Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen by Maria A. Palace is a fantastic gateway into the horror genre for readers seeking a little more drama than chills and thrills. Written in a vein similar to a Saturday afternoon Lifetime original movie, the story follows a young woman with a tragic past struggling to carve out a brighter future for herself after moving back to her midwest hometown. A reporter and aspiring news anchor, Katy finds herself stricken with frightening recurring dreams and discovers an old woman whose life experiences eerily match her own, and who could be the key to unlocking the mystery of her dreams and opening the door to her future. The author’s writing style could perhaps benefit from the use of a more cohesive narrative voice throughout the story, along with some deeper character development since some of the main characters’ decisions and the motives behind them were quite murky. While the main twist at the end is hardly surprising, the book as a whole is a fun and slightly campy beach read for those who enjoy a little thrill with their comfort fiction.