Written by David L. Golemon
SUMMARY:
First published in hardcover by St. Martin’s Press in October 2016, this 482-page paperback edition was released in November 2018. An unsolved disappearance befalls Professor Gabriel Kennedy’s student research team during their June 2003 exploration of the reputedly haunted Summer Place. It’s a luxury manor home nestled in the Pocono Mountains owned by the philanthropic Lindemann Family. Approximately seven years later, hotshot producer Kelly Delaphoy out-maneuvers her smarmy network boss, Lionel Peterson, to broadcast her top-rated Hunters of the Paranormal reality TV series inside Summer Place for an unprecedented, live Halloween Night special. A disastrous test run forces the UBC Network’s recruitment of an embittered and professionally-disgraced Kennedy to salvage their high-profile investment.
For a hefty fee, Kennedy reluctantly agrees to lead an eight-hour, live investigation of Summer Place. His hand-picked crew consists of: George Cordero, who can sense intangible vibes of supernatural activity; formidable Native American lawman John Lonetree, whose ‘dream walks’ observe and possibly interact with dark past tragedies; tech wizard Leonard Sickles; and frail Professor Jennifer Tilden, whose body channels the restless spirit of a murdered 1960’s musician. Also, on the scene, is hard-nosed Pennsylvania State Police detective Damian Jackson, who intends to finally expose Kennedy as the murderous fraud he believes the professor is. Another wild card is ace TV news journalist Julie Riley, who publicly humiliated Kennedy once before and may gladly do so again.
Pressured by network CEO Abraham Feuerstein and his mega-bucks production team, Kennedy’s high-tech squad faces off with a presence lurking within Summer Place. To guard the manor’s grisly secrets, a showdown a century in the making may capture a terrifying last stand on nationwide television.
Note: The “n-word” twice appears (or is alluded to), as a slur directed at Detective Jackson and later to Leonard Sickles.
REVIEW:
In the right creative hands, Golemon’s high-octane, ‘haunted house’ chiller would be an intriguing R-rated film or TV mini-series. It’s easy to visualize, say, for instance, Gary Oldman as ‘Kennedy,’ Elizabeth Banks as ‘Kelly Delaphoy;’ the late Alan Rickman as ‘Peterson,’ Aldis Hodge as ‘Sickles,’ Robin Wright as ‘Julie,’ and either Samuel L. Jackson or the late Howard Rollins Jr. as ‘Damian Jackson.’ Golemon’s diverse cast is multi-dimensional, in terms of various rivalries, double-crossing, and possibly even triple-crossing before scores are finally settled. In that sense, several characters depict a well-played sense of ambiguity.
Chief among the sub-plots is the controversial TV special’s fate. While that outcome is contrived, one can imagine the fickle court of public opinion. One solid thread, however, has Cordero, Lonetree, and particularly Tilden showcasing their unique talents. Hosting her ghostly alter ego, Tilden’s nightclub scene taunting a high-profile mobster stands as the novel’s most indelible scene. Also, Golemon deserves extra credit for carefully inserting real-life historical figures, such as the Romanovs, Phil Spector, and even a few familiar talk show hosts into various backstories.
However, The Supernaturals is the novel equivalent of a ‘Director’s Cut’ film, where movie studios usually have good reason to edit scenes out before the film’s theatrical release. Overstaying its welcome, Golemon’s novel insists upon too much exposition (and too much supernatural hokum) to justify the climatic ‘Part V: Trick or Treat, All Hallow’s Eve.’ For instance, what’s the point of depicting gory supernatural attacks away from Summer Place? Even though this sequence works for the moment, it’s superfluous come the on-site climax. Golemon’s epilogue doesn’t even bother acknowledging the haunting’s peripheral carnage, let alone how far the ghostly tentacles of Summer House can apparently reach.
What’s ironic is that Golemon’s plotting goes on seemingly forever reaching the climax, but he then races through the last few pages. While the epilogue is okay, its forensic wrap-up is oddly short-changed (i.e. it’s implausible to collect/analyze conclusive DNA-related proof in only days vs. several weeks, if not months). Yet, on behalf of any still-confused readers, Golemon spells out Summer Place’s icky past (given the fair number of hints he drops) to ensure nothing is really left to ambiguity.
For adult fans of wicked ghost stories, this novel won’t likely disappoint much. However, The Supernaturals ends up too convoluted at times for its own good. Unsurprisingly, the word ‘overkill,’ comes to mind.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Golemon’s three-page ‘author’s note’ claims that there is actually a true-life, haunted ‘Summer Place’ estate in upstate New York that inspired this novel. He also incorporates quotes from Thomas Hood’s The Haunted House and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
Note: The 2017 sequel, In the Still of the Night: The Supernaturals II, doesn’t explore a new case in Scotland, as alluded to in the epilogue. A new storyline instead occurs five years later.
