Dig

by J.H. Markert

The soil on Crow Island holds secrets, and they’re ready to be unearthed.

J.H. Markert returns with a surreal horror novel perfect for fans of Graveyard Shift and What Moves the Dead.

Eight years ago, a boy took up an axe and slaughtered a dozen people. That odd, troubled boy, Jericho Dodd, has been dead and buried in his father’s yard for years, but ever since that massacre, Crow Island has been a dark and unsettling place.

When Jericho’s father begins digging up the past he buried, a compulsion to dig sweeps over the island and soon everyone else is obsessively churning up dirt, desperate to uncover buried secrets. The compulsion leads to violence and as neighbors turn against each other, the island’s famous tupelo honey, harvested from trees deep in a swamp, changes too.

As dread and paranoia seep up from the ground, it becomes clear that the island itself needs something from its residents–before it digs itself apart for good.

Be careful what you unearth from the dirt before this surreal horror novel can worm its way into you, too.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Fantasy

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2026

About the author

Also writes under James Markert.

J. H. Markert is a producer, screenwriter, husband, and father of two from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was also a tennis pro for 25 years. He graduated with a degree in History from the University of Louisville.

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you dig it???? Dig: A Thriller is dark, creepy, atmospheric, addictive, chilling, and horrific! To quote the author "I dug it."Dig: A Thriller was instantly gripping and I loved the eerie vibe which flowed throughout the book! This book also has dread, a whole lot of digging, acts of violence, and an ominous feel. I was drawn to this book like bees to honey. I could not put it down! J.H. Markert did not disappoint! You can feel that something isn't quite right, but what???

Crow Island has a dark and checkered past which involves slavery and violence. Those who live on the island come from families that have lived there for generations. The island is full of secrets tht run deep. To get to them, you might need to dig! Eight years ago, Jericho Dodd, a young and strange boy, picked up an axe and murdered a dozen people. When his father begins to dig, something is unleashed which causes those on the island to feel a compulsion to dig and acts of violence ensue...

As I mentioned this book was addictive and hard to put down. I loved the creepy and supernatural elements of the book. I also loved the folklore element of Boo Hags. You will need to read for yourself to find out more. I enjoyed the characters and how fleshed out they were from the overworked stressed Sheriff, to Amy, the twin of one of the victims of Jericho Dodd, and to Nate, Jericho's brother. I felt for all of them and rooted for them. As the book progresses all will be put to the test in one way or another.

I enjoyed how this book slowly gets under the reader's skin. I love books where you can feel the dread. You know how movies utilize music to build the suspense or to get viewers heart rates elevated? Most of us know the Jaws song that lets you know the shark is about to make an appearance, or the music in Star Wars, or the music in Halloween that lets us know Michael Myers is about, you get the picture. You might not be able to get the buzzing of bees out of your mind with this book! I thought J.H. Merkert did a great job of building the suspense and getting my heart rate elevated in Dig: A Thriller.

Dark, unsettling, addictive, well thought out, perfectly paced, and hard to put down!

4.5 stars

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man goes back to a quiet island after his father dies, but something feels very wrong as soon as he arrives. People are digging everywhere, strange things are happening, and it feels like the island is hiding something.

The story takes place on Crow Island, a small place with a dark past. Years ago there was a brutal massacre, and now the town still feels haunted by it. When Nate returns, he sees Amy, who reminds him of someone he lost, and together they start to question what is really going on. The more they look into things, the more secrets they uncover.

At first there are a lot of characters and it took me a little time to keep up, but once I got into it I was hooked. Nate is easy to follow and I liked the connection between him and Amy. The people on the island all feel a bit off, which adds to the tension.

The setting was one of my favorite parts. The island feels creepy and heavy, like something bad is always just under the surface. The strange animals and local stories make it even more unsettling. It is a slower paced story, but it keeps building and pulling you in.

There is a mix of mystery and horror, with a touch of the supernatural that works really well. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed compared to how strong the start was, and I wanted a bit more time with it. But overall I really liked this book. It was eerie, different, and kept me interested the whole way through.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

[J.H. Markert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dug it.

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crow Island off the coast of Georgia is one that has been marred by violence. Eight years prior, the Reverend’s son went on a murderous rampage with an ax during the Fourth of July celebration. The island has tried to move on, but something from that day seems to still be lingering in the air. This isn’t the first act of violence the island has seen. Embedded in its history is the folklore of the Boo Hags, and it is believed they may be behind some of this violence that is occurring. After the Reverend has been found dead, his last message to his surviving son was to dig. When Nate arrives at the island trying to decipher what his dad meant, he gets a sudden urge to dig, as do several of the other islanders. They begin digging, for what or why they don’t know. It’s an itch that must be scratched.


