Vicious Creatures by Ashton Noone

​I’ve been trying to be very selective with these sorts of thrillers, trying to introduce (self-made) quality control into a genre that seems to have none, due to its ubiquitous popularity.
And guess what? it paid off. This one was a very good read, even though it featured all of the genre presets.
Past secret – check. Present drama -check. Split time narrative – check.
But so, what? The Vicious Creatures owns it anyway. In its on way. Primarily due to the solidly engaging writing. The book draws you in almost immediately and doesn’t let go. Its charms are atmospheric and dark, much like the woods which surround the small town the story takes place in and feature so heavily as the setting in the novel.
Th woods hold secrets. The woods bestow favors. Once upon a time, an entire population of early settlers has gone into the woods and vanished. But then again, gold was found. And that gold has shaped the town by the woods. A town where three families have the most money and hold the most power in a sort of almost medieval way.
Is there something supernatural lurking in those woods? Or have the locals simply created their own mythology to go with their narratives?
It is as claustrophobic as any small town, though. Fifteen years ago, when the main protagonist, Ava, and all her friends were high school kids they did…well, lots of things most high school kids do. One died. One left. Now, Ava is back following a dissolution of a terrible marriage, with a teenage daughter in tow.
And just like that all the drama from fifteen years ago resurfaces. The kids may have become adults, they may have gotten all they wanted, albeit in that be careful what you wish for sort of way, but beneath the initial wealth and comfort, there is a strong undercurrent of trauma, discontent, and conflict. It was stewing and simmering for a while until Ava’s arrival unlocked the gates, lit the fires, etc.
So, now Ava is both stuck and torn between the past and the present. Someone is desperate for her to leave. Someone is determined not to let her go.
There’s a past romance that never quite sizzled out. Past resentments too. And so many variations of the truth, it’s difficult to know what to believe.
Taut, engaging, and profoundly entertaining, this thriller is a most auspicious debut. Positively vicious at times, with very well-done supernatural undertones. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.