A deliciously creepy novel set in the Arctic wilderness and one of the best horror novels of 2017

Bone White kicks off with a dinner full with the usual morning crowd as this thriller starts with a bang. Joe Mallory walks in, orders a hot chocolate, and says he killed eight people in a small remote town. His appearance is a bit off. He is unshaven, wearing raggedy clothes and suffering from frost bite leaving everyone wondering if he is out of his mind. Wow, what a beginning to what is an excellent story. The characters are so well developed I swear I’ve met them before with their real-life backgrounds. These were characters I cared about and bond with. I really dug the antagonist, Mallory, he gave me the most unsettling feeling. His actions, the out of left field comments, and his demeanor made him a great character to hate. This is one of the many aspects I love when I read a Ronald Malfi book. I also get a solid and complex plot and I feel like I'm on the journey right along with them.

The town life and atmosphere of this Alaska small town couldn't feel more authentic. The landscape Ronald creates has a level of realism you don't find often. He crafted a murder mystery that I had a hard time putting down. Not only did this murder mystery have me engrossed, but the missing person case did as well. In addition, the ghost stories and/or devil stories, whichever you prefer to call them were really believable, and scary as hell. The story as a whole was gripping from chapter one until the conclusion. When I read The Night Patrol last year it was my favorite Ronald Malfi book. Bone White now may take that spot...

Ronald Malfi has been a mainstay on my summer reading calendar since the way-back-when of 2015. I know, it’s only been nearly three years, but time is relative, That summer I was introduced to, and floored by my first Malfi read, Little Girls. It sparked a reading love affair with the author and his writing, which unfortunately hasn’t yet extended beyond current releases. One day I’ll get to cross the borders of back-catalog territory. Again time is relative, and fleeting.

With Bone White, Malfi weaves a multi-layered, dark and quite unsettling yarn. A mystery with implications in the war of good vs. evil, battled out on a landscape that feels grounded and authentic. This feels like the world we live in, and these are the events that may be taking place right now (just beyond the line of sight from our safe homes) in the eternal battle for our souls. Just thinking about Bone White while I piece this together, the what-ifs, the great beyond (or the great underneath more accurately) raises my hackles. Brings forth a bit of anxiety.

The novel follows Paul Gallo as he travels to a remote location in search of his missing brother, who may be amongst the uncovered remains. Propelled by believable and dimensional characters, quality dialog, and a constant oppressive heaviness, Ronald Malfi has delivered a completely satisfying reading experience.
Any story that has an air of realism to it is something I can really sink my mind into. The narrative of Bone White is easy to wrap your head around on the surface, but increasingly challenging as it shifts towards ideas that may not have a sound answer. The story can be open to interpretation and how you take it will probably reflect your internal belief system. I was moved by Bone White, I was thrilled, it has made me think about the current state of things and if these horrible events have an underlying purpose (whatever that may be) or are they merely constructs of a fractured psyche or belief.

Sorry, I tend to not get that deep outside of my own head. I dug this book, I think you’ll dig this book. Mr. Malfi, you will forever have a standing reservation on my TBR pile.

Bone White stands as one of my favorite reads this year, quite possibly my overall favorite of 2017. Suffice to say I recommend this wholeheartedly.

An easy 5/ 5

A horror novel set in contemporary rural Alaska. Paul Gallo has a contentious relationship with his drop-out druggie twin, Danny, but ever since Danny disappeared a year ago while on a trip to "find himself", Paul has been dedicated to figuring out what happened to him. Then a serial killer surrenders in the small town of Dread's Hand, Alaska – the same place Danny was last heard from. Paul, of course, heads to Alaska to start his own investigation, and discovers that something supernatural may be going on. The people of Dread's Hand tell stories of a devil who turns people "bone white" – poisons them from the inside, leaves them soulless and dangerous – and everyone, from the local cops to the hotel owner to the serial killer himself, is clearly helping to cover up whatever happened to Danny.

