Like most readers, I have my preferences, but it’s always a good idea to try a book outside of your comfort zone. In the Mystery and Thriller genre, the subgenre most outside my comfort zone is horror. When I saw that Jackal made a “best of 2022” book list, I knew I wanted to try it. What did I think? Check out my Review of Jackal by Erin E Adams
Jen’s Quick Take on Jackal by Erin E Adams
- Takes a very common suspense trope and then puts it on steroids
- A small town with dark secrets setting
- Good for those suspense readers who want to experiment with horror
Published on October 4, 2022 by Bantam
Review of Jackal by Erin E Adams
This review will be about my experience reading Jackal. I thought it was an incredibly impressive book that was not only beautifully crafted but also a deeply emotional read.
It was also a book that I, as a new-to-horror reader, still had many questions about.
I’m happy to share my thoughts and I’d love to hear yours, about either the book or the horror genre.
Jackal starts with a favorite mystery/thriller trope of mine: the main character’s reluctant return to their small town. It’s always a town that hides dark secrets and possibly some evil. It’s a good starting point for any suspenseful book!
I liked Liz a lot as a character as I related a lot to her. She grew up in Johnstown as an outsider, one of only two Black girls in her class. Her mother, a doctor who came to the U.S. from Haiti, still lives in town.
Liz has some trust issues and isn’t thrilled to be back in Johnstown. But she’s there for the wedding of her high school best friend, Mel. The wedding will unite two families: Mel’s white family and Garrett’s Black one. The bride and groom-to-be have a young daughter, Caroline, whom Liz adores.
During the wedding, Liz is watching Caroline. Liz runs inside for just a minute to grab something to drink. When she returns, Caroline has vanished.
The rest of the story follows the police investigation and Liz’s parallel (and surreptitious) investigation.
At first, Liz’s drive to find Caroline is driven by grief and guilt. Then she begins to wonder why so many Black girls in Johnstown went missing or died under mysterious circumstances. As she begins asking questions, Liz finds a secret network of grieving families, all of whom want answers.
The book is narrated by Liz but also (I think) by the bloodthirsty Jackal. The identity of whom shall remain SECRET in this post.
The end of the book (and I am now seeing that this is how horror books go lol) shifts away from clues and logic and into something more subconscious, more primal, even a little paranormal.
For me as a total left-brained person, that also puts me in the realm of WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? There is a resolved ending, so don’t be worried about that, but not everything was clear to me.
As a newcomer to the horror subgenre, I am learning that in horror (and paranormal thrillers) not everything has a logical explanation.
I understand the world by observation and looking for fact patterns. Horror seems (to me) more a way of expressing and understanding the world in way that is more visceral and metaphorical. I admit that feelings often get left out of mysteries, which seek to make everything all tidy and tied-up. When in reality, crimes aren’t always solved and violence leaves lasting psychic scars on everyone involved.
There were things about the resolution of Jackal that I am still puzzling over. As discussed above, horror books can often feel a little exaggerated and unreal to me and sometimes it’s hard for me to reconcile things that don’t make logical sense. (I know, total left brain.)
I have also started to read more about Horror Noire, movies and books that use the horror genre to portray the Black experience, but also to center Black characters as protagonists rather than stereotyped token characters or victims.
I HIGHLY recommend Jackal to horror readers. I also recommend it to lovers of the “evil in a small town” trope.
I will definitely be adding Jackal to my post on Black Women Mystery and Thriller Writers, and possibly working on a new post on horror books. We’ll see!
What Else Has Erin E Adams Written?
This is her debut novel! You can check out her website. She is a first-generation Haitian American writer who earned a BA with honors in literary arts from Brown University, an MFA in acting from The Old Globe and USD Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, and an MFA in dramatic writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is an award-winning playwright and actor.
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