Beneath the Veil

The author description in the back of this book says that William McNally is “drawn to dark and thought-provoking stories,” and that is a perfect description of Beneath the Veil. There is excitement from the very beginning as Barry, a successful sculptor, coughs up blood (revealing his terminal disease) and then sees a homeless man in his apartment. The man leaves him a present: an incredibly crafted, creepy sculpture featuring the man’s own face. Understandably shaken, Barry returns to his task of trying to find his family so he can hopefully get a life-saving bone marrow transplant, but he keeps hearing voices and seeing things in shadows. He decides to go to the small town where he was born, and his adopted sister and brother-in-law join him. This is where things get really disturbing.

I don’t want to give too much away because the twists are fast and frequent, but I can say that they get stuck in the town and that the place, dilapidated by day, becomes beautiful and terrifying at night. This whole book is a haunting mystery where danger is around every corner and questions are only half-answered. I was riveted while reading it, and I know it will occupy my mind for a long time as I ponder the vague ending and multiple possibilities. This is the perfect book for people who like stories that really make you think – about the book’s world and our own.

There are a few flaws here and there. Sometimes the pacing feels uneven, with dramatic events coming out of nowhere, and there are a few typos that don’t obscure meaning but do cause a brief break in the flow of reading. Still, this is an excellent book. The characters are rich and sympathetic. The story is fascinating. The morals are gray, and the atmosphere is intensely creepy. Don’t read this one when you’re alone, but definitely read it.