The mysterious death of his little son Scott before his very eyes. The subsequent deterioration of his family. The attempt, yet futile, for normalcy. And a woman who puts the past into motion. Bestselling British novelist Michael Marshall spins his web of magic in his latest work that stems from the tragedy that struck John Henderson and his family. Through the dilemmas and dialogue of the story’s characters, we find ourselves embroiled in a tale of sinister secrets and a fight for the truth.
The plot thickens
Bad Things stems from the story of John Henderson, a thirty-something divorcee whom we find living as a waiter in Oregon three years post his son’s death. But circumstances change drastically as a woman named Ellen Robertson emails him, saying “I know what happened,” and fears that she too will die like Scott. Thus the quest begins to uncover the truth of what happened that day by the jetty in Black Ridge, Washington. The story further deepens as other narrators are introduced: an ex-wife who lives with her son, trying to make a future; a bartender who after attempts to stay away from Black Ridge finds herself pulled back; and a fearful to the point paranoid widower, to name a few.
The twist further continues with the mysterious behaviour of the residents of Black Ridge, and that of the powerful siblings who just might have something to hide. Fans of mystery and the supernatural are in for a treat with this novel. John Henderson and his counterpart narrators take readers into a labyrinth of grief, deceit, and revenge that has surprising results.
Satisfying
A read that is as enthralling as it is unexpected, readers will be left satisfied and wanting more at the book’s conclusion.
Title: Bad Things
Author: MichaelMarshall
Publisher: HarperCollins
Price: Rs. 250
Srimathi is a student of Journalism and English Literature double major from Miami University of Ohio, USA.
