Maiden by T.C. Parker, Ward Nerdlo

​   A raggedy motley crew of desperate individuals signs on for a fishing boat gig in Bering Strait, their nets scoop up something otherworldly and soon they find themselves in the middle of a terrifying nightmare of Poseidon proportions.
   It wouldn’t have been a nice trip anyway. None of them may be pure soul, but there is one among them that’s pure evil. With a supernatural element added on, it’s a real doozy. One way ticket to watery oblivion.
   And that’s the story. Perfectly themed for October, but good enough to disturb you on any dark night. This is pretty much a how-to manual on disturbing. Some of it is done in a manner so profoundly visceral, that it was too much for this reader. But that aside, the quality of writing here is absolutely top shelf. It’s a character driven story, and while it’s also definitively a creature feature, it doesn’t rely on the cheap ploys of the latter, instead taking the much-preferred measured approach to unleashing its terror.
     A slender volume, 200 pages of lean mean frights at sea that’s impressively effective, this book works and works well on many levels, so prepare for a sea adventure that doesn’t so much sing Sail Away to you as makes you profoundly happy to be a landlubber safe on land.
     Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.