Book Review: "And With Blood In Their Eyes" by Kevin Cady (2023)
And With Blood In Their Eyes Book Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Independently Published
Written by Kevin Cady
2023, 364 pages, Fiction
Published on October 23rd, 2023
Review:
Ancient Springs is dying. A little girl sees things with blood in their eyes. A young boy is left helpless in a storage unit. People are disappearing in the mountains west of town. And someone is stalking across the country, cutting out people’s eyes and hearts. No matter how it calls to you, avoid the pikes of Aladiza. The only place to run is away.
That’s the setup for Kevin Cady’s dark mystery, And With Blood in Their Eyes. And it’s a damn fine setup, too. When you combine that with one hell of a gory, drippy cover you have my attention. With a look of eagerness in my own eyes, I dove in headfirst.
The novel opens with a prologue that is as brutal and violent as it is decisive and in your face. A little girl’s parents are essentially turned into human pretzels by fleshy skeletons with eye sockets that constantly drip blood, and the imagery is enough to pull you right in. With short chapters (there are one hundred and thirty-eight chapters to go with the epilogue and prologue!) and an almost curt style of frank descriptiveness, Cady gets directly to the point and keeps you humming along through his tale of Ancient Springs, Colorado’s mysterious Mount Aladiza and all the secrets that it holds within its rocky heart.
There is a bit of drag in the first third of the book as you are introduced to the diverse cast of characters while trying to figure out exactly what their place is in this bloody and violent mystery, but all that is quickly resolved as revelations are made about the ancient evil that pulses from the mountain. By the time you roll into the final third of the story (and physically into the heart of the mountain), you’re treated to some seriously bold and cinematic imagery that owes a heartfelt nod to the stylings of H.P. Lovecraft…and that’s never a bad thing!
It’s hard to say precisely who the protagonist of the tale really is, as everyone has a connection of some kind to the evil itself. Instead, it’s one of those stories where every character gets time to shine. I must say I would’ve liked to have seen the serial killer aspect of the story delved into more, but that’s a minor gripe. The mystery itself unrolls at a deliciously languid pace, punctuated by horror shows that stay in your head long after you’re done reading. The climax is equal parts intense, tragic, and horrific.
And With Blood in Their Eyes is the kind of novel that you can devour in one or two sittings (at least if you read faster than I do), but you certainly don’t have to; the tale is well told and will have you wanting to draw it out a bit longer. Kevin Cady has a solid grasp on what a dark mystery should be with his well-developed characters, sharp prose, and powerful imagery. I could see this tale adapted for the screen quite easily. I personally would love to see the secrets of Mount Aladiza in full, bloody color.
There’s just so much damn blood to go around on this deadly mountain.
Grade:
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
