Fiendish Deeds (review)

Joy couldn’t be happier that she is a resident of a dying town on the edges of bustling suburbia. In fact, she is convinced that her favorite horror author based his stories on her municipality of Spooking, and she spends much of her free time looking for ways to prove this connection. A nearby swamp seems to be the likely setting for one of her favorite stories, but an exploration of the area turns up a mysterious old woman rather than the story’s bog fiend. In the wings, threats to Spooking and the bog awaits in the form of plans for a lavish water park that would bring about the end to both, but resistance to these plans results in danger for Joy and the woman in the swamp. Irascible and impetuous Joy is a quirky, memorable protagonist who keeps things interesting, even while she may not always be likable. Unfortunately, the characters surrounding Joy are mostly flat and uninspiring caricatures of good or evil who fail to emerge as distinct individuals. In addition, the slow pace may work well for the environmental crusade upon which Joy embarks, but it undermines the horror side of the tale, dampening the creepy moments in which Joy frequently seems to find herself. However, Joy’s literary mission to claim her town as the setting for her favorite stories is an endearing quest, and her selective gathering of clues (and increasing certainty with each one) may spark readers to look around their neighborhoods with a new eye towards their own fave books.