What I'm Reading: Inspection, Pandora Room and Cardinal Black

Today I have reviews of three upcoming novels that are going to be in high demand and all appear in the March 1 issue of Booklist. New horror titles, Inspection by Josh Malerman and The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden and the newest installment in the popular Matthew Corbett dark, historical, mystery series by Robert McCammon-- Cardinal Black.

As usual here on the blog are my draft reviews which are a bit longer and include bonus appeal information and readalikes.

Let's begin with one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the spring and it does not disappoint....

Inspection.

Malerman, Josh (author).
Apr. 2019. 400p. Del Rey, $27 (9781524796990); e-book (9781524797003). 
First published March 1, 2019 (Booklist).

Starred Review

On the heels of the success of the Bird Box movie, Malerman is back with his best book to date, and it has all of the claustrophobic tension his fans crave but with none of the supernatural monsters because this time the monsters are 100% human. In a tower in the isolated woods of Northern Michigan live the Alphabet Boys, aged 12. They have been raised by their D.A.D. Richard in isolation, living in a world where women don’t exist, as part of an experiment in order to see if separating the sexes will allow true genius to be cultivated. However, on the cusp of puberty, J is starting to question this world and who else is out there, beyond the trees. And if there is a boys’ tower, readers know there probably a girls’ one too. Told from multiple points of view, from both sexes, kids and adults, every narrator is unreliable-- either they are a liar or have been brought up in a false world-- but the best part of reading this book is that the reader can’t even trust themselves. We cannot rely on our own assumptions on what will happen or how characters will react because this world is different from our own, a world that Malerman carefully constructs, explaining every detail, making the horror of this [hopefully] impossible experiment appear completely plausible. Thoughtfully contemplating grand issues like nature vs nurture, gender role assumptions, and experimenting on live subjects, while also managing to create a satisfyingly oppressive atmosphere, a string pulled taut from page one, that somehow, Malerman manages to keep stretching tighter and tighter, until of course, it will have to break. And yet, for all of this serious intensity, Inspection feels effortless; the story flows easily and at a compelling pace, as if Shirley Jackson wrote Lord of the Flies. Hand out eagerly to fans of Margaret Atwood or Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro.

YA Statement: With the immense popularity of the Bird Box movie, teens are already going to be seeking out Malerman’s latest. Thankfully with preteen protagonists driving the narrative, a similar pacing and tension to Bird Box, and a collection of themes and ideas that are going to be very attractive to teen readers, Inspection will be greatly enjoyed.

Further Appeal: One of the things I thought about after finishing this, Malerman's fourth major publisher released novel, is that I have loved them all but on the surface they are so very different. What is uniting them appeal wise? And I think it is the claustrophobic tension-- it is there in Bird Box,  Black Mad Wheel, and Unbury Carol too. So while the plots of all of his books differ, this claustrophobic tension is a unifying appeal for Malerman and probably will help you determine if someone would enjoy him or not. It also serves to illustrate my point that people want books with a particular feel, not a particular plot.

Specifically here with Inspection, the unreliable narrator issues that come at the reader from every angle are awesome. Malerman is able to take what is becoming an overused trope-- unreliable narrator and give it a new and satisfying spin.

And for all the tension and unease, there are some serious thought provoking issues at the heart of this novel. The whole concept of a gender segregated world and how much we can nurture greatness was fascinating. Also the world building; the how and why these adults created these schools and towers was well explained and carefully built at the perfect pace. The details are there, but the book moves as fast as it should. Malerman shows restraint with both pacing and details at times, but it is for good reason. This is an immersive reading experience in every sense.

Finally, it has a kick ass ending that I loved, but honestly that may reveal too much about my twisted soul.

Three Words That Describe This Book: claustrophobic tension, thought-provoking, immersive

Readalikes: I mention 4 in the review above, but after reading this novel I also made this note to myself, "I haven’t felt this level of satisfyingly uncomfortable tension since reading Await Your Reply by Choan."

The Pandora Room.
Golden, Christopher (author).
Apr. 2019. 320p. St. Martin’s, $27.99 (9781250192103); e-book, $14.99 (9781250192110). First published March 1, 2019 (Booklist).

