Coming of Age? I just know that it would be a disservice to call it a horror novel when it is so much more. I am looking forward to reading much, much more from Dan Foley.

I received a copy of REUNION from the author for review.

[Bonnie Ventura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Not everyone will enjoy this book. It is rather hard to follow along, jumping from the several timeframes and back..

But the reward for doing so is to read a great story. It is hard to write young adult, adult and senior point of views. Dan Foley carried it off.
Thank you for the scary read...