Smoke, in Crimson, by Greg F, Gifune

by Greg F. Gifune

"Haunted by his dark past and an array of addictions that destroyed his life, Deacon is a man adrift, a lost soul trying to piece back together all that’s been lost. One of his darkest addictions was his relationship with the sexy, enigmatic and seductive Fay Dillon. But their time together ended in horror and sorrow, so when Deacon receives a call informing him Fay’s gone missing, he returns to the small beach town where he grew up, and the cottage on the dunes Deacon and Fay once shared years before. A place of drunken, drug and sex-fueled binges, it summons all the madness of his time there, and drags Deacon back into the tempest that is Fay Dillon.

And this time there may be no escape, because Deacon knows who Fay really is. What she is. What he is. What they both may still be. To find the answers, Deacon must not only return to the cottage, but to the bleakest, darkest parts of nearby Boston, and the depraved underground circles they ran in years earlier, where drugs, alcohol and sex were far from their only compulsions. And now, amidst a whirlwind of black magic, unthinkable violence and the demonic horrors of their past, Deacon must confront both the blood on Fay’s hands, and his own.

He’s about to realize Fay’s not missing at all, but waiting. Elusive as smoke, she waits for him, for those who awaken and watch from the shadows, and for the flow of blood that forever binds the past to the present and the present to the future.

Love hurts…when it’s to the death.

Paperback

Published November 1, 2023

About the author

Called "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene, Greg F. Gifune is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. His work has been published in a wide range of magazines and anthologies all over the world, and has recently garnered interest from Hollywood. His novels include The Bleeding Season, Deep Night, Saying Uncle, A View From The Lake, Night Work, Drago Descending, Blood In Electric Blue and Dominion.

Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books. 

The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer.  Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.

The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats. 

Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg F. Gifune’s ‘Smoke, in Crimson’ is an absolute marvel of a book. Gifune’s writing skills make reading this a unique experience: it’s not just a story, it’s also a mood, it’s horror of the highest literary value. The plot is straightforward: the mysterious, haunted and dark-souled Fay has gone missing; her father calls on her ex-boyfriend’s help; but Deakon, the said ex-boyfriend, knows far more about Fay than anyone realizes; and, bit by bit, the veil is drawn and the reality shows itself in all its horrific splendor. As a reader, I was quite unsure where the horror aspects were going to creep in: the narrative pulled me in, with its symbolic allusions, word play, and its fantastical imagery, but it was only with the sudden realization of what Fay and Deakon really are, that I understood how the horror was there all along, right from the start - unspoken. In fact, the key word is never spoken at all (and I’m not going to spoil it either). This was a bold move, I felt, but I also feared that ultimately Gifune may end up overcomplicating the narrative. Nothing of the sort: the story developed into a gory and fully convincing exploration of the inner darkness of the human soul, never missing a step, with great dialogue and superb visuals. Gifune’s book is definitely one that you need to take your time with, as flashbacks come and go, faces appear and disappear, love stories fire up and fizzle out, with one constant, though, namely blood. So if you’re thinking of diving into this book, and you should, don’t forget to put your thinking cap on. ‘Smoke, in Crimson’ is a great read with a most satisfying ending you should not miss!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Cemetery Dance for providing a review copy.
I wanted to love this book, but instead I just liked it. It was fine. The writing is gorgeous and I enjoyed the plot device of never coming out and saying some things. (Unfortunately, to say more about this would be to reveal a major spoiler.) The whole thing felt a bit overly long and drawn out, but ultimately I liked the book. 3.25 stars