Catching Hell

Delirium Books editor Gifune's stunning novella has the precision, creepiness, and breathless pace of a classic horror movie. In the summer of 1983, three young actors and a stagehand at a sleepy New England repertory theater company drive to Maine for their last summer getaway before going their separate ways. A series of bizarre incidents strands them in a small and antiquated hamlet ruled by dark forces that won't let them leave alive. This is taut and gripping old-school horror that startles and unnerves up to the very end. While the bones of Gifune's tale are familiar, his subtle characterizations, attention to historical detail, and sympathy with the restless, reckless mindset of his 20-something characters will draw in and engage even jaded readers. (Aug.)