Review of THE HOWLING by Michael J. Malone (New Release)

 3 Stars

This is the third in the Annie Jackson Mystery series after The Murmurs and The Torments.

Annie and her brother Lewis search for the long-lost son of Sylvia Lowry-Law because Sylvia says that finding him will help end Annie’s curse. (Like other female ancestors, Annie hears murmurs accompanied by shocking visions of the imminent deaths of people she encounters. The horror of these visions is intensified because there is nothing she can do to prevent the deaths.) Annie and Lewis’ investigations lead to an ancient and secretive organization, The Order, which has information which could destroy the lives and reputations of many powerful people who will do anything to protect their secrets and wealth.

I must preface my review by stating that I’m not a fan of gothic literature, the horror genre or supernatural thrillers, so I’m not the intended audience for this book. I have difficulty suspending disbelief since I do not believe in curses, hexes, or animal possession. And the idea of any of those things being passed on through generations, like hereditary traits, I find unbelievable.

Specifically in this book, I had difficulty believing in The Order whose machinations are described as mind-boggling with plans that run for years, decades, and even centuries. I understand powerful people wanting to suppress damaging information (Epstein Files), but the idea that people will put schemes into place that will outlive them is too far-fetched for me. There are also the elements of Satanic worship (goat’s head, inverted cross) which are never explained. Is The Order a Satanic cult?

The novel does emphasize that the past cannot be escaped. So many of the characters are directly affected by people and events in the past. In the first two books, the connections among females in a familial lineage are stressed; now males are also shown to share supernatural traits with ancestors. For instance, Drew shares a connection with a boy named Andra who lived in the early 18^th century. I found Andra’s chapters lacking in suspense because it’s clear from the beginning what will happen.

There are some plot holes which bother me. Why would Joan Torrans help two strangers who show up at her door and even take them to the law office? The police are so inept and/or understaffed that they don’t investigate suspicious deaths and accidents? Everyone accepts Annie’s curse without question, as if magic or the occult or supernatural powers are an everyday part of life? How do Annie and Lewis learn Drew’s name? And they seem to jump to the conclusion that a certain person is the mastermind behind what is happening. Just because they pick up a random file which names this person, they assume he’s the leader? Why would Annie’s murmurs be affected by her not being able to see and how would someone know they would be if she doesn’t? We are to believe that Lewis loves Clare, but he seems to almost forget about her during much of the investigation even when she should be a constant worry?

I’m surely an outlier here. I’ve read only rave reviews of this book. As I mentioned at the beginning, I’m not a lover of books with strong gothic, horror or supernatural elements. Those who like those genres will find a lot to enjoy: witchcraft, animal possession, lost and secret family, eerie and dark settings, threats against vulnerable characters, overtones of the occult, etc. It is to those readers that I will recommend this book.