Book Review: "What Hides in the Cupboards" by Cassondra Windwalker (2024)
What Hides in the Cupboards Book Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Published by Unnerving Books
Written by Cassondra Windwalker
2024, 196 pages, Fiction
Published on January 30th, 2024
Review:
Call me a sucker for anything that presents itself as modern gothic horror. Go ahead. It’s true, after all. Present me a bleak and rundown locale in a beautiful setting, a mysterious spiritual presence with questionable motives, someone questioning their sanity, and serious emotional intensity and I’ll jump in with both feet. It’s just how I’m built, I guess.
Cassondra Windwalker sets her modern gothic in the desert outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and that pulled me in as well- I lived in Albuquerque for seven and a half damn fine years in my teens and twenties. I’ve spent my fair share of time in Santa Fe (the two cities are less than an hour apart), and you couldn’t ask for a finer setting. All the elements were in place for me, so I dove right into What Hides in the Cupboards.
Hesper Dunn is a ceramic artist who has recently suffered a great tragedy in her life. Along with her husband, Richard, she leaves Chicago for the desert beauty of central New Mexico to heal and inspire new art. She buys a stripped-down hacienda far removed from nosy neighbors and prying eyes. The home formerly belonged to a well-known artist who met a tragic end and died in the house. Upon moving in, Hesper discovers a series of paintings of a young boy on the inside of all her cabinets. The work is stunning, and the mystery behind the works of art is utterly irresistible. However, she’s soon beset by the “shadow boy”, a malevolent spirit hellbent on destroying both her work and her sanity. He’s not the only spirit in the house, though- the previous owner has something to say as well. Who is the boy in the paintings? Who is the malicious shadow boy? Are they one and the same? More importantly, can Hesper do anything to set either of them free? And what of the power that gathers in the desert and surrounds her new home?
Hesper is a striking protagonist, the very soul of the tortured artist. She’s richly layered with a backstory that’s metered out in well-timed increments. What Hides in the Cupboards is an extremely patient tale that takes its time weaving together multiple mysteries with the underlying theme of buried trauma. The question of what happened to Hesper and Richard is a ball of yarn to be unwound with delicious slowness. Then there’s the matter of Hesper’s questionable sanity. Is she imagining the ghostly happenings in her new home? Can she overcome her agoraphobia and live a normal life? And, oh yeah…just what in the hell does the shadow boy want with her?
Admittedly, I did come to one of the big reveals ahead of schedule, but that’s okay because it was the right call for a modern gothic. All those wonderful gothic trappings, wrapped in that beautiful New Mexico backdrop, give you a real sense of place and enrich the ominous nature of Hesper’s situation. Smartly written with a love of the genre, What Hides in the Cupboards dots all the i’s and crosses all the t’s for what a modern gothic horror story should be: atmospheric and emotionally intense with a deeper mystery that draws you in page by page. Windwalker’s patience and restraint serve the story well, allowing you time to get into Hesper’s head.
If you’re looking for a read that’s fast-paced and gory, look elsewhere. The intensity of Hesper’s plight is something much more refined and classic. There are twists and turns to be sure, but this isn’t one of those books that overwhelm by trying to be too clever or shocking. It’s true gothic horror that lives up to the billing, and I couldn’t be more pleased with that. What Hides in the Cupboards is a book written from the perspective of the tortured artist who isn’t even able to face her own demons (let alone those that may live in the desert beyond her doors), and it’s effective enough that I feel as if I may need to check up on Cassondra Windwalker herself and make sure that’s she’s okay. “Sometimes what we choose to hate is stronger than all the love in the world…”, she says.
Seems she may need some help fighting her demons, too.
