A deeply chilling and tightly controlled psychological fiction novel.
For some people, life is more difficult than for others. Charlie West is one of those people. Plagued by compartmentalized memories from a tortured childhood, Charlie wears emotional scars every day as he struggles to exist within what most would consider normal parameters. A lifetime of panic attacks, mental torment and suppressed guilt has led him to develop a methodical routine, emotional paralysis and a dim view of the future. But a small seed of hope takes root when Charlie accepts his first real job, a teaching position in a different city. As he heads for Astoria, a fierce internal battle rages inside him, warning of an imminent danger that can be staved off only by staying home with his mom. But moving forward and living some semblance of a normal life is Charlie’s humble dream. And so he makes the terrifying, life-altering move. Hoping to escape echoes of his tyrannical father, learn how to interact normally with people, and maybe make some friends, Charlie has no idea that his fate has already been sealed before he even leaves for Astoria. There are powerful forces at play and Charlie could be the key that unlocks an ancient secret. However, a clandestine group looking to exploit Charlie may not be as big of a threat to him as his own thrashing mind.
Dramatic and evocative, The Doom that Came to Astoria is a deeply chilling and tightly controlled psychological fiction novel that shines a floodlight on mental health issues. Readers can’t help but feel for Charlie, a man who has faced a lifetime of obstacles, as he is sucked into a scheme he never asked for, one where his deepest worries come to life. Honest and transparent to his own detriment, Charlie’s heart is an open book, making it painful to watch his nascent optimism cruelly extinguished by one letdown after another. But there is so much lurking between the pages beyond one agonized man’s ongoing mental conflict. Like a pressure cooker mounted over a campfire, this deliberate novel builds fearsome intensity slowly and steadily, with a pace that refuses to be rushed or forced. Packed with subtle insinuations and grim implications, The Doom that Came to Astoria is a creepy, insidious novel where the reward for patience is dark, twisted enlightenment.
