
But he ultimately pursues a softer and more nuanced exploration of family and loss.

Singer/songwriter Darnielle’s second novel ( Wolf in White Van, 2014) opens like a dark suspense story his descriptions of the VHS scenes are written in a deadpan style to evoke maximum dread. But instead of contacting the authorities, Jeremy and his boss, Sarah Jane, conduct a freelance investigation that draws Sarah Jane to an isolated farm that seems to match the scenes in short order, Sarah Jane is cohabitating with its sole occupant, Lisa. In the era of The Blair Witch Project, it’s easy to fear the worst.

There's just some darkness and breathing in one, but another alarmingly depicts someone painting runic figures on a hooded person. Nevada, Iowa, circa 2000: Jeremy is drowsing through his job at Video Hut when patrons start tipping him to VHS tapes with eerie scenes spliced in. A clutch of adulterated rental cassettes pushes two video-store workers into a journey of discovery.