I loved the setting of this novel and the incorporation of the Gullah Geechee history. Having lived off the coast of South Carolina/Georgia for several years, I was able to visualize this setting completely. The eeriness was top-notch and I always love a story with folklore.

What I really would have loved to have seen more of was the history of the island. It would’ve been a great timeline shift to go back and see it through Blue Bottles’ eyes, as opposed to just a quick telling near the end. There was so much history to the island that I would’ve loved to have gotten to explore it a bit more. Another aspect I would’ve liked to have seen more of would have been another timeline shift this time prior to the massacre. There was a dynamic between Amy and Jericho that felt like it needed more backstory. For me, it would’ve added a little bit more depth to the characters within the story delving further into their pasts. The book takes place mostly in the present, and some of it became a bit repetitious that it could’ve benefited from a bit of backstory to break it up.

I seem to find folklore novels, one of my favorite subgenres of horror, and this was no exception. So far, I’ve really enjoyed everything this author has brought to the table. I look forward to seeing what else this author has in store for us.

[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know about you guys but I am a huge fan of James Markert. I absolutely love his books.

Eight years ago, a boy took up an axe and slaughtered a dozen people. Jericho Dodd has been dead and buried in his father’s yard for years. When Jericho’s father begins digging up the past, everyone begins to dig and it turns into total mayhem.

It’s unsettling and get ready for everyone to turn mad. Definitely give this a read if you enjoy your stories unsettling and disturbing.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Huge thanks to James for the gifted copy

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the scariest book ever written- nay, the scariest book that will ever BE written... about honey.

The sudden death of the Reverend Dodd, finding him with a stump hand covered in honey, and ultimately finding his diary will uncover the secrets about the massacre 8 years ago on the island. His 10 year old son killed a dozen people with an ax, ending with his suicide. Ten years old, yes, but also 6 feet tall. There was always something not right about that kid. The Sheriff, the reverend, his older brother Nate (now a teacher) and Nate's girlfriend at the time, Amy, who is also the twin sister of one of the victims.

As they put together what happened in the past with the sudden death of the reverend now, there is more and more about monsters, about the island itself, and red crows.

This has heavy Stephen King and Jurassic Park vibes. I can say that JH Markert's horror novels have exquisite pacing, and this is certainly no different. They are creepy, with great dialogue and reveals at just the right moment. You won't want to go to bed until you finish.... and once you finish you won't want to go to bed!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC. Book to be published March 24, 2026.

[Kelli W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A riot of misdirections and confusion. Which are only good qualities if a foundation exists. In J.H. Markert's newest, the latter was lacking.

Markert is a quality writer. I haven't liked every book he's authored. However, the ones I have liked, were great. For that reason, I will always look forward to picking up his newest releases.

This story had much of the pieces. There is something here that could've been. Somehow, there was no cohesion, no thread connecting each story line. Discombobulated.

It read, scary things are happening to different people, and sometimes, those different people ended up running into each other. And that's their connection. End scene.

The two main protagonists, Amy and Nate, were paper thin. A back story and details were provided. Yet, it did not connect with the character, as such, the reader also failed to connect with each character. This is..... a really good draft.

There is a supporting character, who in my opinion, saves this book to a three star. Interested to learn how others receive the book!

[Ashley Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight years ago, a troubled boy named Jericho Dodd picked up an axe and left a massacre in his wake, forever staining Crow Island with blood and whispers. Jericho is long dead, buried in his father's yard... but the island never truly laid him to rest. Now, something is stirring. When Jericho's father begins digging up what was meant to stay hidden, a strange and uncontrollable compulsion spreads across the island. One by one, residents are driven to claw at the earth, desperate to unearth secrets best left buried. As the digging intensifies, so does the violence. Neighbors turn on neighbors and suspicion festers. With paranoia as thick as the swamp and dread seeping from the soil, it becomes clear that Crow Island isn't just haunted by its past... it's hungry.

Dig is one of those slow creeping horror books that doesn't just tell a story, it seeps into you. The premise alone hooked me. A massacre, a buried past and a town literally compelled to dig it back up? I'm here for it! But it is the atmosphere that really got under my skin. Crow Island felt alive, heavy, suffocating and hungry. The horror builds slowly. It's not constant jumpscares or over the top gore but rather paranoia and the awful feeling that something is wrong and only going to get worse. Some parts are a bit slower than others but in my opinion it just ramps up the dread factor even more. This isn't a quick and easy read. It's eerie, layered and a little disorienting at times but if you love horror that is atmospheric and weird this one's for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, J. H Markert, and Crooked Lane Books for both the eARC and physical copy!

[James 🦤 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for giving me access to this ARC!

The premise of this book is very interesting, but unfortunately, I was not a fan of the way it was executed.

