The House of Nodens

Gafford (The Dreamer in Fire and Other Tales) quickly creates empathy for his broken lead, Bill Simmons, a destitute alcoholic living in Bridgeport, Conn., in this solid debut novel. Bill’s latest attempt to connect with others—a birthday call to his estranged adult son—is harshly rejected, and Bill’s downward spiral accelerates after the police show up at his door. Steve Graves, an old friend he hasn’t heard from for decades, has brutally murdered his wife and children, and then told the officers who responded to the scene that he will confess fully only after speaking with Bill. Things get even worse when Steve is killed in the police interrogation room after Bill, the only other person present, has visions of an antlered monster he knows as Nodens, an entity out of his childhood nightmares. While Gafford doesn’t explore any new terrain, his capable prose and deft characterizations, even of background figures, distinguish this horror mystery. Stephen King fans will find a lot to like. (Aug.)