Behind by Bentley Little

Cemetery Dance,2024

ISBN: 978-1-58767-970-4

Available: Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

A new Bentley Little novel is always cause for celebration for horror fans. The author has made a living playing off our primal fears through the lens of what truly causes us terror– school, corporations, identity, dysfunctional families, and the DMV. This time, Little tackles something a bit more recent– the big C (no, not that one. The one that kept us on lockdown and showed us who had brains and who didn’t). Yet instead of focusing on the pandemic itself, the author dives into how life itself changed.

Alex Lowry finds himself out of work, thanks to downsizing. He could go the normal route, as many did, seeking another corporate job to bore the life out of him:. his wife, Jennifer, begs him to use her father’s connections to find something “respectable.”. Of course, that doesn’t happen– and that’s where the Bentley Little we know and love, unfolds his story in prime fashion.

His ex-colleague, Britta, brainstorms a cool idea. It’s like DoorDash, GrubHub, or one of the other delivery services that rose to prominence during the dark years. Yet, instead of food or toilet paper, they deliver odd items to even odder clients. It begins innocently enough, as most of Little’s plots do, but soon takes a hard left turn. It pays well, once the business takes off. Alex finds himself enjoying his strange new profession.

There’s one problem, though. When he was a child, he saw a house behind his own. It wasn’t supposed to be there. By the laws of physics and reality, it can’t be there, but it is.

His parents died in an accident, and he moved on– until now.

The house is back. His in-laws notice it– and reality begins to unravel.

What’s behind it?

If you’re familiar with Bentley Little’s work, you know this is where things can get truly odd, but still relevant to the social issues of the day, complete with characters who embody us– although that includes the darker, stranger, hidden sides of us that we keep from the scrutinizing eyes of those on our block, our workplace, and our relationships.

Part satire, part horror story, but all entertainment, Behind  is Little’s best work in a long time. Some might say it’s a straight-up ghost story or haunted tale, but fans know it’s something deeper.

The writing is smooth and deceptive. It might appear simple at first, but readers will find themselves immersed in the language and relevance to who and what we are.

It’s a fascinating, terrifying novel, and one that comes highly recommended. What makes a great horror novel is the people who inhabit them. Little has always known this and loves to screw with his readers– and they love him for it.

Reviewed by David Simms