This was an absolutely fantastic book. Malfi is not only a master at creating creeping tension, conveying the horror of absolute isolation, coming up with straight-up uncanny images, and just generally being scary, but his prose has a beauty that's rare in this genre. A few random examples of lines that struck me:
Daylight broke like an arterial bleed.
He could feel the slight increase in his heartbeat, and despite the cold that he’d carried in with him from the outside, a film of perspiration had come over him. He felt amphibious with it.
Blink and you’d miss it: a town, or, rather, the memory of a town, secreted away at the end of a nameless, unpaved roadway that, in the deepening half light of an Alaskan dusk, looks
like it might arc straight off the surface of the planet and out into the far reaches of the cosmos. A town where the scant few roads twist like veins and the little black-roofed houses, distanced from one another as if fearful of some contagion, look as if they’d been excreted into existence, pushed up through the crust of the earth from someplace deep underground. There is snow the color of concrete in the rutted streets, dirty clumps of it packed against the sides of houses or snared in the needled boughs of steel-colored spruce. No one walks the unpaved streets; no one putters around in those squalid little yards, where the soil looks like ash and the saplings all bend at curious, pained, aggrieved angles.
And even farther still, he saw what appeared to be an impromptu landfill—a conglomeration of old washing machines, truck tires, TV antennas, and even an entire discarded swing set lay in a jumbled heap in the overgrown grass, like some beast that had succumbed to the elements and left its skeleton behind.
Sure, it's not poetry, but it's a damn sight better than the workmanlike prose that I expected, and is a major part of why I loved this book.

Another thing I adored was Jill Ryerson, investigator in Major Crimes Fairbank and the book's secondary narrator. Despite Paul and Jill being relatively the same age and both single... they never hook up! They never even waste time experiencing 'sexual tension'! They just get on with their jobs, interacting like two platonic professionals! DO YOU KNOW HOW RARE THIS IS? I was ecstatic when I realized that there wasn't going to be some dumb romantic subplot. Jill even gets this wonderfully un-feminized description when she fall ill at one point: "A whip of Kleenex corkscrewing from one nostril and a steaming mug of Theraflu on the counter, she’d listened to McHale’s voice in disbelief."

There are complaints I could make about Bone White: there's a dumb recurring theme of powerful chakras, and the ending felt a little anticlimactic. But all of that is minor compared to the all-important trio of 1.) a genuinely scary book, with 2.) lovely writing, and 3.) well-written, competent female characters who are not there to be sexual foils for the male heroes.

This is the first book I've read by Malfi, but I was incredibly impressed and will definitely be reading more.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2141947017

Initially compelling, I found this book to be a bit long winded and overly detailed. Although a fictional novel, I struggled to remain invested in the characters and believe their storylines and motivations.

A man shambles down out of the hills of northern Alaska and into the only diner in the tiny, fly-speck sized town of Dread's Hand. He sits down at the counter and casually orders his favorite, hot cocoa. The waitress is trembling as she brings to him. As Joe Mallory is enjoying his drink with dried blood all of his shirt, he suggests to the waitress that she contact the local law officer. He has finished burying five bodies in the hills and he'd like to turn himself in.

Paul Gallo watches the news report back in Maryland of the Dread's Hand murders and immediately takes interest. His twin brother, Danny, disappeared in the remote town over a year ago and no one has seen or heard from him since. He quickly flies out there to see if his brother is one of the dead and to finally get some answers. However, the residents of Dread's Hand aren't much for strangers in their town and Paul Gallo doesn't belong there.

So far, Bone White is my favorite read of 2017. Malfi does an incredible job at painting the bleakness of the desolate Alaskan town and the haunting foothills that stretch out from it. My emotions ranged across the spectrum as I read the story. There aren't many places that are truly isolated anymore. Dread's Hand is the exception and Malfi plays it up like a maestro. The whole time I was reading Bone White, I kept having visualizations of 30 Days of Night. Shoddy cell phone coverage, vast expanses of nothingness, residents few and far between and no one is interested in helping Paul solve his mystery. All the while, in the background, you can feel the dread and danger mounting, but still out of reach. You know something is coming, but what? If you have yet to become acquainted with Malfi's work, I highly recommend it and Bone White is a fantastic place to start.

5 Crosses in the Yard out of 5



* This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


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Received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. First half of the book - 2 stars; second half of the book - 4 stars.

The premise of this book interested me because of the remote isolation that accompanies anything that takes place in Alaska but I was disappointed when the first half ( more precisely approx the first 40% of the book) was just “meh”. Weird locals and a guy with a strained relationship with his twin - honestly thought about not finishing. But I’m glad I stuck it out. The last half of the book is much more compelling even if there could have been some improvements - such as introducing more information/history about the “Bone White”.

