Halcyon

In Rio Youers's Halcyon, this thriller has elements of the Lord of the Flies with a modern day twist. Think of "Hotel California" by the Eagles:  "You can check out, but you can never leave..." That's what happened to Martin Lovegrove and his family in this chilling and disturbingly dark thriller. Martin Lovegrove is a well-respected architect in New York City and has a happy life with his two daughters, Edith and Shirley, and still in love with his wife Laura. But when Edith experiences some kind of "night terrors" in the night, it's enough to wake more than the death. She had witnessed the tragic devastation of the Buffalo car bombing in her mind right after it happened. With a bit of probing, they learned she had a special psychic ability at night and had learned to use positive energy. But later, she had "streamed" a high school shooting and her mother's death. For Valerie Kemp, she's a twisted soul who had been a victim of a sadistic fetish group and dealt with four years of abuse until she fought back in a violent way. Then she discovered Gray Peaks Island, which she had called Halcyon,  right on Lake Ontario, a safe haven for disillusioned American who deal with loss and grief, while she profits from her own greed. She manipulates the people to self-destruct and destroy other people's lives. But when Martin decides to check it out for himself with his family, it's not what it seems when they meet Valerie and learn about her sordid life in the past.  This paradise island is more than lost. And when Valerie learns about Edith's special "powers" from Shirley, she would have no choice to take matters into her own hands to get what she wants until the bitter end...

This was a gripping and compelling thriller that would leave you chilled from the first page to the last. I did care for Martin and his family and how they dealt with so many hardships during the storyline. I did feel bad for Edith who had to deal with her psychic powers and how she put them to good use. But I could see how Martin dealt with loss and how supported his two daughters, on and off the island. The private island in Lake Ontario was the perfect idyllic location along with some fantastic scenes on the mainland and in New Jersey too. This would make you want to shake your head a few times, bit your lip, and could feel the pull of the psychic energy from Edith on every page.
This has non-stop action, drama, suspense, and intrigue in one mind-numbing novel.

Will you be tempted to go to Halcyon tonight?