We Are Always Watching by Hunter Shea
Sinister Grin Press (March 2017)
460 pages; $18.59 hardback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington
Due to dire circumstance, Matt Riley, his wife, Debi, and their fourteen-year-old son, West, had to move in with West’s Grandpa Abraham. Grandpa insisted the place where he lived was haunted. That was fine with West, because “(he) devoured horror books like they were M&Ms.” I loved the mentions of popular horror podcasts and magazines, as well as a number of today’s most-read writers within the genre.
It’s not long, however, before the Ridleys realize something is not right about their temporary home. For West, it began with a message on the ceiling of his bedroom.
WE SEE YOU.
Other notes with similar messages appear throughout the house and Grandpa Abraham reveals the legend of the Guardians. The activity intensifies and the notes become more and more threatening.
The family dynamics in We Are Always Watching are perfect, so believable.
Mothers were so exasperating. Every stray animal had rabies, every lawn had poison ivy laying in wait, and Halloween candy was full of razors and poison.
By the way, Grandpa Abraham is one of my favorite characters so far this year. The word “curmudgeon” doesn’t begin to do him justice. Matt’s boyhood friend James sums him up nicely:
“A kinder, gentler Abraham Ridley is an actual sign of the apocalypse. I literally just read that in Bible study class.”
To say more would give to much of the story away and this is one you really should enjoy for yourself. Just let me say, Hunter Shea is a dependable author for a solid horror read.
This is one book I can thoroughly recommend.
I bought this book based on the blurb comparing it to Michael McDowells’ ” The Elementals ” ..( which is one of the greatest tales ever IMO )…. it wasn’t.
Liked the book well enough….but, they should really take that blurb off lol