cover image Blue Hell

Blue Hell

Greg F. Gifune and Sandy DeLuca. JournalStone, $15.95 trade paper (126p) ISBN 978-1-950305-67-4

Horror writers Gifune (Midnight Solitaire) and DeLuca (Lupo Mannaro) join forces in this strange, visceral novel. Joseph Stringer wakes up in the hospital with no memory of his past. He’s homeless, but finds refuge with an organization that promises relief for the destitute. Single mother Carla crashes her car after spotting something odd on the side of highway. After her recovery, she heads to a halfway house to rebuild her life, but finds horrors awaiting her. And Marco, a recently laid-off shoe salesman, agrees to an afternoon of day drinking with an acquaintance, the enigmatic Billy. It’s in this final encounter that the nebulous suspense built with the other two story lines comes to a head, as Billy reveals secrets about Marco, Carla, and Joseph—and how the three are connected. Gifune and DeLuca’s prose is taut and terrifying, perfectly blending gore and psychological horror, though for much of the novel they raise more questions than they answer. The result is a dark, challenging tale that will be best suited for seasoned horror readers. [em](Mar.) [/em]