Undercurrents

The mythic power of nature and the persistence of grief animate Maki’s striking if uneven debut. The inexplicable disappearance of 10-year-old Patrick Miller in the woods near his rural Montana home haunts his best friend, seven-year-old Kitty, who witnessed his vanishing. When search parties turn up no evidence of Patrick’s body, Kitty grows convinced that the friends crossed an invisible threshold into a fantasy realm, where living trees stole Patrick away. Trauma from the experience follows Kitty into adulthood, leaving her disconnected from her surroundings and eternally unsure that she lives in the real world. Decades later, coming out of therapy and a failed marriage, Kitty returns with her young daughter to the woods to confront the events of that fateful day. Their efforts bring them face-to-face with figures from Finnish and Celtic folklore, as well as quick-tempered, mysterious creatures from “down beneath the earth.” Maki’s meditative fable is crisply written, and her characters are well-drawn, but a lack of action makes the pace drag at times. Readers looking for a conventional thriller may be disappointed, but more adventurous mystery fans will find something to enjoy. (Sept.)