What do you think?
Rate this book
Hexes
Matthew Galen comes back home to Summerfell for a reason. Not to visit his family. Not to relive childhood memories. He comes back because his best friend is in a hospital for the criminally insane -- for crimes too unspeakable to believe.
But Matthew knows the terrifying truth. The ultimate evil doesn't reside in his friend's twisted soul. It comes from a far darker place, a place only Matt knows. And only Matthew can stop the evil -- if he dares.
But Matthew knows the terrifying truth. The ultimate evil doesn't reside in his friend's twisted soul. It comes from a far darker place, a place only Matt knows. And only Matthew can stop the evil -- if he dares.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Tom Piccirilli
186 books386 followersThomas Piccirilli (May 27, 1965 – July 11, 2015) was an American novelist and short story writer.
Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".
Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 10, 2020
3.5; an entertaining, occasionally excellent novel that reads in large part like a practice run for the later, much more successful A Lower Deep, with Piccirill's ambitions often outpacing the standard "protagonist returns to confront the ancient evil lurking in their hometown" plot; however, after Piccirilli unleashes his imagination in the final act, when all hell literally breaks loose, he reaches the gonzo brilliance and audacity achieved with ALD - how can one not appreciate a fistfight with the bloated drunken specter of Aleister Crowley?
January 25, 2020
An uneven, messy, but somewhat satisfying supernatural thriller.
Hexes overachieves, and that is its weakness.
Coming from a horror paperback line that churned out accessible, occasionally disturbing, but always relatable and straightforward books, Hexes goes the opposite route, turning what would have been a standard blood-and-boobs fare into a puzzling, confounding, and very impenetrable black magic thriller. I wonder what magic (see what I did there) Don D’auria had to do to keep this book still palatable to the mainstream market. (See also the vastly different versions of Gary A. Braunbeck’s In Silent Graves , from its Leisure version to the new Journalstone edition)
Piccirilli does hook you right into the proceedings, with the visit of the main character Matthew Galen to his recently institutionalized friend A. G. It seems that A. G. was caught digging children’s bones and trying to perform a ritual, which is compounded by the fact that this happened during a recent spree of disappearances in their town. During their meeting (where not a word was spoken), Galen learns that the evil they discovered underneath the lighthouse years ago has had its steady grip over the town ever since, and it is returning to claim more victims.
Then Piccirilli unleashes the flashbacks, containing multiple characters, allusions to demon-lore and black magic, absurd recollections that might not be true, stream-of-consciousness ramblings to accentuate the occult atmosphere, etc. Damn, that’s a lot, especially for such a short book.
This is the point where Hexes fails for me; it could have been told simply and still achieve the same effect. A story of a guy trying to fix a past that is way beyond repair using magic should not be mired in confusion and pretension; it’s a very strong theme and should be played straight. Maybe if it was a ghost story or a Cosmic Horror one?
It has two saving factors: 1. Piccirilli plays the occult themes to the hilt, overloading the reader with occult and magic references that would otherwise be not mentioned at all. We have mentions of Crowley, Father Grandier, and assortments of demons. (Galen even fights them!). 2. The disturbing graphic violence that is presented in all its sickening glory. This is apparent in the final act, with a slaughter that almost tops the finale of Masterton’s Feast . (Sorry Pic.) There is a scene involving a lady with her tongue nailed... ah just read it.
For fans of Tom Pic, it’s a must-read. For everybody else, don’t read it unless you want a mental workout to go with your black magic horror books.
Hexes overachieves, and that is its weakness.
Coming from a horror paperback line that churned out accessible, occasionally disturbing, but always relatable and straightforward books, Hexes goes the opposite route, turning what would have been a standard blood-and-boobs fare into a puzzling, confounding, and very impenetrable black magic thriller. I wonder what magic (see what I did there) Don D’auria had to do to keep this book still palatable to the mainstream market. (See also the vastly different versions of Gary A. Braunbeck’s In Silent Graves , from its Leisure version to the new Journalstone edition)
Piccirilli does hook you right into the proceedings, with the visit of the main character Matthew Galen to his recently institutionalized friend A. G. It seems that A. G. was caught digging children’s bones and trying to perform a ritual, which is compounded by the fact that this happened during a recent spree of disappearances in their town. During their meeting (where not a word was spoken), Galen learns that the evil they discovered underneath the lighthouse years ago has had its steady grip over the town ever since, and it is returning to claim more victims.