I will have to admit some biased to this book. I am from Alaska and although the story is not set in my home town, it did definitely elicit some homesickness on my part. Bone White started out a tad slow for me but once it picked up pace, I couldn't put it down. A serial killer, a small creepy Alaskan village, and rumors of the Devil in the woods, make for a page turner that will leave you unsettled but wanting more.

I received a copy of this book from Kensington Publishing Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

'We have seen the devil and he is us.'

This is the first novel I have read by Ronald Malfi, and I'm certain it won't be my last. What a great hair raising, creepy, mysterious novel! Like some urban legend, Bone White will grip you to your core and make you feel compelled to hold your loved ones close at night.

Joseph Mallory is a local man living in the town of Dread's Hand, Alaska, a small mining town where locals are known to keep to themselves. Joe has just confessed to murder at the local diner, the Lunchonette. The Major Crimes unit in Fairbanks is called in and Joe takes them to where the bodies are buried, all eight of them. Detective Jill Ryerson is not sure what to make of Mr. Mallory, she's not so certain that they will uncover dead bodies in the area in which Mr. Mallory has taken them to. Joseph Mallory could just be another crackpot looking for his fifteen minutes of fame. As a team gets under way, ninety minutes later a body is discovered.

Paul Gallo, a professor living in Maryland, hears about the unidentified body that has been found in Dread's Head, Alaska, and this stirs up anxiety. He immediately goes into panic, could it be... is it possible that it's his missing twin brother? His last known whereabouts were in the town of Dread's Hand, Alaska before he just up and vanished, it's been a year since his last text was received. Paul is on the next flight out to Fairbanks, Alaska to meet with Detective Jill Ryerson to provide a DNA sample to see if one of the victims can be identified as Paul's missing brother Danny. He soon learns that his brother was not one of the victims, so where is Danny? Paul is not leaving Alaska until he learns the truth about what happened to Danny. Paul makes his way to Dread's Hand, Alaska to start his search and question the locals, but he doesn't exactly get the warm welcome one would expect.

Paul begins to learn more and more about the town of Dread's Hand and all it's creepy folklore... or is it? He learns that the locals have a phrase for being possessed by the devil, 'bone white'. Which translate to 'demon' or 'devil'. The locals believe that the devil lives within the woods of Dread's Hand, stalking it's prey, waiting for it's next victim like some wild animal. "Those woods are haunted by the devil himself... a man walks in there, he stands a chance of being touched by the devil. And that man, he goes sour. His mind rots. He becomes a vessel for evil, a vehicle for the devil. The more Paul learns the more he's convinced that it's all bogus and that the town has gone mad, that the years of isolation have gotten to them. The locals on the other hand, they fear that the longer Paul stays in Dread's Hand the more he's at risk. "You being reeled in like a catfish, mister. Best take heed."

There's something about the devil that instills fear in most. Stories of demonic possession have been told time and time again, but I've got to say, I found the way this story unfolded to be rather captivating. While demonic possession is the underlying basis on this story, it's not overdone. It's held back in such a way that somehow ups the creepiness of the story. The main storyline is Paul's search for Danny and their relationship. The author takes you into their past from time to time as to help with character development, which I thought was worked into the storyline very nicely. I did not find myself wishing I could just get back to the action as I have with other novels I have read. It's almost as if it was meant to take the edge off at times... to bring you down from that overwhelming sense of doom and gloom. Despite the chilling subject matter, I found this book rather enjoyable. I can't wait to see what Ronald Malfi comes up with next, and I'm definitely off to check out some of his previous work!

A unique premise with a plot that unfolds in the hostile wilds of Dread's Hand, Alaska. Drama liberally peppered with superstition and the occult, the story follows one man's desperate search for his brother. The journey turns a skeptic into a believer, and every step along the way is chilling. Must read!

Paul Gallo sees a report on the news about a mass murderer leading police to his victims graves in the remote village of Dread's Hand, Alaska. This is where his twin brother, Danny, went missing a year ago. A raving old man leads the police to the bodies. As they are exhumed, Paul travels to Alaska to see if one of the bodies is Danny. What will Paul find when he gets there? This is a great story. Malfi not only makes his characters memorable and weaves an incredible tale, but he really captures the feel of the remote places of Alaska. The wilderness is not an idyllic landscape some people think it is....