The three main characters--Amy, Nate, and Sheriff Kilbourne--were all theoretically interesting, but despite the book focusing very heavily on digging deep into their characters, all three of them felt somewhat...surface level to me. They did not feel particularly like real people who existed beyond this story, despite the depth the author tried to give them. Sheriff Kilbourne particularly does not have an arc that makes much sense or feels particularly satisfying by the conclusion.

A smaller gripe, but as a teacher Nate was set up immediately as an unlikable character. Part of his background is that he is a middle school teacher who is being placed on leave for grabbing a student hard enough to leave a bruise in order to stop a bullying incident. This is seemingly added to make Nate question if he might "snap" like his brother, but this never goes anywhere, is barely brought up, and Nate does not grow or experience introspection over it at all. More over, the fact that he *grabbed a middle student hard enough to leave a bruise* is treated as a nonissue that only became an issue because the student came from a wealthy family. The only other time it is brought up by Lauren, it is framed as something valiant and she says she told the principal if Nate went, she would also quit, thus saving him from suspension. Again, speaking as a middle school teacher, that entire chain of events is completely ridiculous and I am not a fan. I think it's just an example of knowing too much about what I'm reading, but I can assure you that's not how that would go at all and did not endear me to Nate at all. The fact that it leads absolutely no where and contributes virtually nothing to the book other than making Nate unlikable from the jump does not help.

Sheriff Kilbourne did not have to be a POV character. His arc does not feel meaningfully concluded at all. Moreover, he became a little annoying because the narrative changed between referring to him as Sheriff Kilbourne, Laurence, and Laurence Kilbourne seemingly at random. This wouldn't be jarring at all if it was how characters were referring to him, but this is happening within his own POV chapters.

Amy is interesting in theory and could have been set up for something great, but like Kilbourne he arc doesn't meaningfully go anywhere. More egregiously, she gets an epilogue boyfriend to try and compensate for it.

The plot is incredibly repetitive. It's unfortunate because again the premise and the reality of what was happening was all really cool.

The worst part for me is that in this Southern Gothic novel where characters are living on plantations the only living and named black character falls into the Magical Negro trope. The author tries to reckon with the violent and racist past of the descendants of racist slave owners, but it falls incredibly flat...and then to have that on top of a character falling into one of the most well known racist tropes in fiction? This seriously needed a black sensitivity reader or something because handled correctly, much like the plot and this flat cardboard characters, this could have been REALLY INTERESTING if handled correctly.

[Susan Belman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was… so weird. And I mean that in the best way.
Dig is one of those stories where you’re not entirely sure what’s going on for a good chunk of it—but instead of being frustrating, it actually works. It kept me constantly guessing, trying to piece things together, and questioning everything.
The setup alone is unsettling: a massacre, a boy buried in his father’s yard, and a town that never really recovered. Then suddenly, years later, people start feeling this overwhelming need to dig. And once that starts? Things spiral fast.
What I loved most was the atmosphere. It’s heavy, eerie, and just plain off. The kind of story where dread slowly creeps in and doesn’t let go. The island itself almost feels like a character—something is wrong with it, and you can feel it in every chapter.
Genre-wise, it’s a blend of horror, thriller, and something almost sci-fi/surreal, which made it feel really unique. You’re never quite grounded, and that adds to the tension.
And yes—you will be confused at times. But it’s the good kind of confusion, where you’re leaning in instead of checking out.

[BiblioPeeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

"History may bury the bad seeds...but it doesn't mean they're gone."

Oof—the lore of Crow Island, a massacre by a boy with an axe, and the seeping dread grabbed me immediately and didn't let go! Eight years ago when Jericho Dodd was just ten years old, he went on a killing spree. Folks had always felt a 'wrongness' about the boy. Now after a shocking event involving Jericho's father, a strange compulsion has swept over the residents of the island causing them to dig, physically—and metaphorically.

Told primarily in three rotating POVs and shifting from past to present, the strange history of the island and long-kept secrets of those living there are slowly unearthed as the urge to dig, dig, dig—in the backyard and in their lives—overcomes everyone. Narrators 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞, 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙩 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚, and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 add to the rising unease with their haunting performances. As people become more and more obsessed with digging, unhinged violence escalates while the majority of folks band together to find answers.

Reminiscent of old-school 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜, the story gives 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 mixed with 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 vibes, but with mysterious bees, strange tupelo honey and paranoia-inducing nightmares. 𝙅.𝙃. 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙩 homes in on the power of generational trauma, belief, and imagination—showcasing his own stunning creativity—with lush and vivid prose. Thought-provoking and simmering with dread rather than outright scary, this is much different than his previous crime-forward thrillers—it leans into otherworldly fantasy that is spellbinding. Long-time fans will appreciate the easter eggs from his previous novels. If you're a fan of gothic folklore, small-town isolation, and good versus evil, then you'll want to grab your shovel for Dig!
____

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Spotify Audiobooks for my gifted copies. All opinons are my own and given voluntarily.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars


Dig by J.H. Markert is a horror novel about an island and tupelo honey.


