At this point in his career, Christopher Golden’s ability to spin an entertaining horror yarn is without question, but the bestselling titan (Snowblind, Dead Ringers) is still finding ways to surprise readers. His latest novel, Carry Me to My Grave, is a prime example, a book with a solid genre hook that takes flight via relentless pacing, creating a story you’ll have to fight to put down.
Malcolm’s mother, the tough and domineering Maggie, is dying, and while he’s already kept his promise to wait by her deathbed, in her final hours, Maggie demands something else of her boy. For reasons that aren’t quite clear to Malcolm, when his mother dies, he must transport her body back to her hometown in Maine, at least 1,000 miles away, and he must do it in a mere two days. Why? Well, Maggie’s connected to something from her past, something dark and ancient, and if she’s not returned to where she came from, that something might be unleashed. So, with the help of a local undertaker and his sister-in-law, Violet, Malcolm sets off, painfully aware that he’s not alone on the road. Someone else wants Maggie’s body, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get it.
Golden wastes no time setting the stakes and getting Malcolm on the road, or rather, on the train tracks headed to Maine. The premise emerges in the opening pages, the characters are strong and well-formed from the beginning, and the plot moves, appropriately, like a freight train. With each stop, each train car and each new question, Golden places another obstacle in front of his heroes, complicating their path while also never straying from it. This is a lean, Swiss watch of a horror novel, and it’s made even better by Golden’s grasp of character. With Maggie’s towering spirit hanging over them all, Malcolm and his companions take on more color and texture as the novel progresses, each choice informing who they are. It all builds to an emotional crescendo that will remind readers why Golden is one of the most entertaining horror novelists at work today. This is prime staying-up-late-with-the-lights-on reading material.