The Hook

James Pack’s The Hook presents a narrative set in Hallowell, Maine, during 1976. Ernest Kemp arrives as an outsider after leaving the US Navy, seeking his missing wife and daughter. The local residents distrust him, a sentiment that intensifies when children begin to disappear. Ernest faces false accusations and arrest, forcing him to collaborate with Samantha Belcher, a reporter for the Kennebec Journal. Together they investigate ritualistic sacrifices linked to the killings. The story incorporates specific supernatural elements, including bullfrogs roaming the town and three new outsiders who mirror women from a century-old news article. Pack structures the plot around these converging mysteries, blending police procedural tropes with gothic horror traditions. The author draws on the tension between established communities and newcomers, using the 1970s setting to ground the supernatural events in a recognizable reality. This work suits readers who appreciate slow-burn investigations mixed with folk horror elements. It may not appeal to those seeking fast-paced action or purely historical non-fiction. The narrative relies on the interplay between Ernest’s personal desperation and Samantha’s journalistic rigor. Their partnership drives the discovery of the ritualistic nature of the crimes. The presence of the bullfrogs and the mysterious outsiders adds layers of dread to the investigation. Pack uses these specific details to build an atmosphere of isolation and suspicion within Hallowell.