A review by ericarobyn
Mothman Haze by E.C. Hanson

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Mothman Haze by E.C. Hanson is a gut-punch horror tale about a missing kid, a grandfather who swears Mothman took him, and a strained family on the edge of breaking apart.

CW: gun violence, suicide, child death

Returning home to help her parents when her nephew goes missing, this woman has trouble staying focused. Years and years of bottled-up emotions, pushed further away by seeking instant gratification has made her cold and focused only on the next good feeling, even in the most inappropriate of times. Also struggling with her family dynamics, she keeps hoping that things will be different but continues to be let down.

When she meets with the local cop, she learns that even though they’re far from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, her father swears Mothman took the little boy. Unconvinced and determined to find answers, she pushes her way into the investigation.

But will they find the boy or is it already too late?

E.C. Hanson does such an amazing job of giving snippets of information that allow readers to both despise and feel terrible for the main character. While the focus is mainly on her and her struggles, the darkness of the missing child creeps closer and closer until the case is resolved and the horror smacks you right in the face.

My Favorite Passage from Mothman Haze –

It pointed face down and flew so fast that I thought, in a matter of a few seconds, my face would eat the concrete. I quickly imagined my head smashing the black ground, my teeth crunching, and my brown eyes popping out. But it adjusted its vertical position to horizontal at the last moment, leaving me out of breath and without a clue as to what would happen next.

My Final Thoughts on Mothman Haze –

This is another tale that I went into totally dark and phew, I was not expecting this! I made the terrible mistake of finishing this one at 3AM while feeding my kiddo…. Let’s just say I didn’t put him down for quite a while after he finally fell back to sleep.

The blurb on the cover from Mark Towse sums it up nicely;

“This one will haunt you for days after reading.”

Horror fans who enjoy twisted family dynamics and gut-wrenching sadness will love this one!