With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed-up true-crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback, one more shot at the bestselling success he once enjoyed. His chance comes when he’s promised exclusive access to death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the notorious cult leader and mass murderer who’s ready to break his silence after thirty years, and who contacted Lucas personally from his maximum-security cell. With nothing left to lose, Lucas leaves New York to live and work from the scene of the crime: a split-level farmhouse on a gray-sanded beach in Washington State whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners—runaways who were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. There, Lucas sets out to capture the real story of the departed faithful. Except that he’s not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life…and within these walls, they’re far from dead.
Horror Book Review Blog: Within These Walls
Ania Ahlborn is an Indie author I have not heard of, but after numerous praise for her novel, Brother, I had to get my feet wet and look her up. But, instead of picking up Brother, I started elsewhere with Within These Walls, as one would do. After reading the first couple of chapters, I was hooked and immersed in the plight of our protagonist, Lucas Graham. Graham is at the cusp of the downfall of both his marriage and career as a writer when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself in the form of a letter. The letter is from Jeffrey Halcomb, a famed cult leader who garnered notoriety after hosting a mass suicide of his followers, one of whom was the daughter of a New York senator, in the 1980s. Halcomb neglected to partake in the suicide and instead went on to prison, taking his secrets along with him, that is until he decides to open up about that fateful night to true-crime writer, Lucas Graham.
Of course, such an opportunity comes at a cost, and Halcomb’s price involves Graham having to stay at the home where these atrocities occurred all those years ago. It was a hail Mary that Graham felt compelled to take, with his teenage daughter in tow, to help try to salvage his seemingly defunct writing career. But why did Halcomb want Lucas to live there while he worked on his book? A mystery, as they say, ensues.
Ahlborn painted a picture of both isolation and an air of creepiness along the western coast of Washington, a few hours away from the bustling city of Seattle. What this book lacked in scares, it made up for in story and the aforementioned atmosphere. The story, however, was both a blessing as well and its downfall as it started to lose steam towards the tail end of the book. Still, I enjoyed this first foray into this new (to me) indie author, and I anticipate reading more of her work as she won me over with her writing and storytelling. While its climax was rather anticlimactic and the punch line to its conclusion was somewhat predictable, the journey there was enjoyable.