LACUNA’S POINT by Tim Meyer (DarkLit Press, August 2023) Kindle Edition, 475 pages.
Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .
Three years ago, Ellie Brower's daughter went missing somewhere in the heart of Virginia. Today, Ellie receives a mysterious text message that leads her to believe her daughter might still be alive. She follows this rabbit hole to the coastal town of Lacuna's Point .
But there's something wrong with this place. The town's only constable is zero help and downright hostile. There's a beloved mayor who presides over town affairs, but no one has ever seen his face. Meanwhile, an enormous clock tower holds something sinister behind its cyclopean eye of time.
As Ellie unravels the mystery of her missing daughter, the town begins to change. Its geography. Its spirit. Slowly, this homely paradise transforms into a nightmarish dreamworld. And not just the town; the people themselves are slowly evolving into something…else.
My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
When I learn a book is described as "cosmic horror" I approach it with certain expectations. At first I wasn't sure that the story in LACUNA'S POINT would actually justify that designation. It didn't matter, as I was hooked by the prologue and thoroughly enjoying the mystery of two different parents joining forces to pursue a weird text message from beyond, giving them hope that their missing daughters were alive and well but crying out for help. There was a real Twilight Zone type of vibe coming off those proceedings.
Then it gets even stranger when the town of Lacuna's Point is finally located, which looks like a ghost town to the uninvited - - and the invited aren't aware why they can see it and interact with the residents.
I usually expect cosmic horror stories to center around New England, particularly Rhode Island --- but never thought of the state of Virginia as harboring such elements. But as the story proceeds, Lacuna's Point brought back memories of H. P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". It also reminded me of the "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" and a little "Wicker Man".
Tim Meyer's version of "cosmic horror" blends a lot of seemingly disparate elements but manages to make each weird occurrence or situation integral to the main story. This is also cosmic horror of the most extreme horror/body horror nature so squeamish readers beware. There is an abundance of gory scenes. I was delighted by the last half of this book, and finished at a much quicker pace than I began. I believe I'll keep a certain type of shellfish out of my diet for some time.