Then Piccirilli unleashes the flashbacks, containing multiple characters, allusions to demon-lore and black magic, absurd recollections that might not be true, stream-of-consciousness ramblings to accentuate the occult atmosphere, etc. Damn, that’s a lot, especially for such a short book.
This is the point where Hexes fails for me; it could have been told simply and still achieve the same effect. A story of a guy trying to fix a past that is way beyond repair using magic should not be mired in confusion and pretension; it’s a very strong theme and should be played straight. Maybe if it was a ghost story or a Cosmic Horror one?
It has two saving factors: 1. Piccirilli plays the occult themes to the hilt, overloading the reader with occult and magic references that would otherwise be not mentioned at all. We have mentions of Crowley, Father Grandier, and assortments of demons. (Galen even fights them!). 2. The disturbing graphic violence that is presented in all its sickening glory. This is apparent in the final act, with a slaughter that almost tops the finale of Masterton’s Feast . (Sorry Pic.) There is a scene involving a lady with her tongue nailed... ah just read it.
For fans of Tom Pic, it’s a must-read. For everybody else, don’t read it unless you want a mental workout to go with your black magic horror books.
July 12, 2015
3.5 stars
Reading Tom Piccirilli, I feel like I can almost see that fine edge between craziness and brilliance. Sometimes I feel like I only understand about half of what's going on, and yet the writing is so poetic and compelling and so REAL, I have to keep reading. It's like somebody's handing me random puzzle pieces and I'm trying to fit them all together without any kind of guide, working from the middle out -- I won't get those edge pieces until the very end -- and I HAVE to keep reading because in that next page or the next sentence or the next word, the curtain might finally be torn away and I'll see the whole picture at last. (A lot of mixed metaphors, I know. Sorry about that.) Truthfully, sometimes that final picture is more satisfying than others, but no matter what, I always feel like I got what I came for, and I'm always a bit amazed.
Note: I wrote most of this rambling pseudo-review yesterday morning, and found out only a couple of hours later that Tom Piccirilli had just passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. It's such a shame. The man was (IMO) unbelievably talented.
Reading Tom Piccirilli, I feel like I can almost see that fine edge between craziness and brilliance. Sometimes I feel like I only understand about half of what's going on, and yet the writing is so poetic and compelling and so REAL, I have to keep reading. It's like somebody's handing me random puzzle pieces and I'm trying to fit them all together without any kind of guide, working from the middle out -- I won't get those edge pieces until the very end -- and I HAVE to keep reading because in that next page or the next sentence or the next word, the curtain might finally be torn away and I'll see the whole picture at last. (A lot of mixed metaphors, I know. Sorry about that.) Truthfully, sometimes that final picture is more satisfying than others, but no matter what, I always feel like I got what I came for, and I'm always a bit amazed.
Note: I wrote most of this rambling pseudo-review yesterday morning, and found out only a couple of hours later that Tom Piccirilli had just passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. It's such a shame. The man was (IMO) unbelievably talented.
October 15, 2014
Short take:
Wow. Piccirilli must know real heartache, because he pours liberal amounts of it into this story. I was concerned that the 'small-town boy returns home to dark doings' plot would tire me out on its umpteenth iteration, but Piccirilli gives the trope real passion and nails his story with artistry that knocked me over. The powers that he exercises in this book are the reasons why I keep returning to his work. I gorged on this book in a two-day rush and I wish that I could read it again with the same innocent appetite. What a read!
Random thoughts:
Piccirilli has spoiled me for witchcraft. The odd references to old books and older daemons are tantalizing pieces of arcana pungent with history. I have no idea what Piccirilli is making up a la Lovecraft and his wonderful Necronomicon and what Piccirilli is referencing from background reading and research. Wherever the lines lie, I love how Piccrilli describes magic and spellcraft and supernatural combat with demonic entities. People bleed and reality warps and it all tastes bitter, as if the rules of existence are being broken along with bones and tissues. The prose is subtle and requires closer reading than the usual action scene, with the just the right balance between the emotional experience of the conflict and the actual gouge and zap of battle. I will long picture hexes smoking at the ends of curled fingertips, hear whispered words warping the air.
