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dmirers of atmospheric, subtle horror will relish Haldeman’s intelligent and chilling debut, which succeeds in evoking the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft without resorting to cheap imitation. California architect Mark Sayres, worried about the mental state of his wife, Maggie, who has been working on an archeological dig on a Washington State island, offers to serve as navigator on a small ship in exchange for transport to the dig. A powerful storm wrecks the ship just off the island, leaving Sayres the sole survivor. As he begins to recover from his ordeal, he’s shocked to learn that Maggie has disappeared and that she’s only the latest island resident to do so. Despite his rationalist bent, the architect is forced to consider the existence of the supernatural after he has visions of one of his lost shipmates, whose apparent resurrection may be tied to a primitive superstition centering on an evil sea deity. The author’s vivid evocation of the bleakness and isolation of the remote Pacific Northwest will remind some of Algernon Blackwood’s classic tale “The Wendigo.” (June)
