By: Jamie Steinberg
Malcolm has returned from serving in the military to look after his mother, Maggie, who is close to passing away. They have never been particularly close, but he vows to take her back to her birthplace when she is gone as it is her dying wish. Little does he know that this task will make him question everything he knew about her and his belief in the supernatural. With his brother’s wife, Violet, by his side it will take a miracle to lay Maggie to rest. But does she deserve it? Find out by reading Carry Me to My Grave.
When Malcolm was a kid the neighborhood had a rumor about his mom – “Maggie Wise will take your eyes” – and they talked about her as if she were a witch. Malcolm, his brother Elias and sister Jennie never took that to heart though. Now, those siblings have left it to Malcolm to look after their mom in her final moments, along with Violet, his sister-in-law (whom he is deeply crushing on). With Maggie slowly fading, Malcolm and Violet notice a man outside the window wearing a raven mask. Who is this guy? After a brief chat with them, it seems that chant from Malcolm’s youth might actually have some merit.
Meanwhile, nearby there is a beautiful tree that stood strong for generations on a family’s property. Little do they know there is an ancient evil that has been sleeping beneath it. With Maggie on her deathbed, that evil (we come to know as “Root”) is ready to emerge so it can keep her from being laid to rest in her birthplace of Shediak, Maine and that it can remain earthbound for destruction. Root and his dark forces begin to rage the moment that Maggie takes her last breath. Luckily, she has already had the foresight to enlist the aid of a local mortician and two brothers as security to help Malcolm and Violet succeed in laying Maggie to rest. Unfortunately, in the meantime, Root and pals are able to go balls to the wall with carnage, even embodying anyone they encounter to stop Maggie from being buried.
Author Christopher Golden is quick to engross readers in this horror thriller, but along the way the story gets a bit too absurd. Yes, this is a sci-fi thriller and not “reality;” however, when the main characters get deeply injured somehow they are still able to keep going – no addressing of their wounds ever happens. On a personal level, I was also a bit bummed that so many people close to Malcolm had to perish. I won’t go into specifics as to who that may be, but I do wish that going forward there had been more people added to Malcolm’s circle that could be there for him post decimation.
Carry Me to My Grave is an intense, violent, thrill ride from beginning to the end. Is it a perfect tale? No. But there are characters readers will invest in and, boy, will you maybe never meet a more determined man than Malcolm Wise when his back is against a wall. Pick up a copy if you’re intrigued to find out if one man, his sister-in-law and some unlikely allies can save the world.