Following hot on the heels of a Bram Stoker Award for Ararat, Golden brings back US Department of Defense, covert problem solver, Dr. Ben Walker and UN executive Kim Seong for another mythologically framed, horror-thriller hybrid. This time Walker and Kim are summoned to the border between Iraq and Turkey where Dr. Sophie Durand may have found the fabled “Pandora’s Box” deep in the underground city her team has been excavating for months, and what it contains may be more deadly than anyone can imagine. Not only is the diverse, international team of experts trying to secure the box for history, but they are also in mortal danger from armed Jihadists who are closing in, and in a race for their lives against the infectious diseases and murderous ghosts seeping out of the excavated item. Like any good thriller the pacing is quick and the action is cinematic, however, none of it is at the expense of the detailed frame and the excellent character development. But where this novel shines is in its horror aspects. The tension and fear are palpable and eerily realistic, while the supernatural monsters are completely unique, fascinatingly executed, and utterly terrifying. Also, since the story is told from multiple points of view, the dread is ratcheted up to near bursting levels as the reader often knows more about the rapidly deteriorating situation than the protagonists do. This is a smart, satisfying, interesting series to keep on your radar and will appeal both to fans of supernatural thrillers like Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series and historically framed horror like The Hunger by Alma Katsu.

Further Appeal: I want to be clear that this is not really the second in a series, but rather a companion novel. The two main characters return, but everything else is new. You do not need to read them in order. Also, please note that a third book has already been sold and the media rights to the series are in production. This is series that you will get requests for. 

Like in Ararat, the horror and thriller aspects are top notch. The monsters are even better this time. Seriously. They were very cool. But it is the mythological, religious, historical, archeological, and international relations frames that combine forces and make this book great. It is all added in seamlessly to a horror-thriller-adventure plot. Readers who don't care about frame will still love it, but people who like a lot of frame with their thrillers will really love this. They just need to be okay with a strong supernatural horror element.

Three Words That Describe This Book: fast paced, terrifying, intriguing frame

Readalikes: It really is like if you merged Joe Ledger with The Hunger [links above], but don't rule out your Dan Brown fans here. They share a frame heavy, adventure thriller plot but with supernatural aspects in Golden's case.

Cardinal Black.

McCammon, Robert (author).

Apr. 2019. 464p. Cemetery Dance, $26 (9781587677045). 
First published March 1, 2019 (Booklist).

Matthew Corbett, 18th Century hero and problem solver, returns for his seventh historical mystery; however, this adventure takes a much darker turn as Corbett must team up with a new partner, Julian Devane, a man who is far from one of the good guys, to go on a mission to retrieve a potion book from the clutches of the evil Cardinal Black, in a desperate attempt to save the love of his life. Corbett and Julian make an odd couple as they travel together, as quickly as one can in 1703, from Wales to London, ending up at a secret auction, filled with killers representing powerful people from all over the world, all vying to get their hands on the same darkly powerful book. Yet, despite the violence and seriousness of the mission, McCammon is also able to interject moments of  kindness and even humor throughout. Corbett has been in tough scrapes before, and like previous books in this series, the story is violent, dark, and foreboding, as Corbett is always called upon to do dangerous and sensitive work, but never has he had to make as morally ambiguous decisions or wrestle with what his profession is making him become; that is, until now. This is a series entry that will satisfy fans and send new readers back to the beginning. Suggest to those who enjoy historical mystery series by Oliver Potzsch or Laura Joh Rowland.

Further Appeal: While McCammon is a horror author, this is part of his very popular, dark historical mystery series. Please note, there is a different publisher for this installment.

While this installment begins where Freedom of the Mask left off, readers need not have read any other books in the series to understand this book; however after completing this mystery, expect new fans to seek out the earlier books.

Like most long running mystery series, this novel is character centered. Corbett is the moral compass of this book and as I noted, the compass is a bit ambiguous here which added a nice amount of unease and interest.

The historical details are great. I especially enjoyed the carriage chase sequences and how McCammon takes the physical difficult of travel seriously.

This installment felt a little like a bridge to the next one though-- which will involve a demon mirror in Italy!-- but it was an intriguing and fun bridge.

Three Words That Describe This Book: unease, historical details, series character

Readalikes: I list two above, but really any dark historical mystery series will work here.