At Witt's End By J.V. Caggiano
What makes a city special? Is it the people that inhabit it, or the essence of those who once touched its air? Is it the rumblings of everyday life, or the lullaby of good old forgotten days?
The old city of Victoria, is now in crumbles. While violence is surely on the rise, grotesque crimes and unexplained disappearances, add more to the shiver.
A good horror-crime thriller that grips you to uncover the unsaid, presented by author J.V Caggiano in her debut book, is ‘At Witt’s End’. It surpasses elements of hark humour, if read intelligently. That is how that author proves her brilliance with words. A seemingly simple sentence, actually holds a witty remark, parody or orthodox that is dark enough to engross you in contemplation, but humorous enough to tick you; and I personally liked this about the book- it tests you.
Set in the town of Victoria in Northern Washington, the book parallels with the writings of Agatha Christie, thus, the spooky devices embellish the whole plot. Although, one might expect metaphysical realm to do something with the vivid graffiti that adorn the city, or the unexplained murders and the mysterious skeleton under the Oak tree, yet, it's purely criminal.
The book keeps you on your toes, and while the digital version happens to have minute editorial errors, it is a pleasurable experience to read. The author, puts her writing ability to the best of use and portraits grotesque, yet beautiful imageries. It's almost, as if the reader can really feel the chills of the city, or the sweat at the back of your head aroused from the fear of uncertainty. The language used, is lucid, so you don’t have to worry about linguistic slangs and barriers. Although, some might really like to read it through the weekend, others would delve into it at night and come out, completely exhilarated, in the morning
The book feels like Halloween. Its spooky and its tensing, but it feels familiar and friendly. It has a sense of comfort in it and so, a hot chocolate or a cold beer would be the most apt companions to take you down this unwinding journey.
Key takeaways from the book:
- Evil isn’t born. Its created and nurtured by elements of society and thus, one should really take care of how things take a turn in your heads.
- You have the reins to your own life. Wether you let it get affected by the happenings around you, is your choice.
- Love and death are constant forces of the universe, and are inevitable to beat.
