Thanks to NetGalley and Guernica Editions for this dark, gritty novel. There is no doubt that its author, Stan Rogal, is very talented and has written an unsettling story. I was unsure which category this book would fit, so it felt somewhat disjointed to me. It seemed to be a domestic drama of family dysfunction and a psychological study of nightmares, disturbing visions, hallucinations, and ghostly presences. Either of these themes could be more fully expanded. Some of the dialogue is sharp and witty, but at other times seemed quite flat.

Ray returns to his hometown in Saskatchewan. He left suddenly and wandered around the country for several years, surviving by taking odd jobs and leaving no record of his presence. Before he left, he had a reputation as a womanizer and brawler. He lives in a shack with an elderly, mute indigenous woman and pays a visit to the home of his older brother, Ben, and his wife, Beth. Ben is now the town sheriff, and he wants to protect his brother, whom he hasn't seen for years. Beth was at one time Ray's girlfriend, and she seems to be still attracted to him.

When Ray was first spotted on his return to town, he drew attention because of his good looks and flashy motorcycle. He became the target of gossip and rumors. Bad luck now seems to follow him, igniting old grudges and stories of his past affairs and fights. Ben, as sheriff, still loves his brother and tries to make excuses for his misdeeds which would normally require legal intervention. Some of Ray's trouble was retaliating in attacks by people who had long hated him. Even when he was only defending himself, the public judged him harshly.

We learn that Ray has been experiencing nightmares, frightening visions, and hallucinations. He feels that these may relate to an old, abandoned insane asylum where his father worked, and his mother was a patient. Is he correct? Did something life-shattering happen there that is still haunting him?

He visits an old, indigenous man connected with the asylum, looking for information about his parents and the institution itself. This elderly man now lives in an empty shack belonging to his father. What he learns results in him visiting his father in a rage. What really happened to their mother? He discusses this with Ben, and Ben discovers the entire episode never happened, and Ray must have envisioned everything and saw and spoke with a ghost. He realizes how mentally disturbed Ray has become.

This was a grim, disturbing story containing much fine writing, but its flow seemed uneven. I believe it is the type of story that will appeal to readers interested in unresolved psychological dysfunction and the dark side of life.