Tippi Hedron Had It Easy! (A Review Of "Best Left Buried")

     I've read a  lot of horror novels over the years. Some I've long ago forgotten, and others have stayed with me forever. Cindy Hutchins novel, "Best Left Buried" is very likely to be in the latter category. This thrill ride of a novel is creepy and, at just 266 pages in eBook format, is easy enough to read in one night. Which is good, because you really don't want to stop reading once the story has pulled you into its net.

     Dr. Arliss Pardot has no memory of most of the first 11 years of her life in Morganton, N.C. preceding the time she was removed from the care of her mother after being found in a dilapidated cabin full of birds and a dead body. Her mother is sent to a mental institution, and Arliss is adopted by a family far from home. Now living a successful life in New York, Arliss receives a call telling her that her mother has died. Although she doesn't remember her mother, or her life in Morganton, Arliss flies to North Carolina to arrange the funeral. Once there, she finds that she and her mother have become part of legend to the folks in Morganton, and events quickly start taking a turn to the supernatural. Secrets long buried start to come to light, and horror follows each revelation. As the title implies, and several characters say in the novel, some secrets are "best left buried". Legions of birds, a crazy snake-handling preacher, a demonic entity, and black magic all combine to bring the story to a conclusion that you really don't see coming until you near the end of the story.

     Cindy Hutchins has crafted a taut tale of terror here, with wonderfully realized characters, and a story that sticks with you long after you finish the last page. There is a lot of depth to the story here, which is an amazing accomplishment for a novel of such a short length. Other writers could need a few hundred extra pages to tell this story so fully, but Hutchins skillfully gets you inside the mind  and motivations of every character. It is refreshing to read a novel that doesn't take a thousand pages to tell the story, but still leaves you feeling fully satisfied. This novel could easily be made into a movie without having to leave out anything, unlike so many bestsellers. The chills are maximized to best effect, and don't seem to stop from the time Arliss hits North Carolina, keeping the reader engrossed to the very last period hits the page.

I heartily recommend this novel to anyone who likes a good shiver to crawl down their spine while they read. Cindy is definitely a voice in the field of horror that I am looking forward to hearing a lot more from. do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy of "Best Left Buried" as soon as you can.