“PRETTY MARYS ALL IN A ROW is dark urban fantasy that follows the (after)lives and times of five ghosts and their haunts. The novella combines contemporary fairy tale and urban legend in a story that shows that being dead isn’t always a bed of roses.”
This book falls into the small category of ‘books that I actually went out of my way to buy’as opposed to books I read for review purposes or books that I proofread. I put money down on this thing because I loved the title and the cover and Isaw some friends were buying and reading it and that was enough to convince me to check it out. I didn’t even know the author, which you can take as my endorsement that this book had numerous things going for it before I even started reading.
This is a ghost story about various incarnations of mythological Marys. It’s about supernatual powers and rituals, but it’s also about a love thay remains just out of reach. It’s about a group of misfits trying to bond over their similarities despite their differences or their shortcomings. It’s about the struggle with change when faced with eternity, when you think you’re living with absolutes and reality seems to be changing in ways you can’t quite comprehend.
There’s a lot going on in this little ghost story, the characters and storytelling are fantastic. All I can really say is that you should just let yourself become immersed in this beautiful modern gothic fable.
S.T. CARTLEDGE 