Welcome to the city of Lorn. This shortish tale thrusts you right into this dystopian setting, never in elaborate over-explaining detail, but enough to make you feel the grime and taste the corruption.

And what would be right at home in place like this? That’s right, murder. When a body is found in a doll factory (not a bone one, yet) the cops bring in their expert of the weird. Max Patella is a lady with a troubled past, but by helping the police in these strange cases she hopes to give herself some semblance of normality in this anything-but-normal city.

I say body, she’s actually called in to investigate a skeleton. All flesh and tissue is gone. What’s more creepy is that when Max touches the skull, she hears the voice of the victim pleading with her. And then there’s the strange ring in the bony hand.

More skeletons appear (and more rings) and before she knows it Max is deep into this case. What begins as a murder investigation suddenly spirals into a dark tale of witches, magic, and occult rituals involving some right nasty baddies.

There is some great imagery here, with some genuinely spooky moments. Who can Max trust, who is in on these murders and the big conspiracy? 

As with all shorty stories, I can’t say much more here. But our Yolanda has created another corker of a story here. Perhaps it could have been a bit longer, but most things are explained and I’m kind of being a bit nit-picky with that complaint, so I’l stop.

This is another great release from Demain, and Yolanda Sfetsos continues to kick some bony butt!!

Go and check it out!!!!

Categories: book review

Tags: book review, demain publishing, dystopian, horror, murder mystery mayhem, occult, the bone factory, witches, yolanda sfetsos