A review by novelbloglover
The Merry Dredgers by Jeremy C. Shipp

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

 

Book Review 

Title: The Merry Dredgers by Jeremy C. Shipp 

Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction, Horror 

Rating: 3.75 Stars 

A mystery, horror about a cult living in a renovated amusement park might sound right up my street but mystery and thriller books are ones I rarely reach for but I have read other books from the publisher and been surprised by them so I am excited to give this a go. We are following, Seraphina as she learns about this cult after her sister, Eff, is in a coma after an “accident” at this amusement park. Right off the bat the book was engaging and I was intrigued by how the cult, the amusement park and Eff’s coma all tie together. 

Seraphina in a decidedly bad move decides that the best way to get the information she wants about the accident is to infiltrate the cult and find out what happened and who is responsible for Eff’s accident. From there it gets a little strange as you meet these eccentric cult members and their leader, Ernie who gave me the creeps from the very beginning. As Seraphina gathers small pieces of information we also learn more about her and her sister from the traumatic past they have and the intense desire to connect that Seraphina feels which was something I could personally relate to. 

One thing Jeremy C. Shipp executes very well is his use of imagery throughout the book especially within the amusement park as these are meant to be places where everything is out of proportion or distorted. The horror element is also very subtle so if you’re the opposite to me and dislike a lot of gore or body horror then this will definitely work for you but I did feel these elements could have been enhanced more especially with the unique setting. 

The ending while it was done very well was something I struggled with because the spiral narrative can become very disorientating if you aren’t paying 100% attention to the book at times. At times it almost felt like a story within a story which isn’t something I do well with as a reader but that is me personally. I also felt that Shipp’s writing was a little too light for me especially when pitched as a horror mystery. I wanted something more aggressive along the lines of King or Joe Hill which left me feeling a little disappointed at the end. Overall, The Merry Dredgers was an enjoyable and fun read with darker twists and turns as the novel progresses leading to a shocking ending that I couldn’t have predicted while keeping the horror elements to a minimum.