The eeriness of what lies beneath the ocean is the haunting core of The Dunfield Terror by William Meikle. Off the coast of Canada, we dive into parallel tales of science and nature. Meikle takes the reader on a journey where every glow makes your heart beat a bit faster.
It starts with a strange glowing fog that arrives at the height of a snowstorm.
A terror from the past has returned, bringing with it death and destruction that threatens to overrun the town. The old stories tell of a post-war experiment gone wrong, one that opened the way for the fog—or whatever was behind it—to begin its reign of terror.
A small team of workmen are the last hope to keep their town alive through the long, storm-filled night. But the many horrors that await them are beyond anyone’s worst nightmares.
As a big fan of subtle horror, The Dunfield Terror really piqued my interest. Fog is at the core of many horror stories but Miekle takes a different turn. With each clue in the mystery of what is effecting this small town, we wonder if the evil was created or innate. This thought helps to keep the reader guessing until the very end and it truly made the story better.
The characters don’t quite drive the story. Instead, the mystery element is like some grand protagonist whom we can’t quite tell if they’re evil or not. The human elements seem to be nearly bystanders but they serve their roles well. There was the mad scientist and his journaling sidekick, the white knight whose quest was to the save the town and even a tired innkeeper. None of these characters were especially memorable or well written but they didn’t need to be. It was honestly fine that they simply stuck to their roles as it simplified the narrative to what actually mattered.
There are many stories which speak of the mystery beneath the ocean, but I never seem to tire of them in The Dunfield Terror, which hits all of the required marks for a decent read in this category. It’s a bit spooky, had a nice feature of past and present storylines and leaves the reader wondering. Ultimately, it’s not a must-read but still hits the spot for a haunting seaside tale.