Synopsis:
After a boy vanishes on the outskirts of a small Northern town, a woman spies from her window a mysterious man digging a grave in the exact spot of the disappearance.
However, when she confronts him, the man’s true purpose is far more chilling than she could have imagined and the history of the town’s fatal past unfolds. What has been hiding in this small northern town all these years?
Review:
The horror genre is full of good dogs, but none good-er than the titular “Good Boy,” in Neil McRobert’s much-anticipated debut and the 5th instalment in Wild Hunt Books’ “The Northern Weird Project.” A cosmic, coming-of-age story that I chuckled, smiled and sobbed my way through last night, “Good Boy,” is chock full of salt of the Earth Northern humour (the best in the whole world I would argue), whilst stressing the importance of leaving our respective small towns, at risk of being left behind. Most prominently however, it highlights that there is no greater bond than that between man and his best friend. “Good Boy,” hits shelves on October 9th, by which date I will have become truly insufferable- thank you kindly Wild Hunt Books for the ARC and continuing to ensure that it’s weird up North.
Margie lives in the small town of Symester, currently plagued by the disappearance of little Andy Hoyle. Her home overlooking the patch of land where the boy was last seen, Margie is keeping vigil, and spies an old man burying something right where the boy vanished. A formidable woman, out she marches, only to find the man grief-stricken, with a different motive entirely. Concerned for his well-being, Margie invites Jim Howarth in, and, over a whiskey, the story he tells her… is one for the ages.
Jim recounts much of his childhood, and that coming-of-age, nostalgic feel is remarkably intense. They always get the tear ducts twitching, and here I was less than 60 pages in before snotting into my sleeve. We hear about the terrifying encounter that changed his life, his first love, his first heart-break, and his adventures with the pup that was by his side through it all. McRobert’s writing reads the same way that a casserole, or maybe a nice hotpot tastes. It’s hearty and honest and warming. Perhaps because Jim is actually telling his story to a captive audience, for the bulk of the novella it feels like you’re sat cross-legged at the slippered feet of a grandparent or great uncle, or someone with that lived twinkle in their eye. I said yesterday in my review of Hailey Piper’s (very very different) latest that cosmic horror works best in the context of the micro, and McRobert’s exploration of something unfathomable and other-wordly, within the story of Jim Howarth and his dog, prove me right yet again- God I’m good. Like strawberries and balsamic vinegar (seriously try it) cosmic horror and coming-of-age stories should not work together, but truly bring out the best in one another.
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that Jim Howarth’s life is micro. Look, I have long felt somewhat represented by the dulcet tones of the Talking Scared Pod within the largely American horror sphere, and of course, as a part of “The Northern Weird Project,” Northern identity and setting is platformed. There is a baked-in pride in this novella. That being said, the town of Symester is a small one, in which history has been allowed to repeat itself. There is, of course, something charming and quaint about everybody knowing everybody, and being able to recognise the routines of say, the woman across the road who potters about the garden at lunchtime every Sunday, but there’s also a big old world for the taking, and we have to realise that the garden gate is not locked… and if it is, scratch at the fence and claw our way out.
It’s not hyperbole to say that from its intriguing start to its emotional but perfect denouement that this is an excellent novella, that will make cat people quickly reconsider their allegiances. The North’s answer to Cujo (who I maintain, actually IS a good boy, just misunderstood) “Riot,” (the good boy in question) has absolutely joined the ranks of Slade from Jenny Keifer’s “This Wretched Valley,” and Brimley from Gus Moreno’s “This Thing Between Us,” and countless other furry heroes. Whilst there’s a whole lot packed into “Good Boy,” it really more than anything appreciates the loyalty, the dedication and the selflessness of man’s best friend. It is a love story, perhaps in its very purest form, full of hope and heart and tentacled kidnappers, and I cried happy and sad tears until I had no more tears left to give. I hope you’re happy now, McRobert.
A cosmic, coming-of-age, creature feature that reads like butter and hurts as bad as any John Lewis advert, it is evident from the very first page that McRobert knows what makes a good horror story- a great one even. It’s a pretty amazing time to be a reader, up North nontheless, knowing that Neil McRobert is just getting started.
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