The Stitches on the Stone: Lauradelle's Redemption homes in on the almost boring normality of everyday life and its subsequent and sudden shift to the decidedly paranormal in this horror novel penned by Christopher J. Finn. A group of three youths is individually exposed to extraordinary events with no explanation and only their arm's-length connection to a river stone is the sole common denominator. The evolution of what happens before their very eyes accelerates from strange but not overtly scary fights between women to a gorge opening up and swallowing storage units and friends. The primary characters share a point of view; Benji, Edward, and Janis. Other ancillary characters fill in the blanks, and others still fill in the lives that can never be called banal again. “Damn voodoo rock, you see, Lizzy? Evil eye, the red one.”

Such an eclectic array of personalities grace the pages of The Stitches on the Stone that all the craziness that happens to them is just icing. Christopher J. Finn brings three people together with completely different backgrounds reminiscent of The Stand, except this is a redemption story that's digestible in a weekend. Benji is my favorite and his acerbic deadpan humor cannot be praised enough. Janis is such a stuffy highbrow and it's hilarious to see her try to preserve this grift in the face of others accusing her of only having the capacity to 'sit around and look pretty'. It is painfully sad to be in Edward's head. The time warps and strangers are stranded together as those with friends are desperate to help them. Very highly recommended.

The Stitches on the Stone: Lauradelle’s Redemption is a work of fiction in the horror and thriller subgenres. It is suitable for the general adult reading audience and was penned by author Christopher J. Finn. The book follows three people who discover a stone in a river that they soon discover to be the center of a supernatural web that reaches into every aspect of their town’s life. As the three begin to find themselves mentally pushed to the limit by the unusual events in town and the even more unusual metamorphosis they seem to be undergoing, they must find the truth behind their hometown and the mysterious river stone.

The sense of unease was palpable in this novel from the very first page, with the establishing of Lauradelle and its denizens striking a perfect balance between the illusion of normality and the subtle suggestion of something darker just beneath the surface. This ability to balance two tones in a way that keeps the reader off-balance is a gift that author Christopher J. Finn utilizes frequently throughout the book as the constant sense of unreality heightens the growing sense of dread and eventually terror. The characterization of Benji, Janis, and Edward is excellent and as the events of the narrative cause their personalities to warp, the author constantly keeps us guessing how much of the change is supernatural and how much is the character's truth revealing itself. Overall, The Stitches on the Stone is a superb dive into eerie and slowly developing madness that showcases some of the best horror writing I’ve seen in a while.