I decided to read this book after seeing a heap of friends praising it and I'm glad I did because now I have to add Ronald Malfi to my list of horror authors to be on the look out for.

Now, I'm not easily scared, and to be honest did not this book scare me, but I was enthralled with it. I mean what's not to like? A lot of whole missing people, a small town with a bad reputation and a serial killer that one day decided to share with the police what he has done. It's a book that not only has an intriguing story, it truly well-written and this combination made it well worth the time it took to read it. I quite enjoyed reading this book and the best part I think was everything was still so mysterious, not that I did not like the ending of the book, but I loved the whole "what the hell is going on here?" feeling that I had for better part of the book. What's wrong with this town, and why would anyone go there? And, what happened to Paul's brother Danny? And, is there really something out there among the trees...?

Bone White is a really good book, and I'm glad I have The Night Parade to read, It's always fabulous to discover a new author and knowing you have one more unread book to read!

I would like to thank Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

There was a lot to love about Bone White but I found myself losing interest somewhere along the line. It started off great and I was thoroughly enjoying it but it slowed down nearer the middle and I wasn't as invested in the story as I had been up to that point. It's not that I was bored, I think the suspense was overshadowed by the main characters initial lack of direction once he reached the town of Dreads Hand and the repetitive way that every person in town seemed to treat him. The build up stagnates and meanders along for too long and although it does pick up again the dread and suspense never recovers enough for the ending to be as satisfactory as it should have been.

That being said, the writing was great and the descriptions of the surroundings were vivid and easily pictured in the mind's eye. The atmosphere really drew me in and the feeling of the cold and isolation of the forest came across well. It's just a shame that the middle section of the story didn't work for me.

BONE WHITE, by Ronald Malfi is a book that I'm already certain will make it into my "top reads of the year" list. There isn't much "NOT" to praise about this novel!

Malfi begins with a chilling--both figuratively and literally--scene in the tiny, remote town of Dread's Hand, Alaska. A man suffering from severe frostbite and dehydration wanders into the only eating establishment, announcing that someone should call the safety officer, Val Drammell, so that he can show him the location of eight bodies he buried in the woods.

". . . patches of his clothes had grafted to open sores along his torso and thighs."

The scene then shifts to Paul Gallo, an unmarried school teacher who's twin brother, Danny, disappeared a year ago. His last known location--Dread's Hand.

After this set up, Malfi really nails the characterization of all of his main cast through various means. We have flashbacks of Paul and Danny's childhood, and the different directions each one took into adulthood. He gives us some insight into the alleged murderer, Joseph Mallory, along with the lives and superstitions of the few people who call "The Hand" their year round home. We learn about Val Drummel, and his role in the isolated, mostly wooded area.

"No locals would come out here . . . "

Paul's next step is to see Detective of Major Crimes,, Jill Ryerson, who was responsible for initiating the search for Danny a year ago--a search that ended with his abandoned rental car on the only road into Dread's Hand.

". . . Time . . . acts funny out here."

With that, Paul sets out to Dread's Hand, himself--at this point, I couldn't have put down the story if I tried.

To say that this novel was seeped in the icy, isolated atmosphere of an extremely remote and mostly shunned town, would be the understatement of the year.

". . . You look into that woods and something looks back at you. . . "

Through Malfi's writing, the reader actually walks that frigid land with the characters, hears the first-hand accounts of residents, the century-old superstitions that they believe as indisputable truths, and can practically feel the open hostility and distrust of any outsiders.

". . . she said there were bad places on earth--dark spots, like bruises--and that Dread's Hand was one of them . . . there were devils up there . . . "

BONE WHITE is the kind of book that has the power to mentally take you out of your comfort zone, and transport you into its action. No matter what you read, in the context of this story it will seem believable. This is the tale that nightmares are made of, that make you believe in demons and monsters of all kinds.

". . . A man walks in there, he stand a chance of being touched by the devil. And that man, he goes sour . . . "

I've found that with most stories, I can easily walk right back into my everyday life after reading them. After all: ". . . anyone can take one story and rationalize it until it fits with their perception of the world . . . "

This is that rare exception that permeates your mind, and refuses to leave, forcing you to keep thinking over the events you've just read, and formulating connections that you may not have consciously noted before. There are many pieces to this puzzle--some obvious, and some much more subtle--but they will all be with you in the end. A fantastic novel with the power to haunt you for a long time to come--what will you choose to believe?

