A plot that will chill you to the core.
Denver is a tough town in which to endure a stint of homelessness, but at a young age, Charly Highsmith had to do just that. With an apathetic, alcoholic mother, a father that abandoned the family without warning, and an autistic younger brother in her care, Charly learns that she has only herself to rely on. Now in her late 20s, Charly has finally settled into a relatively stable routine. She’s worked to make a humble home and a stable life for herself and her brother, despite the challenges of his neurodivergence. But some unexpected news in the form of a forthcoming million-dollar inheritance and keys to the family cabin offers a chance at truly changing their lives for the better. Charly convinces her reluctant brother and two cousins to reunite at the cabin for a holiday, hoping to share her financial windfall and reminisce about the good old days. She is completely unprepared for what she finds when they arrive at her family’s retreat. A smooth-talking stranger hosting an exclusive hunting excursion has taken possession of the cabin and Charly’s cousins aren’t much help in preserving the peace or evicting the interloper. An ominous storm hints at danger and Charly is pretty sure there’s something sinister happening in the unexplored boathouse. When pushed to her limits, Charly does the only thing she knows: she fights to survive.
A brutal yet breathtaking Rocky Mountain setting provides an imposing backdrop for the thrills and drama in The Excursion. There are so many things T. O. Paine does well in this patently suspenseful novel, including a pace that builds steadily and a plot that will chill you to the core, but it is the character development that propels this story relentlessly forward. Rather than simply a clichéd obstacle to be overcome, the depiction of a loveable character with autism is presented with sensitivity and authenticity. Hitting readers’ emotions in a completely different way is Randall the Hunter. His past personal traumas and experiences, while not immediately available to the audience, clearly contribute to his compulsive madness. Even Charly’s family, known mostly through flashbacks, is meticulously crafted and intricately woven into her current situation, helping cement her indomitable spirit and relentless drive to make amends for past failings. Simple, straightforward storytelling is the perfect vehicle for this jittery, tense novel. The Excursion promises a one-way ticket on an obsessive journey that is creepy, compelling, and wholly consuming.
