Author: Ian Lewis
Genre: Low Fantasy
Year Published: 2017
Nerdection Rating:
“Nerdection Worth to read”
The Camaro Murders is the first book in The Driver Series by Ian Lewis. It’s an experimental novella told from four different characters’ points of view as the audience uncovers what happened to Starla, a young girl who went missing.
Spoiler Free Plot
The Camaro Murders is a unique mystery that is perfect if you’re looking for a quick, thought-provoking read. The author notes at the beginning of the book how the story is told out of chronological order but is intended to be read that way. The experience of tying every character’s stories together is one of the highlights of reading this book!
The story takes place in the small town of Graehling Station and a place known as The Fold. The Fold is a place where souls go after death, they’re brought to The Fold by drivers who pass between realms to gather them.
We follow Sheriff Eustace Hildersham as he re-opens a cold case for the Camaro Murders. He was the only one at the time who knew the mysterious black Camaro was somehow tied to Starla’s disappearance and after the suspicious death of Ezra Mendelssohn, he believes they are linked.
August Burroughs, Culver Crisp, and the Driver are all of the other POVs we read from in varying orders throughout the book.
Ian Lewis paints a picture of a small-town crime that has left a lasting impact on the community and through the course of the book we uncover the truth of what happened.
My Thoughts on The Camaro Murders(some spoilers)
Through the different points of view, the reader is privy to aspects of Starla’s disappearance from entirely different angles. One of the most interesting to read was Culver Crisp’s.
Culver and Starla were childhood friends and the scenes where Culver describes the crush he had on Starla were adorable and heartwarming. After some of their classmates dare them to venture into the woods during recess and touch the door of a school official, Culver returns but Starla does not. Culver feels responsible and carries her disappearance with him his entire life.
The Driver knows when it’s time for a soul to be brought into The Fold, so he was waiting in the field when Starla was killed. Her murder was the first he’d ever witnessed, affecting him badly. His job isn’t to intervene or alter the intended events, but when Starla’s killer tries to attack another child he can’t help but step in leading to an unexpected death and the child who was supposed to die living beyond their time.
Sheriff Hildersham has seen the black Camaro. He knows there is a connection, especially after he sees drawings Culver made of the car with a young girl sitting in the passenger seat.
Seeing these three stories intersect in such an interesting way made this a very compelling read. From each perspective, we got new information about the crime.
We find out what happened pretty quickly in the book, but the payoff as a reader isn’t about who killed Starla but what happened after.
The Fold is a very unique setting as well. The Driver reminded me a lot of the Grim Reaper though a lot less sinister. They were a good introduction to The Fold as well. Most of what we know about it comes from the Driver when the souls cross over and wake up there.
One of my favorite parts of the book were the creepy little wanderling children who may or may not try to eat the new souls that venture into the fog.
I loved that even though there was dark material the author was sensitive and avoided giving the readers too much of the graphic details of the events. There were some very interesting and creepy scenes with the character Tickseed as well that caught my eye and had me raising my eyebrows while reading.
Overall, this is a quick read that people who like mysteries and supernatural thrillers would enjoy!
Rating:
This book is suitable for 17+ readers. given some of the content matter.
Content Warnings:
child death, sexual abuse, animal abuse, animal death, murder
About The Author Of The Camaro Murders
Ian Lewis prefers not to be bound by a particular genre. Though the inspiration for his work varies, it often finds roots in something he dreamt. He strives for a gritty realism and maintains an interest in the humanity of his characters. His hope is that readers find themselves haunted by his stories in the sense that the narrative sticks with them long after they’ve finished reading, leaving them with a subtle restlessness for more.
