Mary An awakening of terror

Mary is content to live a quiet life in New York City, working at a bookstore and sharing her apartment with the porcelain figurines she refers to as "Loved Ones." But lately, something strange has been happening to Mary when she looks in the mirror or at other women her age--they rot and decay before her very eyes. A call from Mary's aunt brings her back to the small town of Arroyo, a place she barely remembers but has inexplicable ties to. Mary learns that she was born the day infamous serial killer Damon Cross was killed by police, and now that she's returned to town, the killings have started again. In order to discover the truth, Mary must revisit her past and learn long-forgotten secrets of her life and of Damon Cross' victims, all the while dodging angry spirits, a bloodthirsty cult, and an FBI agent who is determined to learn the truth. This tale of horror is a good read-alike for Stephen King's Carrie (1974) and Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts (2015).

Playwright and podcaster Cassidy's razor-sharp horror debut explores women's roles as either prey or predator and cuts deeply into the societal structures that promotes the split. On the brink of turning 50, Mary Mudgett is fired from her job at a New York bookstore and haunted by visions of decaying older women. Returning home to Arizona to care for her elderly aunt Nadine, Mary is surprised to find these images escaping her nightmares and revealing themselves to her as ghosts. Teaming up with Eleanor, a local teen fascinated by true crime podcasts, she uncovers ties between her ghosts and the serial killer Damon Cross. While confronting both the bullies of her youth and the new cult that takes Cross as their prophet, Mary discovers that she may have a personal, past-life connection to the murders. And, when her delusions are casually dismissed as a "textbook" menopause case, Mary proves herself capable of rewriting her entry--in blood if necessary. Cassidy expertly twists the invisibility and disposability of society's most vulnerable into qualities ideally suited to a terrifying avenging angel. It's as scary as it is smart. Agent: Alec Shane, Writers House. (July)