The Resurrectionist by Jack O’Connell

In a desperate attempt to revive his comatose son, Sweeney has taken a position as third-shift pharmacist at the austere Peck Clinic, where Dr. Peck and his daughter, Dr. Peck, have purportedly “resurrected” patients in a similar condition. But the longer Sweeney works for the Doctors Peck, the more he learns about the sinister goings on in his new home and the danger he and his son, Danny, are in. And the clinic isn’t the only threat. In the outskirts of town, in an abandoned prosthetics factory, dwell the Abominations; a roving biker gang with a taste for blood, trouble, beer, and maybe something else–something that Sweeney stands in the way of.

Interspersed with Sweeney’s story is the plot of Danny’s favorite comic book, Limbo. Limbo follows an unlikely band of circus freaks on their adventures through unfriendly lands, as they search for the father of the comic’s star, Chick. Sweeney clings to these comics as vestiges of Danny’s boyhood, but they may be the unlikely key to Danny’s sleep.

I picked up this book because I was in the mood for a good adventure; something thrilling and creative but not too fantastical, and O’Connell did not disappoint. He strings you along with the twists and turns of his story, but also a sharp sense of humor and vivid details. The LA Times is quoted on the front cover: “Demented and deeply enjoyable…O’Connell is a cackling genius.” How can that not pique your interest?

If you still need convincing, check out the book’s website. I got scared just clicking through the intro–which is always a good sign.

-Susannah