This psychological horror novel will infect your mind and refuse to leave.
When Johnny Hawk walks in on his wife committing the ultimate act of betrayal, he knows he needs a change. Joined in a marriage that has been slowly decaying and bound to a business partner he loathes, Johnny decides to completely step out on his life and do something else, although he’s not quite sure what or how. Opting for a cross-country road trip to clear his mind and reset his priorities, he picks up a hitchhiker and heads for the west coast. Johnny’s options burst wide open when a persistent toothache causes him to cross paths with Wendy Jag, an experienced dentist with whom he shares an immediate attraction and a kindred spirit in running away from things. Passion escalates at an alarming rate for this eager new couple as their relationship awakens long dormant feelings within each of them. Unfortunately, what is stirred in Wendy is a darkness that knows no bounds. The past becomes a muddled miasma that fuses with the present, resulting in turmoil, chaos, and unrelenting fear. With few friends to count on, Johnny’s luck may not hold out long enough to escape the sadistic cruelty of the tortured Tooth Fairy.
There is no shortage of people who experience anxiety or even debilitating fear associated with a visit to the dentist. On this foundation alone, the premise of The Tooth Fairy drops an ominous vibe for any dentophobic person, though everyone will be affected by this creepy novel. The trepidation dawns on page one when Johnny wakes up duct taped to a chair in a dentist’s office where some dubious things have taken place. If that’s not enough to set your teeth on edge, the horrors don’t stop there. The author deftly ducks and weaves through history, telling the separate but fated paths of Wendy and Johnny, including grisly glimpses into the childhood diary of a little girl whose life is fraught with mistreatment, sorrow, and a deep sickness within her troubled mind. Experiencing Wendy’s trauma and watching her fall into a role she seems destined to fulfill is chilling and thrilling at the same time, like a gruesome tragedy you can’t tear your eyes away from. And the demented characters don’t stop with her. Almost everyone we meet, including even the smallest secondary character, has a horrific misery to share, and Tarsitano spares no effort in vividly imparting these graphic and disturbing scenes and memories. Lurid and distressing by design, this psychological horror novel will infect your mind and refuse to leave, so if you’re ready to be invaded by a terrifying new nightmare, read The Tooth Fairy.
