FICTION

The Damned

by Andrew Pyper
S. & S. Feb. 2015. 304p. ISBN 9781476755113. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781476755137. F
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Danny Orchard is a (literally) haunted man, his adult life shadowed by the ghost of his twin sister who died at the young but certainly not innocent age of 16. Ashleigh (shortened to "Ash" most of the time, which seems appropriate given her fiery death) made other lives miserable before her own ended, committing everything from the murder of small animals to acts of sexual sabotage (forcing a boyfriend to cut off his own fingers on a table saw). Although Danny achieves modest fame upon writing a memoir about his brush with the afterlife, he exists alone because Ash's spirit threatens to sabotage any connection he makes with others. Ash's rage awakens when he falls in love, and Danny soon realizes that he will need to make another trip "beyond" to truly lay his sister to rest.
VERDICT Pyper's (The Demonologist) depictions of the afterlife are visceral and frightening (especially those set on the 8 Mile strip in a desiccated, otherworldly Detroit). The midstory shift to mystery (who killed Ash, and why?) and revelation of family secrets propels the novel to a satisfying conclusion. Recommended for fans of horror and narratives of family dysfunction and supernatural psychopathy. [See Prepub Alert, 9/1/14.]
Reviewed by Victoria Caplinger, MLS, Durham, NC , Jan 01, 2015
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