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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
The Painted Sand by Joe Esposito is a supernatural thriller set in a hospice, where a woman named Ruth forms an unlikely connection with a mysterious figure known as Mortimer, who is actually Death in disguise. He brings a special painting into her room, reflecting important moments from her past and sparking vivid memories. When Ruth witnesses Mortimer’s power over souls, he offers her a rare chance to return to life and pursue the future she always wanted, though doing so carries grave risks. As Mortimer seeks to atone for a past mistake tied to Ruth, their intertwined stories reveal how decisions shape both fate and identity. Through reflections on life and loss, the narrative explores the impact of choice and the possibility of redemption beyond death. “It is time. Come with me, Ruth, and see that there is hope in life, even at its end.”
Joe Esposito’s The Painted Sand skillfully merges vast cosmic horror with acute personal tragedy, building up in a series of completely unsettling atmospheres and near cinematic detail. I expected to be pulled into a world where existential dread bleeds into the intimate realities of illness and punishment, but did not anticipate Esposito’s ability to make metaphysical terror feel so immediate. We see Ruth’s confrontation with mortality and a priest’s torment, and both are grounded with a weight that prevents the otherworldly elements from feeling distant. Ruth's journey, while interesting, is actually bested by the clash between Mortimer and Asmodeus, the Prince of Hell, a powerful antagonist who sweeps into the narrative in a haze of acrid smoke, with sharp exchanges that heighten the dread and power struggles beyond human reckoning. Overall, this book is perfect for readers who appreciate horror that is both grand in scope and deeply human in its details.
