Set in 1983, Richard Chizmar’s latest follows three college students who set out to film a documentary on roadside memorials for an American Studies project. What begins as a carefree journey quickly curdles into something far darker as the trio notices strange symbols appearing at the memorial sites. Unease turns to terror when they realise they’re being watched, their car is sabotaged, and the locals grow increasingly hostile. As paranoia and fear take hold, the group starts to question whether the roadside deaths were ever accidents at all, or if a much older, more sinister force is at play.
Chizmar excels at conjuring a creeping sense of dread, and Memorials is no exception. The eerie Appalachian setting is vividly drawn, from desolate stretches of road to quiet, unsettling small towns where every glance feels loaded with menace. The steady buildup of unease is expertly paced, allowing the tension to mount gradually before delivering genuinely chilling moments that catch both the characters and the reader off guard.
Beyond its supernatural elements, the novel’s strength lies in its characters. The dynamic between the three students feels authentic, capturing both the camaraderie of a shared adventure and the cracks that start to form under pressure. Chizmar uses their growing fear and suspicion not just to drive the plot, but to explore themes of trust, isolation, and the terrifying consequences of digging too deep into local legends better left undisturbed.
Gripping and unsettling, Memorials is a haunting road trip story that delivers the fright it promises.
0 Comments