Memorials by Richard Chizmar is an atmospheric horror with a slow creeping dread that follows in the shadows. The basic story is set in 1983. Three students set out to document the memorials to the dead on the side of the road. But, the students soon find a symbol linking all the deaths and begin to be haunted by it. The story is a slow burn, that ended in a satisfying bloody mess. The book takes its time letting the horror and the creep factor build up in the reader’s mind. The characters are the heart of the story. The three students are all quirky and likable in their way. Chizmar writes the guys very well, the women were a little underdeveloped. One character is the setting of Appalachia in the 1980s. You feel the backwoods and the desolation of the wooded landscape. The story is told primarily by the cameraman of the documentary. Additionally, the camera provides a nonbiased perspective, enriching the story considerably. This is my first time reading Chizmar. I have known of his writing since he teamed up with Stephen King to write the Qwendy trilogy. I think this is a good match-up. Like King, we get a very detailed background. Sometimes, this detail is too much. But the characters are so interesting that I don’t mind as much. The book could lose 50 pages and be the same story. The ending was satisfying. I was worried going into it that it was not going to get pulled off. But, at the end, I was pleasantly surprised. I did have one problem with plot holes in the story. However, I noticed it only after I finished the book and thought about it more. The novel has some twists and turns with one big reveal at the end. Memorials by Richard Chizmar was published on October 22, 2024.

Plot Summary (nonspoiler): Three students are taking an American Studies class at York College. They decide to take a road trip to Appalachia. Their goal is to document memorials on the roadside and get the story behind them. Billy, who is white and 20 years old, comes up with the idea. His parents died in a car crash 3 years ago and have a memorial on the side of the road. His two friends are Troy and Melody. Troy is black, 19, from Baltimore, and the smartest kid in class. Melody is Latina and 23. They have also tragically lost someone. The group borrows Melody’s sister’s van. The plan is to spend five days video-tapping the memorials and camping in fairgrounds at night. The documentary gets off to a good start. They find a memorial of a local man who died. This leads them to his wife and kid. The wife gives a great testimonial. While Billy was at the memorial he felt something. A cold feeling that lasted only seconds but it made an impression. They find an out-of-town biker’s memorial. They get harassed a little by some locals at a gas station as they ask questions about the memorial. The next day Billy makes it personal and visits his parent’s memorial and puts himself on film with Troy shooting. When Billy looks at the footage later he sees a face peaking out behind him watching him. Later they discover that all the memorials have one thing in common. Each memorial they visit they are getting closer to something that just may kill them.

What I Liked: The character work is great. This book has a lot of side characters. They have to make a big impression, and they do. The ending was crazy. Chizmar took the story to a place that shocked me. The twists and turns were written very well. One character flips back and forth a couple of times with good and bad until you know the full story. The plot I loved. The idea of memorials being a place of power was a great idea. I liked how universal the story was. Everyone has seen a memorial. I personally have made chalk drawings for a fallen friend and connected to the story in that way. The book nailed the fear of isolation. I was 3 when this story took place, but I remember how far towns used to be separated. The fear of getting lost and no one would be there to help you. The music of the 80’s was well chosen. The atmosphere that was created and maintained throughout being watched was great. There was a bathroom scene that made the hair stand up. It was creepy and vulnerable at the same time. I did enjoy the bits of humor and comradery.

What I Disliked: The main women in the story, Naomi and Melody, felt not complete. Aunt June was an exception. Melody was someone I wanted to know more about. At first, I liked the reveal at the end and did not see it coming. After finishing the book and thinking about it, I felt it added more plot holes than it solved. The book did make an attempt to explain some things after the events but I still see plot holes. Since the students drive a van and are solving a mystery, there are many Scooby Doo comparisons. When the reveal happens, it reminded me of the Scooby Doo reveal.

Recommendation: Memorials has a great plot with good characterization. The group of three is fun to hang out with as they are drawn into this conspiracy. The slow pace could have been better. However, I felt like I was part of the gang. I was just enjoying the slow ride through the woods. The ending for the most part was satisfying. I recommend my followers to check out Memorials and Richard Chizmar’s writing. Richard Chizmar is going to contribute a story to The End of the World as We Know It anthology. The anthology contains short stories written in the World of Stephen King’s The Stand. I will be attending a signing in August for the book and he will be in attendance.

Rating: Memorials by Richard Chizmar I rated it 3.9 out of 5.