Something strange is going on in the small town of St. Mary’s. Their children are disappearing, and the FBI are called in to investigate. The investigating agent discovers something way more sinister than kidnapped children. Human trafficking? The slave trade? Yes, children being kidnapped is bad, but that is only the tip of the iceberg of what is happening in St. Mary’s.
The FBI agent suspects the kidnappers are hiding out in the woods, so there he stays. Does he find anything? Yes, he does but it isn’t exactly what he expects to find. He sees three witches, and the head witch calls for something to take her over. Demon possession, maybe? Anyway, take her over it does. And then they see him. Guns take them down, but then what had possessed the head witch now has to possess someone else. And the FBI agent is the only one around. And now it looks as though he is the one who has committed the kidnappings and murder.
Now things get really interesting. And, yes, there is a lot of blood and gore, so you might not want to read this if you can’t handle such things. An ancient evil has returned, and its plans are affecting the entire world, not just this little community.
This doesn’t sound like a story where romance would enter in, but it does. The only person Agent Cooper can think of that would help him out is an ex-girlfriend, another FBI agent. Before too long, what happens between them impacts the plans of this ancient evil.
What starts out as an FBI case and mystery soon morphs into a full-fledged tale of horror, one quite capable of giving you nightmares. Little by little it is revealed just how horrible what is going on is. I found this book hard to put down and full of surprises. This is a book I’d gladly read again.
I was sent a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If you would a copy of this book to read yourself, I’ve provided an Amazon link for you below.
Amazon Link: The Essence of Darkness
Favorite Sentences:
This buried reality smelled so strongly of terror and death that sooner or later it had to come to the surface, like a bluish, bloated corpse.
The supervisor glared at him like a reptilian predator ready to pounce on its prey.
He felt like a tightrope walker, dancing a waltz with madness, twirling above the underworld on a thread that threatened to snap at any moment.
For what he felt growing deep inside him, shaking the depths of his soul with abject turmoil, was indeed a spell lying in wait. It was a sleeping beast watching for the moment to take complete possession of him.
He was a creature that was still intelligent, but one from which fate had taken all human nature, leaving only the bestiality of a bloodthirsty animal.
New Words Learned:
aegis – the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization
aperitif – an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite
decrepit – worn out; enfeebled with age and infirmity
diktat – an order or decree imposed by someone in power without popular consent
fumaroles – openings in or near a volcano, through which hot sulfurous gases emerge
grimoire – a manual of black magic supposedly used to cast spells, invoke demons, etc.
ontology – the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being
pestilential – harmful or destructive to crops or livestock
phonations – utterances of speech or sounds
polyphonies – In music, the style of simultaneously combining a number of parts, each forming an individual melody and harmonizing with each other
About the Author:
Thomas Clearlake, pictured to your left, is the author of this book. But I couldn’t find any other information on him.
