LOGAN VS ECHOES FROM BELOW: THE CREATURE OF GRAVESEND BAY

Logan digs up Jim Donohue’s latest creature feature, and loves that it answers the question: “What would a mash-up of The Legend of Bogey Creek, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and HP Lovecraft resemble?”

TITLE: Echoes From Below: The Creature of Gravesend Bay

AUTHOR: Jim Donohue

GENRE: Creature Horror

PAGES: 184

FORMAT: E-book/Paperback

PRICE: $15.00 paperback, $2.99 e-book

Who doesn’t like creature features? Monsters of unknown origins that cause trouble in a small town? An alien being that transforms into a monster of evil proportions? What about the creature from the black lagoon, making his way onto land without a thought of how the people will react? It’s okay not to like them, but I think there is something deep, and primal about the stories that are told of monsters of the unknown.

In Appalachia of course we have bigfoot. He captivates the masses, people search for him, and present evidence. Shoot, we even have a moth man, and a festival all about him. My point is that we are obsessed with the unknown. Whether it is monsters, ghosts, or something we simply don’t understand, we always try to rationalize it. I think that is why people love creature features, and the darkness that comes with them.

The Creature of Gravesend Bay by Jim Donohue does all of this. This book is as if Creature of the Black Lagoon, and Shadows over Innsmouth were smashed into a contraption straight from Jim’s mind.

We find ourselves in a bay town, specifically the harbor within one. However, as you could guess something is waiting deep beneath the water of Gravesend Bay, but people don’t want to believe it. Even when the Habor Master Carla finds deep scratches on the dock, and blood that shouldn’t be there. Something is out there, and it is hungry.

Jim, as always, does a fantastic job making the book feel like an old school movie. You can almost feel yourself leaning into the screen as you read, which is something I don’t think many authors can say they have that working for them. The way the scenes are laid out makes you think of the cuts in a film. Shoot, we even get a chapter from the monster’s point of view, which is really intriguing.

He has created a world that isn’t just vividly clear but incredibly believable to the point that you feel like you’re there. As with the great films he follows the same type of progression as the harbor master tries to get people to leave. Which made me think of Jaws, and the dread I felt when I first watched the film.

 Of course, this leads to a big finale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. When the creature reveals itself, I was taken aback and am still unsure what it could really be. You would expect simply seeing the monster would be its biggest twist. However, in reality, Jim saves a cool twist for the very end. I won’t spoil it but will leave you with this…this novella is not just heart wrenching, but full of fantastic characters, and settings. You will feel the harbor before you get there. Taste the sea air, feel the dread of the water, and what waits beneath. This is one of Jim’s best works yet, grab it today.

Logan Patrick has earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, and author of The Disappearing of Three Forks, and has been included in the Horrorzine. As well as a collection, Marked: Tales of S.T.A.N.G.E., Logan has a background in theater, from acting to directing. As well as a play that is still in development.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.

As I leave, something splashes behind me and I turn around. A black rope-like thing slams into me. Pain courses through my body, almost as if I am being bit by hundreds of teeth.

I fall to the ground, and it pulls me into the darkened water. My vision blurs and five moons dance in the sky. Water enters my lungs, and I’m gone.