Chasing the Dead is a sleek bullet of a suspense/horror novel. I know that both of those genres exist independently of each other, but sometimes have elements of the other within them, but this book is first one, then the other in a blend like I haven’t seen before.

I picked the book up because the cover caught my eye. I couldn’t help wondering who was driving that car at night down such a desolate road with the forest all around. From the provocative title, I knew whoever it was couldn’t be out day-tripping -- primarily because it’s night. I was also attracted by the brevity of the book. At 250 pages with a generous font instead of tiny type, I knew I could probably get through it in an hour or two. So I added it to the stack I was getting.

At home, still curious, I opened the cover and intended to read a chapter or so just to get the feel of it. I do that a lot and let my subconscious choose the order of the books I read when I don’t have a definite plan.

However, I had definite plans. I’ve got an immense TBR pile. But I read the prologue and remained curious. After all, a prologue doesn’t necessarily tell you how a book is going to read.

On the first page of Chapter 1, I meet Susan Young, newly divorced and still not sure why, who’s about to close a major real estate deal, and is just trying to get home to her young daughter through the late-evening traffic. Within six pages, she arrives home and finds her daughter and the nanny aren’t home.

Then she gets the phone call.

The voice of a man she doesn’t know informs her that she has a beautiful daughter, then proceeds to describe her. I was hooked. As a parent, having my child in the hands of a madman would be terrifying.

By the end of the next two chapters, just ten short pages away and I’m suddenly 15% of the way through the novel, Susan is forced to obey the machinations of the evil man who holds the life of her child in his hands.