Abram’s Bridge
Glenn Rolfe
Samhain Publishing
January 15th, 2015
Reviewed by Marvin Vernon
Glenn Rolfe’s novella Abram’s Bridge isn’t really horror. It is more of a supernatural thriller. Nothing jumps out at you, you probably won’t have any sleepless nights, and your wimpy significant other can read it without acclaiming, “How can you read this scary stuff?”
Instead, we have a somewhat old-fashioned ghost story set in a small town with more than a dash of “coming-of-age.” It is actually a nice break from zombies and vampires to read about a ghost, and a young sweet one at that, yet the author does manage to evoke a good amount of suspense in this short but entertaining tale.
Ronald “Lil’ Ron” Sawyer is living with his father, Greg Sawyer, and grandmother after his parent’s tumultuous divorce. They have moved to his father’s hometown and Greg has taken to drinking heavily. Ron spends much of the time staying away from his home and exploring the town and its rural environment. Under a bridge by a creek, he finds a young girl who we quickly learn is a ghost. When Ron finds out the girl was murdered, he becomes obsessed with discovering who killed her even though he is afraid where his search may lead him.
As far as ghost stories go, it is a rather predictable one. Yet Rolfe makes it interesting and manages to eke out a good amount of suspense. The best thing about it is the way the author is able to maintain a small town atmosphere where everyone knows each other and secrets do not remain well hidden. As I understand it, this is Glenn Rolfe’s first published story and it is a very nice debut. The coming-of-age feel is light, yet it is there as Ron comes to terms with a secret that most a boys his age do not have to deal with.
But I wanted a bit more twist in the story. It was too predictable and straightforward at times, with the mystery’s solution too easily and too early discovered. There still is a lot to like in this combination ghost story / mystery combination. It will be interesting to see where Rolfe’s imagination takes him next time.
Note: A review copy was provided by one of our sponsors.