". . . 'We have seen the devil and he is us!'"

Highest recommendation!

This is one dark, creepy, read under the covers scary book!

Set in the cold, desolate parts of Alaska, there is a tiny old mining town called Dread's Head. So small and isolated that it doesn't even appear on most maps. This is not a place people go to visit. There have been whispers about evil in the surrounding woods of Dread's Head throughout the years. People have disappeared, families murdering their own. Some say it's because Bone White (the devil) got them.

The stage is set, then comes the mystery:
Paul Gallo's twin brother Danny was last seen just outside the town a year ago and hasn't been heard from since. When the news reports of a killer who admits to murdering and burying 8 people in the mountains, he heads out to find out if his brother is one of them.

Right away you just know something is not right in this town. Malfi does a great job of creating tension and keeping the reader off kilter. Children wearing animal masks, townsfolk hiding in corners, afraid to come out. And that is the the big question throughout...Just what is everyone afraid of?

Paul decides it's time to get some answers to what happened to his brother, so he heads into the dark mountains at the exact same spot he was last seen. Just when I thought the creep factor couldn't get any higher, it is here that things really explode.

If you like good old fashioned campfire stories that will keep you up at night, you need to get your hands on this book. The premise might not be new, but it's told incredibly well and has certainly haunted me even after I read the last words.

This is my first read by Malfi, so I have a lot of catching up to do! If anyone has a favorite that I should read next, please share!

ARC provided by NetGalley

An excellent work of dark fiction from Mr. Malfi. You can feel the chill of this one in your bones. Atmospheric and creepy.

In an Alaskan diner, Joe Mallory steps inside from the wilderness and sits down for a cup of hot cocoa before confessing to a string of grisly serial murders he has committed over the last several years. A few thousand miles away, Paul hears news of the savagery and suspects his twin brother, who went missing in Alaska the prior year, is among the victims. While Paul makes his way to the far north, lead investigator Jill Ryerson begins to make some startling discoveries about the killer and his crimes.

Bone White is a slow-burn horror thriller, and one that is highly effective. Ronald Malfi balances Paul's search for answers and the investigation into Mallory's crimes against a sense of creeping, supernatural dread with an expert's finesse. This book brought me a few chills, some as cold as an Alaskan winter, and the creep factor on this sucker is high throughout. Malfi nails the dark atmosphere and tone of the book right from page one, weaving in a wonderful bit of mythology into the novel's core that deliciously infects and complicates the proceedings.

The story within Bone White is deftly plotted, and there's a reason for everything's occurrence. Even the nature of Paul and Daniel's twinness, which I initially took for a sort of aloof bit of humor given the townsfolk's reactions toward Paul, has a much more sinister nature in relation to the plot, which in turn leads to why those townsfolk react in said manner. There's an ouroboros-like relationship between the characters and the story, with one leading to the other and back again. It's just brilliantly done.

Equally smart is the subdued approach to horror that Malfi takes. Nothing is overstated or overdone, as the author tackles the scares with pared down minimalism that ends up being creepy as all get out. There's a few particular scenes I want to talk about, but won't because they could give away too much. I'll just say that one instance late in the book involving a kid wearing an animal mask was perhaps the most wickedly effective scene in the novel, thanks to Malfi's skill at building tension while setting the stage and slowly unraveling the story for us.

Bone White is the first Ronald Malfi book I've read, and I can promise you right now it won't be the last.

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]

Dread drips from this motherfucker. Its residue stains the reader, lingering through moments of downtime. The effect of this is insidious, leaving you considering all the possibilities of the newest mystery while Malfi develops characters and ties up loose ends. This technique serves two purposes: it creates even pacing, and a lasting sense of fear.

I love stories told in dangerously-cold environs. Dan Simmons's The Terror, Michael McBride's Snowblind, and most recently, Ian McGuire's The North Water come to mind. Because of this, I had to keep asking myself if my biased love for this subgenre affected my experience. Did I love this because I loved the setting, or was the story as terrific as I thought it was? I've read a lot of shitty horror lately, so any time I come across something that blows me away, I question the fuck outta myself. Is this really as good as I think it is? Yeah. And here's why.