Wow. Piccirilli must know real heartache, because he pours liberal amounts of it into this story. I was concerned that the 'small-town boy returns home to dark doings' plot would tire me out on its umpteenth iteration, but Piccirilli gives the trope real passion and nails his story with artistry that knocked me over. The powers that he exercises in this book are the reasons why I keep returning to his work. I gorged on this book in a two-day rush and I wish that I could read it again with the same innocent appetite. What a read!
Random thoughts:
Piccirilli has spoiled me for witchcraft. The odd references to old books and older daemons are tantalizing pieces of arcana pungent with history. I have no idea what Piccirilli is making up a la Lovecraft and his wonderful Necronomicon and what Piccirilli is referencing from background reading and research. Wherever the lines lie, I love how Piccrilli describes magic and spellcraft and supernatural combat with demonic entities. People bleed and reality warps and it all tastes bitter, as if the rules of existence are being broken along with bones and tissues. The prose is subtle and requires closer reading than the usual action scene, with the just the right balance between the emotional experience of the conflict and the actual gouge and zap of battle. I will long picture hexes smoking at the ends of curled fingertips, hear whispered words warping the air.
January 24, 2013
I could throw in any number of words such as gothic, haunting or under the skin disgusting, but it wouldn’t do the book justice. This book is unnerving at best.
You can never quite figure out where the story is going and how it’s going to end. But don’t fear - the ride is an intriguing one filled with supernatural horror and humanity. The characters were believable and realistic. You’re never quite sure if you want to slap them or get a beer with them. The pace is fast and ever winding. As soon as you think you know where it’s going, it changes directions at break neck speed. Piccarilli’s style of writing instills a sense of revulsion and fear. Using logic to deal with darker shades of the mind, it is both intense and intriguing.
While original, the author never gives a comprehensive explanation of the use of the hexes. As for the living scars and the “Goat”, we’re given suggestions, but no actual information. The atmosphere is dark and at times murky. It jumps back and forth between the past and present so often it’s disorienting.
Tom Picircirilli is defiantly an author to keep your eye on. This book will definitely give you a few nightmares. A good read, but I give it a 3, buy it used so you can live with the sale.
-aS REVIEWED FOR hORROR-wEB.COM
You can never quite figure out where the story is going and how it’s going to end. But don’t fear - the ride is an intriguing one filled with supernatural horror and humanity. The characters were believable and realistic. You’re never quite sure if you want to slap them or get a beer with them. The pace is fast and ever winding. As soon as you think you know where it’s going, it changes directions at break neck speed. Piccarilli’s style of writing instills a sense of revulsion and fear. Using logic to deal with darker shades of the mind, it is both intense and intriguing.
While original, the author never gives a comprehensive explanation of the use of the hexes. As for the living scars and the “Goat”, we’re given suggestions, but no actual information. The atmosphere is dark and at times murky. It jumps back and forth between the past and present so often it’s disorienting.
Tom Picircirilli is defiantly an author to keep your eye on. This book will definitely give you a few nightmares. A good read, but I give it a 3, buy it used so you can live with the sale.
-aS REVIEWED FOR hORROR-wEB.COM
October 17, 2010
well, I see a few other people have rated this book quite high, so maybe it's just me - but I thought this book was stupid.
It wasn't the subject matter - I was actually excited about that part - but I found the writing to be awful!
I had no idea what was going on. I read 3/4 of this book and got tired of trying to figure out what the hell the story was about, so I quit.
It's about satanism, (I think) but they never come out and just tell the damn story. They cut back and forth from the present to the future, to nightmares that make NO sense. They make innuendos about witchcraft and "the goat" but it never explains anything.
Maybe I'm missing out by not reading the last pages, because I know that some books make everything clear at the end of the story - but I just got so bored with trying to figure this book out that I honestly didn't even give a crap anymore.
