The Return is the debut thriller from Rachel Harrison, who has written 8 more since 2020. This has been called a feminist horror novel - there are no male characters - just four old friends on a 'girl's trip', combined with gore-drenched terror.
I found it disjointed, with memorable ideas yet overall amateurish execution.
Julie had disappeared two years ago to the day when she returned, found on her front porch swing; same clothing with no recollection of her time away. She vanished while hiking alone, and as the months and years went by her friends Molly, Mae, and Elise grieved her, even having a ceremony after a year with Julie's husband Tristan. Our narrator Elise never believed she was dead, as they were the closest of friends.
Molly is the glamorous one, Mae a cancer survivor, Elise hasn't got her act together yet, and Julie was the drama, wanting to be an actress. Mae gets them together for a reunion at a designer Inn in the Catskills. It is definitely Julie, but not as they remember; emaciated with sallow skin, bloodshot eyes, chipped teeth, freezing hands, and stringy hair. She has a putrid stench. No one wants to upset her, but no one wants to touch her. She is also a vegetarian who now ravenously eats meat. So, you would probably go home at this point.
Aside from Julie, Elise finds her room freezing cold, furniture moved when she leaves a room, luggage thrown across the floor, and strange shadows reach out in the corner of her eye. Soon staff members begin to disappear and there is a foul reek in the halls, blood dripping from the ducts. But nevermind, let's do the crepe class and watch an old movie. No one decides to leave.
A call to Tristan reveals since she returned Julie has been sleeping outside and eating raw meat from the fridge, so Elise is not surprised to find Julie in her room noisily feeding on something bloody, guttural juices dripping down her chin, growling.
They are all relieved to see Julie is looking better, shiny curly hair and colour in her cheeks. Let's do the painting class and have pizza party watching reality TV.
Hello, I think you should be going.
By the time Elise finds the bathroom walls coated in blood, the hotel decides to close due to lack of staff. Will they get out with a massive storm approaching? What is that distant obscure screaming? and Mae - are capri pants coming back?
In the last 50 pages, the novel turns to pure horror - and this is what we came for: disgusting gore and unearthly terror. This part works well - I just wish the previous story had tension, and some believability. The idea for a horror version of a girls trip is good, but this read very choppy and I wasn't surprised to see it was a debut novel. The friendships are genuine, the characters well formed, they are just bounced around in unrealistic ways that was disappointing. Their actions just defied belief. However, this is not literature, just a pop thriller with no resemblance to reality, and like a Hallmark movie, it doesn't have to be realistic to be enjoyed. I hesitate to say do not read it, but I was let down.
2020 / Tradeback / 298 pages
Nah, not for me.
Neeru