In the passage from childhood into the adult world, certain sacrifices must be made. But for Beth Weller, the return of her boyfriend may require too great a sacrifice in the name of love.

Into the Cruel Sea, written by Rich Ristow and published by Skullvines Press, is a fast paced and sometimes brutal story. It opens with a description of the hours after Wade Thomson murdered his parents and went into the sea chasing a dream of freedom. But judging from the company he leaves with, this does not look like the passageway to living happily ever after.

From there, the story shifts to offer a harsh account of Beth’s life with her abusive father and enabling mother. Beth is alcoholic, but this is not surprising given her crappy home life. But she’s also still dealing with the bizarre circumstances of her boyfriend’s disappearance when suddenly he comes back. Wade isn’t human anymore, and even if he wants Beth to come live with him, the terms he sets are more than she’s willing to pay.

At home, Beth’s father keeps ratcheting up his abuse, almost goading her to attack him. Escaping the house to hang out with her girlfriend Jessie, Beth is given constant offers to move away and create a new life without her parents. At the same time, Wade is also pursuing Beth, and he orders her to kill her old man and move in with him. The tension very quickly mounts, and a confrontation seems inevitable. When it comes, the outcome is truly surprising.

This is a solidly paced story that makes effective monsters out of both Wade and Beth’s father. But one thing I noticed was how readers are detached from Beth’s parents because they’re not referred to on a first name basis. They were just Mr. and Mrs. Weller, or alternately as her mother and her father. They feel more like roles than people when referred to in this way. So they never registered as people in the way that Beth, Jessie, Tommy or Wade do.

With so much strong character work in all other regards, it’s a minor complaint that the parents feel hollow because of this naming convention. I’m giving the book four stars, and I’d recommend it to any fan of exceptional horror writing.

... I write dark fiction in a variety of genres. My blog contains my rants and rambles, and some short fiction that can only be found here. I can be pretty fucking offensive, so viewer discretion is advised.

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