It wasn't the subject matter - I was actually excited about that part - but I found the writing to be awful!
I had no idea what was going on. I read 3/4 of this book and got tired of trying to figure out what the hell the story was about, so I quit.
It's about satanism, (I think) but they never come out and just tell the damn story. They cut back and forth from the present to the future, to nightmares that make NO sense. They make innuendos about witchcraft and "the goat" but it never explains anything.
Maybe I'm missing out by not reading the last pages, because I know that some books make everything clear at the end of the story - but I just got so bored with trying to figure this book out that I honestly didn't even give a crap anymore.
December 13, 2011
Hexes takes place in the town of Summerfell. Only in a horror or a romance novel would you run across a town named Summerfell. This one takes place in horror Summerfell.
Piccirilli does not locate Summerfell, but it appears to be on the east coast. This is the geography he offers: a Potters Field, the mental hospital named Panecraft, a roadside diner namer Krunch Burger, a boarding house (since Summerfell is too small to support a decent hotel or motel), various municipal buildings, a mansion straight out of a Roger Corman Edgar Allen Poe adaption, and a lighthouse. And what is under the lighthouse, which is something very bad.
Matthew Galen, who for some reason, all is life, has allowed his friends to call him Mattie, returns to Summerfell after a five year absence. During those five years he has become a successful playwright, a meteoric success that may have to do with magical abilities, abilities he learned from grimoires and books of ancient magic he picked up in local used bookstores. Who knew those things really worked? He can even speak Enochian. This was all in high school that he and his friend A.G. practiced their magic and got possibly a little to good at it. Mattie must constantly cast hexes to protect himself and those around him from demonic attacks. A.G. is currently in the Panecraft ward for the criminally insane. He has been accused of a rash of disappearances among the young women of Summerfell, desecrating infant graves for their bones, and putting the paper boy into a catatonic coma. A G. might also be the creep setting the local cats on fire.
If none of this is making much sense, and you cannot pull together any idea of what the novel might actually be about, then welcome to the world of Tom Piccirilli. This is the second Piccirilli novel I have read, and I have to say he makes it work. There is the basic mystery plot. There are old friends and old enemies meeting up like at a high school reunion in some outer circle of hell. There are demon attacks. There are frequent flashbacks to Mattie and three high school friends making an ill-advised trip to the caves beneath the lighthouse. Disembowelment, memories of hot teenage sex, a dog so ugly he's cute,, and many other things I am leaving out. Piccirilli offers few explanations, especially when it come to the timeline of past events. He gives the reader credit for being able to keep up, and I have to confess that in the case of this particular reader at times that faith was misplaced.
There is a grand guignol finale at that mansion mentioned earlier. (I've got to say something else about the names in this book. The richest man in town, the party giver, is named Bosco Bob. His son is Jello Joe and his overweight daughter is Jelly Jane. No one finds any of this odd. Or perhaps those who found not only the namimg habits but the frequent suicides and slides into insanity that marked Summerfell have all relocated to the nearby berg of Gallows.) Heavy drinking and drugs makes this literally Bosco Bob's party to end all parties. Demonic possessions wreak havoc with the festivities. I think my favorite detail is the image of the man raping a girl whose lower lip has been nailed to the bannister of the central staircase. (Thanks for that one. Tom.) There is also a reality check in the final chapter that strikes me as entirely believable. Nearly everyone who survived that night stayed in town despite the horror.
A wild and literate ride. I almost said a "surprisingly literate" ride, revealing the snob's attitude towards horror novels. But I have several more Piccirilli's in the "to read" pile. I might start one tonight.
Piccirilli does not locate Summerfell, but it appears to be on the east coast. This is the geography he offers: a Potters Field, the mental hospital named Panecraft, a roadside diner namer Krunch Burger, a boarding house (since Summerfell is too small to support a decent hotel or motel), various municipal buildings, a mansion straight out of a Roger Corman Edgar Allen Poe adaption, and a lighthouse. And what is under the lighthouse, which is something very bad.
