Dead Seasons

Rating:

About the Author:
(Taken from Amazon)

R.M. James wrote plays as a child and forced her sisters to read them. As she got older, her stories evolved into short movies. Her film and literature studies edged her into one of her truest callings: fiction writing. The majority of her time goes into caring for her family, taking nature shots, and imagining new scenes for another novel. She lives in Nevada.


Blurb:
A group of four wedding goers, on their way to California, get lost somewhere in Kansas. The car doesn’t work. Reception is down. And morning has mysteriously become evening. In utter confusion, they search their surroundings, only to find a dead girl, rotting in a creek.

They discover this small town is more than what it seems. From its undisclosed location, vacant establishments, and the bestial creature lurking in the shadows. When they come across the townsfolk, who take a keen interest in them, the four are then forced to participate in a simulation game, where newcomers must play to be allowed to leave.

In this place, their fears manifest into tangible forms meant to kill them. Sanity gets tested. Doubt consumes each unwilling player. Yet no one knows the exact rules of the game. Except for one detail. If you don’t play, you die. There can only be one winner.

Seasons change as the four contestants try to make it out of town alive.



Review:

This is an excellent novel that follows three people traveling to a wedding.  Mid-trip, they find themselves stuck in a small town with no phone or GPS to help reorient them.  When a dead girl is found in the woods, things go from creepy to deadly.

While this story does have elements of horror, the majority of it is a dark fantasy adventure that will keep the reader on edge.  And the mysteries will, too.

The characters are well-written, unique, and rounded.  Most importantly, each one has deep flaws (some more deep than others), so readers will certainly have their favorites.  I loved Canela the most.  While she comes across as the least flawed, there's a sense of helplessness in the beginning that might not appeal to most readers.  But as with any good novel, she grows throughout her journey.

One of my favorite lines is:

"His voice ricocheted in the small kitchen before the wallpaper devoured it."


All and all, another novel for my Must-Read list!

Do yourself a favor and grab your copy at Amazon.