Our Trespasses by Michael Cordell

 
Our Trespasses by Michael Cordell
My Rating: ★

I received a copy from TCK Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Matthew Davis fled his hometown a decade ago and never looked back, he never expected that the murder of his twin brother, Jake, would be what brings him back. Now that he’s back home in Hatchet, Nebraska, he’s stuck pretending he’s been living the good life in New York rather than flipping burgers for a living. Matt would rather get in and out of town as fast as possible, but the psychic connection between him and Jake is stronger than ever… and Jake is in hell.

I picked this book up expecting a horror novel, but I would sooner classify it as a light paranormal mystery than horror. We follow Matt as he discovers the psychic connection he’s spent the last decade trying to minimize is stronger than ever now that his brother is dead. Not much happens in the book until we get closer to the end, so we mostly follow him as he sort of catches up with a few people in his hometown. Honestly, the only character that I really liked in this book is Matt’s old friend and now priest, Andy. He really was a breath of fresh air and lit up the chapters he was in.

While this was a quick read, I was definitely expecting a much bigger horror aspect, especially with the Devil himself noticing the connection between Matt and Jake. After a while, I started to wonder if Jake was just fooling around and found a way to get out of hell that didn’t actually involve any other entities. Even when Lucifer allegedly inhabits Matt’s body, it seemed more like it was Jake echoing the things he’s learned about the people of Hatchet in hell. I’m on the fence about whether or not it was just Jake all along, especially because Lucifer could’ve shown up at the end and he was nowhere to be seen.

Like I was saying, not much happens until closer to the end of the book. It picks up speed about a quarter to the end, which is also when things really start happening. This makes it a pretty easy read. If you’re looking for a horror novel, I’d say pass on this because it’s much more of a light paranormal mystery. However, if you’re looking for a short and slow paced light paranormal mystery, this might be up your alley.