Matthew Galen, who for some reason, all is life, has allowed his friends to call him Mattie, returns to Summerfell after a five year absence. During those five years he has become a successful playwright, a meteoric success that may have to do with magical abilities, abilities he learned from grimoires and books of ancient magic he picked up in local used bookstores. Who knew those things really worked? He can even speak Enochian. This was all in high school that he and his friend A.G. practiced their magic and got possibly a little to good at it. Mattie must constantly cast hexes to protect himself and those around him from demonic attacks. A.G. is currently in the Panecraft ward for the criminally insane. He has been accused of a rash of disappearances among the young women of Summerfell, desecrating infant graves for their bones, and putting the paper boy into a catatonic coma. A G. might also be the creep setting the local cats on fire.
If none of this is making much sense, and you cannot pull together any idea of what the novel might actually be about, then welcome to the world of Tom Piccirilli. This is the second Piccirilli novel I have read, and I have to say he makes it work. There is the basic mystery plot. There are old friends and old enemies meeting up like at a high school reunion in some outer circle of hell. There are demon attacks. There are frequent flashbacks to Mattie and three high school friends making an ill-advised trip to the caves beneath the lighthouse. Disembowelment, memories of hot teenage sex, a dog so ugly he's cute,, and many other things I am leaving out. Piccirilli offers few explanations, especially when it come to the timeline of past events. He gives the reader credit for being able to keep up, and I have to confess that in the case of this particular reader at times that faith was misplaced.
There is a grand guignol finale at that mansion mentioned earlier. (I've got to say something else about the names in this book. The richest man in town, the party giver, is named Bosco Bob. His son is Jello Joe and his overweight daughter is Jelly Jane. No one finds any of this odd. Or perhaps those who found not only the namimg habits but the frequent suicides and slides into insanity that marked Summerfell have all relocated to the nearby berg of Gallows.) Heavy drinking and drugs makes this literally Bosco Bob's party to end all parties. Demonic possessions wreak havoc with the festivities. I think my favorite detail is the image of the man raping a girl whose lower lip has been nailed to the bannister of the central staircase. (Thanks for that one. Tom.) There is also a reality check in the final chapter that strikes me as entirely believable. Nearly everyone who survived that night stayed in town despite the horror.
A wild and literate ride. I almost said a "surprisingly literate" ride, revealing the snob's attitude towards horror novels. But I have several more Piccirilli's in the "to read" pile. I might start one tonight.
July 11, 2015
Hexes is one of my absolute favorite books by author Tom Piccirilli. It's one of the most memorable horror books I've read all year. The occult material seemed to be based upon intelligent research. The plot moved swiftly and smoothly. The characters were well-developed, and the story was believable. I had no difficulty visualizing or imagining any of this. If I came upon a town called Summerfell, I'd probably think twice before crossing the city limits, and you'd never catch me in Panecraft Asylum. I just dove right in and hung on for dear life. I highly recommend this for fans of dark fantasy, horror, occult, suspense, and thriller titles.
April 10, 2014
The beginning of this book really didn't do much to suck me into the events unfurling. However, things did start getting more "coherent" after about 40% into it. By that point, the characters began to "flesh out more", in my opinion; and the events of the past were beginning to merge into the events now occurring. Overall, I'd say that the ending made me glad I picked up this book, but it wasn't my favorite by Piccirilli by any means.
September 2, 2019
I really enjoyed the writing, but I had a little bit of a hard time following the story in large part because none of the supporting characters were as well drawn as main character Matthew Galen. There were a lot of those characters, and they became hard to track throughout the story. Even so, the build was great and the climax appropriately horrifying.
March 9, 2015
Hexes is the third book I've read by Piccirilli, and it’s unfortunately my least favorite. That’s not to say I didn't like it, but I felt it was inconsistent. There were times I couldn't stop reading, particularly once I’d passed the halfway point. There were also times where I had no idea what the hell was going on, and at least once I came close to closing the book for good. I think it was my positive past experience with the author that kept me reading, and I’m glad I did.
The story follows the path of Matthew Galen, a guy who leaves his hometown because…well, he’s kind of a witch, and there’s some devil stuff going on, there’s a creepy sanitarium, and his mom is crazy and dead--hell, lots of people are dead--and then there’s a lighthouse and a lot of flipping back and forth between past and present, and then towards the end I figured out what was going on. I think. If it sounds confusing, it is. I still liked it enough to pick up another Piccirilli book, and it’s already in my queue.