I couldn't stop thinking about the book's mysteries. Malfi kept me guessing right up until the end, and then he did me the amazing favor of not over-explaining things, which I feared might end up being the case. There's a fine line between too much information and not enough. Malfi walks the line and never falters.

A vein of lore runs through this novel like gold through a mine. The best kinda lore, too, the kind that leaves you feeling like you've visited a place and spent some time with the locals. Like you've shared a beer with the town historian. A personable history. Not like reading a text-book. Man, did Malfi nail that. I found myself smiling like a goon any time Paul Gallo sat down to talk with anyone, or Jill Ryerson conducted an interview.

Malfi managed to make even the most overused horror devices scary to me, someone who is constantly bitching about unoriginal material. I don't want to spoil anything, but certain scenes, while I've seen them numerous times before, simply haunted me: the wallpaper, Ryerson's last interview, the masks, the weird shadows. Everything worked. And I think I know why.

The book's opening perfectly sets the tone of the novel. Chris Rock once said of Jerry Seinfeld, I'm paraphrasing here: "He has a perfect sense of timing. Once he gets them laughing, he knows that, as long as he says something right here, he'll keep 'em laughing." That's this book. That's what Malfi achieves, albeit with fear and not laughs. And it all comes back to that sense of dread. From the very first page, you're thrust into an unknown environment populated with superstitious people, every one of them having something to hide, and rarely given respite from the unwelcoming grip of Dread's Hand, Alaska. The end result is a novel that will have you checking the dark corners of your room and begging answers from the shadows.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

In summation: I enjoyed Bone White from beginning to end. Every time I thought the story would slow down, it punched forward. But I think where it succeeds the most is in payoff. For once, we have a book that cashes the checks its descriptions writes. Times like this, I hope that my reputation as an honest reviewer precedes me. Because this review surely sounds like I have a vested interest in this author. I don't know the dude, nor have I read him before. And while I did receive a copy of this book from the publisher, that in no way has colored my review. This is my first Malfi, and it sure as shit won't be my last. Just you wait and watch me tear ass through his man's back catalog.

Final Judgment: Believe the hype.

In the cold town of Dread's Hand, Alaska, Paul Gallo arrives in search of his missing twin brother. He will never be the same again.

“You didn’t arrive in Dread’s Hand, he realized, but rather Dread’s Hand came at you piecemeal, a bit of itself at a time, like someone reluctant to make your acquaintance..."

I'm not going to rehash the plot, as the synopsis and several other reviews already do that. I can only tell you how it made me feel. Uneasy. Jumpy. Disconcerted. All these things and more.

Ronald Malfi's writing keeps getting better and better. It seemed to me that in this book, the writing disappeared altogether, and the story was directly injected into my brain. Isn't that the best writing of all?

Bone White is that feeling you get when you glimpse something out of the corner of your eye, but when you turn there's nothing there. Combine that feeling with the cold isolation and cold people of a small closely-knit, Alaskan town. One that's hiding a secret. Don't expect long drawn out explanations here. Instead, expect crosses, headless bodies and dark shadows.

This is the second book I've read this month which will undoubtedly make my best books of the year list. You should read it, so that you can add it to yours.

Highly recommended!

*Thanks so much to NetGalley and to Kensington for the e-ARC of this phenomenal book, in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

Bone White is scary. Malfi seems to be on a roll and any fan of all things horrific would do well to check him out. In his latest book he takes the readers to Alaska, a place so naturally creepy and strange that it doesn't take much to suspend disbelief and just go with the devil in the woods premise. But this isn't a mere creature feature, this is psychological terror at its best. What really works here is the ambiguous nature of the story, it can be easily be interpreted as a product of backward isolated small town old wives' tales mentality or a proper supernatural situation. The interpretation is up to the reader for the longest time and even the ending can be explained either way. Not quite choose your own adventure, more like choose your own perspective and very well done at that. The other real winner here is the atmosphere, the writing is top notch, Alaska seldom has looked less inviting and the vividness of the writing is transportive and cinematic, like 3D or virtual reality cinematic, ignore the warm summer day and beware the winter bound Alaska sort of thing. Really awesome. Enthusiastically recommended. Thanks Netgalley.