Siren by John Everson

(pb; 2010)

From the back cover:

"Night after night, Evan walked along the desolate beach, grieving over the loss of his son, drowned in an accident more than a year before.  Then one night he was drawn to the luminous sound of a beautiful, naked woman singing near the shore in the moonlight.  He watched mesmerized as the mysterious woman disappeared into the sea.  Driven by desire and temptation, Evan returned to the spot every night until he found her again.  Now he has begun a bizarre, otherworldly affair.  A deadly affair.  For Evan will soon realize that his seductive lover is a being far more evil and more terrifying than he ever imagined.  He will learn the danger of falling into the clutches of the Siren."


Review:

Siren is a fun B-flick horror novel that sports a big sense of humor. In order to fully enjoy it (as I didn't), one should be okay with the fact that its lead character's supernatural obsession with the Siren (Ligeia) strains credulity. If you can get past that, you'll probably enjoy this book a lot.

What kept me reading Siren - which would made an excellent novella - was its fast-paced plot, its sometimes-funny dialogue (I love Evan's verbal exchanges with his friend Bill) and Everson's overall solid (despite its extended length) writing.  By most writer's standards this is a good book, and it is, up to a point.  However, when compared to Everson's genre-transcendant novels Covenant, Sacrifice and Violet Eyes, Siren feels like a missed opportunity at B-horror greatness, an overlong trifle.

Either check this out from the library or pick it up for a few bucks.