I would say if you have a low tolerance for WTF? moments, you might want to pick up another of his books instead. If you’re okay with not being 100% sure what it is your reading as long as you’re entertained, you could do a lot worse than Hexes.
The story follows the path of Matthew Galen, a guy who leaves his hometown because…well, he’s kind of a witch, and there’s some devil stuff going on, there’s a creepy sanitarium, and his mom is crazy and dead--hell, lots of people are dead--and then there’s a lighthouse and a lot of flipping back and forth between past and present, and then towards the end I figured out what was going on. I think. If it sounds confusing, it is. I still liked it enough to pick up another Piccirilli book, and it’s already in my queue.
I would say if you have a low tolerance for WTF? moments, you might want to pick up another of his books instead. If you’re okay with not being 100% sure what it is your reading as long as you’re entertained, you could do a lot worse than Hexes.
April 1, 2017
I had heard a lot in about this author, but this is the first book I read by him. It was different from most horror novels I've read, in it's style – it doesn't reveal much in the beginning, the story is slowly fleshed out with a combination of flashbacks and things happening in the present. It takes a while to figure out what's going on. I really liked the way the story unfolded, with things in the town getting more and more messed up, and some parts of it were really really creepy – the problem with the book was its ending – it seemed anti-climactic. The first three quarters of the book were really really good, but the ending seemed rushed. I really disliked it on giving the book 4 stars anyway because what came before it was really really good, but the ending just didn't live up to my expectations.
December 31, 2009
i loved this book and spent 2 sleepless nights reading it. it was a mixture of occult, ancient traditions, mythology, magic, and mystery. Michael comes home to help a friend and from there ever turn pulls you in. i kept thinking i knew how it ended, and i found out i was wrong. if you don't like choppy chapters (each chapter focusing on a different character or time) then you probably won't emjoy the layout of the book. but if that style doesn't bother you, and you have and interest in any of the above topics, then i recommend you add this to your "to read" list.
March 21, 2014
HORRIBLE. I hate not finishing a book- I always try to give a bad book enough time to pull it together - i took this book to the half way point to give it a fair shake but I just couldnt get into it or even understand most of what was happening. I felt it was too all over the place and made no sense.
November 3, 2014
Unexpected, dark, scary, tremendous world and atmosphere building, gradual tension to the point of madness, amazing graphic scenes where the unbelievable and grotesque gain substance and coherence, all with a hallucinatory and, at the same time, totally real quality dreams are made of. Hell unleashed. Great read.
January 29, 2015
Wow
Original, and wonderfully well written. If we could give half stars, I would have given it 4 1/2. Piccadilly does in a few sentences what it takes other writers pages to do. His books are all story, not over wrought with unimportant over descriptions. I've read 3 books by this author so far and he's quickly becoming one of my favourites.
Original, and wonderfully well written. If we could give half stars, I would have given it 4 1/2. Piccadilly does in a few sentences what it takes other writers pages to do. His books are all story, not over wrought with unimportant over descriptions. I've read 3 books by this author so far and he's quickly becoming one of my favourites.
March 19, 2014
I wish you could give 1/2 stars because I would rate it 2 1/2. There was some interesting story parts but overall it was confusing and much to wordy. It seems like the author just wanted to be weird a lot of the time. I don't plan to read any others by him anytime soon.
June 9, 2016
My least favorite Piccirilli to date. Confusing, dense, and painstakingly difficult to get through.
July 20, 2019
As the title suggests, this book doesn't fall into Piccirilli's sweet spot of crime noir or pulp fiction. Instead it has witchcraft at the heart of the story. Actually, if I'm going to use a body part as the analogy, then witchcraft would really be the blood. It weaves between the different elements and characters in the story. HEXES is similar to Piccirilli's A LOWER DEEP but based more in the real world.
When Matthew Galen departed his home in Summerfell five years ago, it was sudden and unexpected; an action that left his friends feeling abandoned. Now he is returning to help his best friend who is in a hospital for the criminally insane. He is returning because people have been disappearing and Matthew knows why, if not who. He is returning to face the truths and the demons that he left behind.
