Customer Reviews

The Keeper

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She's been compared to both Stephen King and Peter Straub (and, for the record, I'd say she leans a little more toward the latter than the former), but if The Keeper proves anything it's that Sarah Langan has developed a voice all her own. With a poetic sensibility she creates a haunting atmosphere and chilling imagery without ever bogging down the narrative. In fact, though it may seem almost aimless, the plot comes together like a dark mosaic, piece by piece, until the whole is revealed.

The Keeper is the story of a small town rotting from the roots on up. Bedford, Maine, had once prospered, but since the closing of the paper mill, its one source of income and primary source of employment, the town is now dying. Some of the townspeople blame the economy, some blame the mill operators, but many, even the most rational of them, blame Susan Marley, an odd young woman turned town whore, witch and sin-eater. With Susan as its central mass, the disease eating Bedford metastasizes, spreading dreamlike through and into the minds and lives of the town residents.

I have, in the past few months, made a concerted effort to find horror writers who've published their debut in the last five years. Sarah Langan ended up at the top of my short list, especially due to her Bram Stoker Award wins for her second and third novels, The Missing and Audrey's Door. If these are even half as good as The Keeper, then I'd say I've discovered not only a talented new voice in horror fiction, but a new favourite author.

A confession upfront, I read The Keeper in preparation for its follow-up, The Missing whose plot appeals to me more. Having said that, this first effort by the author was entertaining and brings to mind Stephen King's New England. The damaged and mysterious Susan Marley holds sway over the town of Bedford, Maine during the day and in their dreams. This does set up a bit of suspense both in terms the origins of her situation and how this will impact the townies of Bedford. The characters are believable but not entirely worthy of our sympathy so this makes the whole book very dark. The ending comes up rather suddenly but rewards the reader who has been patient through an overly slow build. I look forward to The Missing and hopefully a more consistent book in tone and pace.