Megan Stockton’s ‘LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP’ Is A Chilling And Atmospheric Horror – Book Review

Megan Stockton has been an auto-buy author for me since I read my first book from her. She is a gifted storyteller with a knack for creating realistic and relatable characters. Her newest book, Lovely, Dark and Deep is nothing short of exceptional. It is a chilling and atmospheric horror that feels timeless.

Synopsis

Every year, Six Mile Island has a seasonal shutdown for serious weather. This year, the forecast is calling for the storm of a century, so most of the population has agreed to an evacuation in order to more safely ride out the storm on the mainland. When a child goes missing on the cusp of the oceanic storm, a select few inhabitants are left behind to perform a frantic search. Little do they know that the ocean is bringing more than a storm to Six Mile… An ancient species hungers from the sea.

Look at this gorgeous cover art by Dagan Legg Boyd:

Lovely, Dark and Deep by Megan Stockton is a deeply eerie and unsettling novel. Megan Stockton sucked me in immediately with a first chapter that reminded me a bit of the beginning of Twin Peaks. Or maybe I just can’t help thinking of that show anytime a body washes up on shore. While this story is not *quite* as weird as Twin Peaks, it is still quite unique. Lovely, Dark and Deep offers us a brand new take on a classic monster (or two) and somehow managed to be one of two books I read this month to offer a different spin on the same creature. I won’t name the creature because it’s better to go into this book with no preconceived ideas, but suffice it to say it is VERY different from the established lore.

As always, characters shine in Megan Stockton’s work, even those whose POV we don’t get to see. I would even go so far as to say the sea itself becomes a character in this book. And if I had to pick, it would be my favorite character. The sea has a *presence* that is both wonderful and terrible, and it just feels REAL. I could see, hear, and smell it in my mind. I knew the cold, damp chill, and the salty, briny tang and I LONGED FOR THE SEA. Someone help me, what has this book done to me? I am so thirsty.

If you know, you know, and if you don’t, READ THE BOOK.

Lovely, Dark and Deep is available now on Amazon, or you can pre-order signed copies and special edition bundles from Megan Stockton’s website.