It might sound a bit over-dramatic but it kept with the feel of the book more than "a witch returns to his hometown to discover who is killing people." In fact, the visuals and feel of the book, the wording and the music, the poetry, are a big part of the book. Not in an obvious "this is a poem" type of way. Instead its the emotions and feelings that are drawn out by the wording. To be honest, it was kind of a detriment too. Every interruption would pull me out of the visuals, out of the emotions. I felt like I should have been enjoying the book on a deeper level. And I was! But not whenever I was interrupted and pulled out. I imagine the optimal reading spot would have been in a quiet room where I could also go back and re-read some passages to be pulled into the story more. The book is a must if you are a fan of Tom Piccirilli but if you haven't read anything by him yet, go try THE COLD SPOT first.
When Matthew Galen departed his home in Summerfell five years ago, it was sudden and unexpected; an action that left his friends feeling abandoned. Now he is returning to help his best friend who is in a hospital for the criminally insane. He is returning because people have been disappearing and Matthew knows why, if not who. He is returning to face the truths and the demons that he left behind.
It might sound a bit over-dramatic but it kept with the feel of the book more than "a witch returns to his hometown to discover who is killing people." In fact, the visuals and feel of the book, the wording and the music, the poetry, are a big part of the book. Not in an obvious "this is a poem" type of way. Instead its the emotions and feelings that are drawn out by the wording. To be honest, it was kind of a detriment too. Every interruption would pull me out of the visuals, out of the emotions. I felt like I should have been enjoying the book on a deeper level. And I was! But not whenever I was interrupted and pulled out. I imagine the optimal reading spot would have been in a quiet room where I could also go back and re-read some passages to be pulled into the story more. The book is a must if you are a fan of Tom Piccirilli but if you haven't read anything by him yet, go try THE COLD SPOT first.
April 7, 2022
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected to. The overall story was a bit difficult to follow and it seemed like the backstory of what drove Matthew Galen to pursue witchcraft as a teenager was glossed over and therefore lacked believability to me. I realize that Mr. Piccirilli is a beloved author so I wonder if his unique writing style takes a little getting used to like the way he seemed to oscillate between the conscious thoughts of his protagonist and the basic narration of the supernatural events being told in the present and the past. Unfortunately it just never drew me in and I didn't really feel anything for any of the characters. I will say that the last quarter of the book including the climax was well done and redeemed much of my disappointment. I actually bought 4 of his books from used bookstore (including this) recently so I still plan to read more so hoping this was just a one-time miss for me and I'll enjoy his others more.
April 30, 2019
Gripping writing, but Piccirilli seems to be most interested in how little background he can give while managing to create a narrative. He writes of these characters as if we already know most of them, of the town as if we lived there, and of the circumstances which lead to our plot as if we were the protagonist. It's mostly confusing, but is nevertheless satisfying enough to warrant 3 stars.
December 30, 2019
4.2 hexes!
Occult horror minor masterpiece.
Welcome addition to serious horror collections.
Occult horror minor masterpiece.
Welcome addition to serious horror collections.
December 31, 2019
A wild riot of magic and the occult.
April 30, 2021
Вроде и классно все, а вроде и дно пробиваем. Стилист из Пиккирилли отменный, а вот рассказчик так себе. Увы.
December 26, 2021
I like Piccirilli, and I wanted to like this one, but it wasn't very enjoyable.
December 5, 2023
I liked it
January 15, 2025
Large segments of this book are like listening to someone describe a dream they had--Hard to follow, logically inconsistent, characters that barely resemble real humans. Not for me.
October 13, 2025
3.5 rounded up
August 3, 2016
So, the tale is a good one, if done before. The writing is passable with periodic bursts of true creepiness. I was actually interested in what was going to happen to the unfortunate characters in the story. Instead, I got an infuriating ani-climax which was stolen right out of Exorcist, but not executed as well. Based on this novel alone, I would say Piccirilli has potential but he hasn't quite realized it yet.
Read
June 21, 2009Horror
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews