Grief can make a man do things that he normally wouldn't consider. They say it's vital to move on and complete the stages of grief after the loss of a loved one but we never really move on, do we? We just get used to a life without that person in it anymore as we learn to cherish the memories that time hasn't stolen from us.
In, "Stirring The Sheets", Chad Lutzke introduces us to Emmit, a widowed mortuary cosmetologist who misses his wife dearly. He is thankful for his job, it not only keeps his mind off the loss of his wife but offers a sense of purpose that retirement would not. He has allowed his grief to turn into a shrine to worship his memories at he can't let go. He's become comfortable living with those memories.
I like Emmit. He's a guy who takes pride in his work, is polite to the widow who makes him brownies, and wants to kick the ass of his dipshit neighbor even though he knows he isn't as young as he once was. He loved his wife, misses her and thinks about her daily- he hasn't changed the sheets on his bed since she left him and he can't stop thinking about the young lady who looks exactly like his wife did when she was in her thirties. The only problem is that she is dead.
Chad Lutzke has once again crafted a compelling, relatable, heart-breaking tale of lost love and the strange things we do to cope with that loss. Lutzke effortlessly engages the reader into feeling the repercussions of grief and the meltdown of common sense that follows is a heartbreaking journey through the dark hallways of a grief-stricken mind.
Lutzke has proven he is a master at macabre, realistic horror. "Of Foster Homes and Flies" and "Wallflower" are tragic masterpieces of dark fiction and I think "Stirring the Sheets" may just be his best yet. Lutzke owns his style- much like Jack Ketchum, Joe Lansdale, and James Newman imprint their brand of horror onto their readers and there is nothing better than watching a good author evolve into a great one.
Go ahead, allow Lutzke the opportunity to tuck you in for the night... No guarantees how good you'll sleep through the night.
-Cory Cline
Pick up a copy of "Stirring The Sheets", here.
Check out Chad Lutzke's other work, here.
No comments:
Post a Comment