Lovecraft Fans Need to Check Out The Alewife Series!

Book Review: The Alewife, Curse of Obsession

---

Summary:

In the chill, choppy waters of Newport Cove, Doug Sandow watched helplessly as his best friend slipped beyond the boundary of breath and death, sinking into a restless mausoleum, never to be seen again. A dozen years later, Doug returns to Maine, not to mark the passing of his friend—long since faded from thought—but to partake of a romantic, week-long vacation with his wife, Jillian.

The hopes they carry are simple: a time of relaxation and intimacy, a renewal of their marriage, and the pregnancy that Jillian has longed for. As they settle into the creaky charm of the century-old Pequot Hotel, their peaceful seclusion is disrupted by the appearance of Meeka, a self-described “Alewife,” and the years-ago recipient of an evening’s rivalry between teenaged Doug and Brian. A contest that Doug won and almost cashed in on—after she offered herself to him the next day—only to have their tryst interrupted by Brian’s untimely demise.

Meeka, waitress and witness; Doug never saw her again either.

Until now.

---

First Paragraph:

Doug’s arms sliced through the water in powerful strokes, pulling him inexorably to his target. Old Soaker Island was only a deserted strip of rock, but today he would own it. He surged up through the surface and shook the Atlantic from his eyes. The smudge of island lay dead ahead—his bearing was right on.

---

My Thoughts:

I purchased this book at a comic convention after speaking briefly with the author, who was super nice! There were many books on the vendor table to choose from, but The Alewife seemed to stick out to me, so I bought a copy and asked him to sign it, before maxing out my credit card at the dozens of other vendor booths that tempted me.

On the surface, The Alewife summary gives the impression that it’s a suspenseful thriller and mystery. While all of those elements are definitely in there, it’s revealed mid-way through the book that there’s much more to this story than just another typical married couple who are threatened with a psychotically obsessed ex-flame.

As the book progresses, things quickly progress from a contemporary thriller to an urban sci-fi horror. Fans of H.P. Lovecraft will eat this book up like candy and cry for more! The Alewife explores (or at the very least mentions) elements of Greek, Scottish and Scandinavian folklore. I found it intriguing to learn about the different myths and legends! Jason Graves does a fantastic job of using the elements mentioned to craft his own world of mythical creatures, while also diving into the science of what makes his creations viable and believable.

Each chapter kept me fully engaged and awake long past my typical bedtime. The desire to find out what happened next was rough on my sleep schedule, but it was well worth it. The chapters are relatively short, but packed with plenty of twists and turns. To be honest, if the Alewife was ever written as a film script, it would make a marvelous summer movie feature!

The story focuses on Doug and Jullian Sandow, a typical American married couple that are trying hard to start a family. While Jullian’s main focus is on starting a family, Doug’s primary interest lies in the sexual encounters that will lead to conception. Doug is a laid back, sharp-witted sort of guy with a high-school jock type of personality, while Jullian is a bit high-strung, demanding, and perhaps even slightly annoying.

Doug clearly doesn’t think things through when he decides that the best place to vacation and work on ‘baby-making’ is the same small coastal town of Maine where his best friend, Brian, drowned 12 years earlier. I don’t get why a place with such a memory would pop into his mind as a romantic getaway, but this is Doug Sandow we’re talking about here. You’ll see what I mean as you get to explore his character in the book.

On top of that, the same night his best friend drowned, he meets and makes out with a young server named Meeka, who was also swimming in the ocean with Doug and Brian when Brian goes under. Doug decides to make reservations at the same bed & breakfast where he met Meeka 12 years earlier, figuring that she has long moved on from the job. Much to his surprise, however, he discovers that not only does Meeka still work there, but does not appear to have aged a day since the last time she saw her.

Jullian notices immediately that Doug not only recognizes the waitress, but seems to be enamored with her. From there on out, things start getting weird as Meeka starts showing up everywhere they go. Meeka is an enigma from start to finish, even as her true origins and intentions are revealed. I enjoyed the creativity that went into creating her character.

 I can’t say too terribly much more about Meeka or some of the other key characters, as I feel I would be giving away huge spoilers. It’s frustrating because there is so much I want to say about the second half of the book. I suppose I will have to wait until the sequel is finally released and include it in that review.

Despite the fact that I can’t go into anymore details without giving away the story, I highly recommend The Alewife, Curse of Obsession! It’s got everything you could want: love, obsession, suspense, fantasy, science, old legends, horror… there’s something for everyone.

Curse of Obsession does great as a stand-alone novel (which is rare for a book 1 of any series), but it also leaves plenty of unanswered questions that will make you thirsty for more. Definitely check this book out!

---

Favorite Quote:

In his heart, a glacier split, and the emotions of the last several days gushed out like a hidden lake.

---

More from Jason Graves!

---

---