This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here. Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted. Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds. The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until tonight. Thomas Livingston is the acclaimed author of thirteen books about the supernatural and this evening he will enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse, searching for material for his next bestseller. He will be locked inside for the weekend with no way of contacting the outside world. And although no human has stepped foot inside the structure in nearly three decades, Livingston will not be alone. In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and Billy Chizmar, combine forces to tell a chilling ghost story that will make you think twice about what is waiting for you in the dark.
Horror Novel Reviews Blog: Widow’s Point
Found footage in a book. That was the first thing that came to mind within the first pages of this novella. A man, Thomas Livingston, armed with a camcorder, a Sony digital recorder, a sleeping bag, and a few supplies to keep him alive (food) during his brief stay in the purported haunted lighthouse at Widow’s Point – this, is Widow’s Point from authors Richard and Billy Chizmar.
As is described in the back of the book (see above), there have been numerous inexplicable events that have plagued the lighthouse yet, for some reason or another, it remains a hotbed of public consumption followed by scrutiny when tragedy befalls anyone brave enough to step foot within its walls. Writer, Livingston, has paid the owner of the lighthouse for access to spend three nights in the lighthouse to garner inspiration for his next novel. Reluctantly, the sullen owner grants him access and Livingston instructs him to seal him in, locking the doors from the outside. And then, the fun begins.
Widow’s Point was a fun read that was reminiscent of Stephen King’s 1408 which is no surprise because, as you will read, the Chizmars’ show no qualms admitting to being a fan of King. 1408 features an author of the macabre and all things supernatural who writes about haunted inns and hotels when he is then made aware of the infamous room 1408 at the Hotel Dolphin in New York City. This prompts him to want to investigate and stay a night in the room despite the many warnings to sway him astray. Livingston, in Widow’s Peak, follows in the same footsteps of 1408‘s Mike Enslin where, despite the location’s horrid history, yearning for inspiration for their next hit awaits beyond the walls of the hotel room or, as in the case of this book, the lighthouse.
Given the opportunity, I think I would take it and spend the night in the haunted place! Maybe not for three nights, but for one, a least. The structure of Widow’s Point is not traditional fiction as it is written in journal or log entry form as Livingston documents his stay there whether it be by video or by voice through the recorder. Again, think Mike Enslin in King’s 1408. He painstakingly documents what he sees, feels and experiences throughout the course of each day to give his audience an idea of what the place is like in order to tie-in to his eventual book – a marketing tactic. Another feature of the book that I was intrigued by was the use of haunting illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne – a nice touch!
With regards to the scares, the Chizmars’ set the mood from the onset of the book and provides enough atmosphere to keep you on your toes throughout.
Having finished reading this, it did inspire me to take a look at one of the local lighthouses that sit on the nearby Hudson River to check out their rates for being an overnight (or two) guest. It is a place that my wife and daughter and I have visited, and I even entertained staying for a night but, of course, neither of them seemed too keen on that idea.