Into The Realm by Todd ForrestMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A masterfully written murder, mystery, and suspense...
Todd Forrest will entertain and enthrall you with this exceptionally well-written and researched Cape Cod story about families, resentment, and murder. It’s a captivating book that had me engaged from the opening chapter. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling.
Summarizing the synopsis we find a twenty-two-year-old modern-day fisherman named Caleb Forrest who has a story to tell—what he believes to be a story of justified murder… He sets out on his prized Catboat, "Sea Gypsy," suffering from a sort of memory loss from his previous voyage at sea. The one-day journey will take him past his childhood haunts and the memories, both good and bad, that go with them… As the last member of a once-proud maritime family, Caleb is left with the responsibility of maintaining a piece of land that he neither needs nor can afford but must do so out of respect for tradition… Caleb is up against a dishonest builder turned town politician who, constrained by a shrinking coastline, will stop at nothing to acquire the land, even if that means using his first-born son as a chess piece to do it. He is up against his heroic, albeit flawed grandfather as well… The story is set in the unfathomable beauty of a moorland that has not yet been spoiled and the ultimate price that must be paid to preserve it… The young fisherman's ordeal culminates on the desolate, wind-tossed dunes of Monomoy Island, where he must finally face his crime or face punishment far more terrifying than any hangman's gallows… But is he going to prevail?
This for me was a phenomenal read. The vivid descriptions of the settings, situations, and people were stunning. The author’s use of genuine dialogue further added to the overall atmosphere of authenticity. In addition, the contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors, and Forrest pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create a genuine and realistic contemporary psychological thriller.
Very highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.
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