Shudder Pulp

Arranging an exhibit “Inspired by Shudder Pulp dime magazines and the legend of our very own lake monster” promises to be a fun project for artist Charley Scott, curator of her small-town Canada art gallery. Local lore about the Nessie-like monster should be enough to draw the curious, but it makes one local, Laura Bouchard, very upset. Laura shows up at the gallery angry and dishevelled, with two things she’s adamant about. First, she was just attacked by the lake monster. Second, Charley had better not go ahead with this exhibit. When Laura is later found dead of “dry drowning,” or dying of water inhalation hours after the fact, Charley sets to work getting to the bottom of the myth and what really happened to Laura. Cozy fans will enjoy the small-town tale that’s complete with eccentric locals, a chocolate shop that offers a worrying subplot, and Charley’s steadfast dog. Darker elements are added: Laura was not well liked in the town, for example, and elements of witchcraft creep in, making this a tale both for cozy fans and for those who like a more sinister mystery. This is the second in the series, and readers will want to go back to the first installment, Cover Art.