What’s the book? The Toll by Cherie Priest
What kind of dark is it? Ghosts and mythical monsters, a little bit of grisly death
How good is it? 7/10 mysterious bridges
I’ve actually read this book twice. The first time was before I started the blog and I reread it on a whim last month. It’s charming and I still liked it the second time, even though I remembered how it ended.
The plot is fairly simple: Staywater, a dying little town in the swamps of Florida, is haunted by a mysterious monster. Every few years an extra bridge appears on the road into town and people unlucky enough to try crossing it generally vanish. It used to be worse, with sometimes dozens of people disappearing and dying each time the beast reappeared, only Daisy and Claire killed it. Or they thought they did but it’s still taking people so maybe they screwed up and only crippled it? Huh.
Daisy and Claire still feel like they came out on top in that conflict and they shouldn’t be expected to save the town even more, should they? They’re getting too old for that kind of epic battle, anyway. They have enough to worry about keeping their adopted son, Cameron, out of trouble as he muddles his way through his awkward teen years.
Unfortunately for everyone, Cameron gets tangled up in the latest disappearance. As usual, it’s up to Daisy and Claire to save his ass and set things right.
Even if you ignore the mysterious bridge monster, Staywater is super haunted. Everyone living there just accepts that the mannequins in the store windows change their own outfits, the ghost dog is forever stuck in that tree, and it’s understood that Daisy and Claire are witches or something so you should probably show those old ladies some respect. Daisy and Claire themselves are the kind of spunky old dames we all hope to be someday and the whole town is fascinating to read about. There’s a real Southern Gothic feel to it, with all the weird and vaguely tragic characters enmeshed in each others’ business, but it’s told with a light touch and a lot of humor.
Put together, it makes for a charming and cozy read. Or reread, in my case. If you’re in the mood for a nice haunting with a thrilling little mystery, this one would be a great choice.
