Article contributed by Amerie Diaz
A secluded town in the middle of nowhere. A tight-knit community. A dark secret. That is the story investigative journalist Ellery Birsching had been working on before her death, and Backravel, Arizona, was the town she couldn’t help but come back to time and time again. A handwritten note is left behind for her daughters, one that urges them to visit Backravel for themselves. Beck will do anything to find the answers as to why her mother was fascinated with the town, so she plans a two-week stay for her and her younger sister, Riley.
From the car ride there to the moment the girls arrive in Backravel, there’s an unnerving tension lingering in the air. The town looks like it could be any ordinary town in southwest Arizona, but something’s not quite right. It appears that nobody seems to know anything about this strange neighbourhood—there’s no photos of it anywhere, no recent news, or even any information online about it. It’s as if Backravel doesn’t exist at all. Even stranger, there’s not a single car, church, or cemetery in sight. The people rely on the town’s treatment center and idolise its leader, Ricky and his daughter, Avery, in an almost cult-like way. On top of that, the residents have no idea how or when they ended up in Backravel, and they’re forgetting their past memories. The oddity of it all only leaves Beck more determined to uncover her mom’s past and the enigma surrounding Backravel.
Where Echoes Die succeeds most in its ability to set a scene, and the eeriness of the novel proves Courtney Gould to be a master of suspense. The descriptions of the town are so vivid that you can almost feel the unsettling atmosphere seeping through the pages. The residents’ peculiar behaviour and their lack of acknowledgement of the occurrences around them intensify the strangeness of Backravel. As the plot deepens, so does the sense of unease, and readers will be racing through the pages to unravel the plot.
Not only is this novel a tense mix of mystery and horror, but it is also a sincere exploration of loss and grief. Beck and Riley struggle to grapple with the death of their mother, and their grief is not sidelined for the sake of the plot but rather seamlessly woven into the fabric of the story. The sisters’ emotions and struggles are heartfelt and honest, which makes the book more enjoyable and realistic.
The novel occasionally stumbles, and this is a result of poor choices from the author. While the mystery is certainly intriguing, the plot drags on for more than it should. Since the novel is only 352 pages, it would be better if it had a tighter and more focused narrative. Moreover, the side characters, specifically Avery and Ricky feel hollow, making Beck and Riley’s interactions with them less believable. Additionally, while the atmosphere is exceptional, at times, it feels like it overshadows the main focus of the plot, causing things to become a little disjointed and predictable.
Despite these minor shortcomings, Where Echoes Die still makes for a quick and thought-provoking read. Its unique premise and blend of horror and mystery will surely leave readers desperate for more from Gould.
Where Echoes Die is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Two sisters travel to an isolated Arizona town to investigate its connection to their mother’s death, but uncover more than they bargained for in this supernatural thriller from the author of The Dead and the Dark.
Beck Birsching has been adrift since the death of her mother, a brilliant but troubled investigative reporter. She can’t stop herself from slipping into memories of happier days, longing for a time when things were more normal. So when a mysterious letter in her mother’s handwriting arrives in the mail that reads Come and find me, pointing to the small town at the center of her last investigation, Beck hopes that it may hold the answers.
But when Beck and her sister Riley arrive in Backravel, Arizona, it’s clear that something’s off. There are no cars, no cemeteries, no churches. The town is a mix of dilapidated military structures and new, shiny buildings, all overseen by a gleaming treatment center high on a plateau. No one seems to remember when they got there, and when Beck digs deeper into the town’s enigmatic leader and his daughter, Avery, she begins to suspect that they know more than they’re letting on.
As Beck and her sister search for answers about their mother, she and Avery are increasingly drawn together, and their unexpected connection brings up emotions Beck has fought to keep buried. Beck is desperate to hold onto the way things used to be, but when she starts losing herself in Backravel―and its connection to her mother― she risks losing her way back out.
In Where Echoes Die, Courtney Gould draws readers into a haunting desert town to explore grief, the weight of not letting go of the past, first love, and the bonds between sisters, mothers and daughters.
