Road Seven

Rosson (The Mercy of the Tide) delves into the strange world of cryptozoology in this well wrought speculative tale that is quirky and creepy by turn. Burned-out academic Brian Schutt is desperate for a change when he sees that Mark Sandoval, a celebrity cryptozoologist, bestselling author, and self-proclaimed alien-abductee, is recruiting a research assistant. Though their first meeting reveals Sandoval to be an unstable alcoholic, Brian accepts the position, traveling with Sandoval to Hvíldarland, off the coast of Iceland, to investigate an alleged unicorn sighting. But from the moment they arrive, Brian senses a conspiracy afoot with the people of Hvildarland. As the truth—about both Hvildarland and Sandoval’s seedy background—comes to light, Rosson makes a powerful case for human nature being just as unknowable and elusive as the unicorn the men are hunting. Rosson shifts from the mundane to the horrible at breakneck speed, creating a sense of unstoppable momentum. Less successful are the sometimes jarring shifts in narrator from Brian to Sandoval and from third to first person. Still, the blend of genres, from science fiction to cosmic horror, is masterfully executed. Readers will be riveted by this clever, unsettling adventure. (July)