Sins of the Father by JG Faherty

Who doesn’t love a bit of Lovecraft? Okay, maybe not everybody, but I sure do. “A bit of Lovecraft” perfectly encapsulates this tale. While it’s doesn’t register as Mythos in my tiny brain, the influences are well on display, with many similarities to stories set around Innsmouth. It’s also quite good and will appeal to fans of Lovecraft and weird fiction in general.

Disclaimer – I read this in August, so forgive me if I’m a little hazy on some of the details.

So, what’s it all about?

The story revolves around Henry Gilman, a man whose life is torn apart when his father kills his mother. Henry is kicked out of medical school and is treated as a pariah, even after his father died in a fire at the psychiatric institution in which he is imprisoned. Still, Henry maintains a job as a mortician’s assistant and has some friends and a slightly bizarre love triangle, so he can handle his lack of acceptance in his town. When what is in essence a serial killer appears and townsfolk start to disappear, people begin to panic. Then one night, Henry is attacked by said killer, and notices he has mutations (gills, dude), things only get worse. Then the dead start rising.  

Is it any good?

Yeah, but it’s not anything you haven’t seen before, but there is definitely a market for that. Call it the “comfy slippers” genre. Henry is likeable at first as we feel for his plight, and he gets his butt kicked enough that we appreciate his courage in chasing down his fiendish enemy. The dour cop who at first hates Henry but later on joins forces with him is also entertaining. I’m trying not to drop too many spoilers here, but it’s hard without writing a three-sentence review. There is an “elder god from beyond the stars” that isn’t Dagon, the enemies are about as fishy as fishy can be, and the title is probably as spoilerific as a title can get. The story is basically told in two halves, with two very different Henrys on display. I preferred the first half, but I also felt the urge to see the story out, and it was worth my while. I think it’s apparent that I didn’t care for the love triangle (more like a quartet) bit, but it did add to the story. Also, for a town that didn’t appear to be vast, there seemed to be an unlimited supply of coppers (this synonym best suits the police in this book).  

Verdict

I can’t really see this appealing to readers who aren’t interested in Lovecraftian affairs, but for those who do, it’s a solid offering.

Format: Mobi

Obtained from: Publisher

Print length: 256 pages (Hardcover)

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

ISBN: 9781787584099 (Hardcover)