Let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Crooked Lane Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WOW... another winner from this author! 

Anyway, I loved how the author took a superstition (boo hags) and brought them to life.  Personally I had never heard of them before, but you can google them.  They were a great addition to this book.  The plot, as are most written by this author, was a little "out there". The island's history played a big part in that plot.  I loved it.

The characters were interesting, each bringing their own problem to the story. The island itself was a character, filled with rather unusual components. The tale was told from the perspectives of Amy, Nate, and the Sherriff.   Alternating POV's worked well.  However, somehow I didn't feel connected emotionally to the characters, although I loved Blue Bottles.   I think this is my only complaint with the whole book.

Overall, this was a very dark, atmospheric tale, and I really enjoyed it.



For a more thorough review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Dr CG · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing better than reading the first chapter of a book and immediately knowing you’re going to love it. That has been the case with every JH Markert book I’ve read so far. “Dig” was horror at its finest and I loved every moment.

I liked the alternating povs, the lore of the island, and the boo hags. The boo hags! I have already determined that I will be using “boo hags” lore to scare my future grandchildren when I’m older :)

So excited for what this awesome Kentucky author delivers next! 🙌

[Teresa Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dig drops you onto Crow Island, a fictional coast near Savannah that feels real enough to raise goosebumps. The Geechee and Gullah folklore is not window dressing. It is the heartbeat of this story. Boo hags, haints, rituals — they are alive on these pages. And yes, I fully went down the rabbit hole on boo hags and immediately regretted it because nothing prepares you for a skin-shedding spirit that rides your sleeping body and steals your breath. If that doesn’t terrify you, I cannot help you.

This book blends horror, history, supernatural dread, generational trauma, and buried family secrets until you have no choice but to dig for the truth right alongside the characters. Every layer uncovers another lie and another echo from centuries past. Markert handles it with intention. The human darkness and the otherworldly darkness show up with no apology.

I’m not gonna lie — this one got under my skin. I had nightmares. I switched to daytime reading like a coward and still couldn’t look away. Markert, a Kentucky author with a fearless storytelling style, built a world soaked in atmosphere and dread. If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your dreams, or what would happen if your worst one came true, Dig belongs on your list immediately.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. The best by J.H. Markert yet! It's rich with Southern atmosphere, history, and folklore. This was such a captivating telling of the boo hag. There are so many secrets and so much darkness on Crow Island and the more that's uncovered, the darker things become. There's vivid and horrific images of gore in this book (which I love in a horror novel, but I wanted to include for those that are squimish).
There's also a nod to The Nightmare Man in Dig, which was neat (and makes me want to go back and reread The Nightmare Man).

For any lovers of folk horror, give this one a read.

[Kay Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A character-driven horror that takes place on a creepy island. The island quite literally feels like a cast member. The suspense and dread build quickly to a razor-sharp conclusion. The drive of the island's history and lore were so intriguing.

[myreadingescapism · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Definitely a dark foreboding the entire time, but it was kind of lackluster for me.

[Gatorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid effort from Markert about an island community that is overcoming a terrible history of murder. When the local priest is found dead and strange things begin to happen, residents begin to suspect it may be related to the axe murders committed by a 15-year-old several years back. The priest's son returns to the island and all hell breaks loose. Strong writing and characterizations carry the story to its intense finale. Markert has become one of the most reliable in the genre. Here's hoping this continues.

[Amy Tackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterclass on craft.

[S. Bacchante]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of the book

Guys. I'm doing it again. I feel terribly sorry, but I'm dnfing again. Whilst the concept of being traumatized by honey sounds intriguing the book just didn't hook me enough and reading it started feeling like a chore.

Wasn't for me

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I never really know what to expect when I read a J.H. Markert novel, but it honestly gets better every time! He is an auto-buy author for me at this point, his horror/thriller novels in particular, because they are so refreshing and terrifying. Dig was no different. I really loved that this took place in Georgia and included folklore about the Boo Hags. Every culture seems to have unique, terrifying folklore, and honestly any book that goes into some sort of depth about it brings me joy. The other best part of this story was how it was connected to characters and this dream world Markert created and revisited in his other standalone novels. Even though each is its own standalone story, something about the connections each of his books has to one another gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, knowing that I've been invested in these stories since The Nightmare Man was published.

If you like monsters and surreal dream worlds, folklore and violence, check this one out!

[Samantha Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much happening but also nothing happening. It’s a little shocking how blatant the magical negro trope is in this. Not even an attempt to subvert it (or add at least another poc or two of note into the plot that is trying to tell us how bad slavery is). It sucks because there are kernels of great ideas but there are so many none get time to grow and become interesting.

If you do read I would suggest physically reading over audio. The way the sherif narrator spoke the female character parts (south park characters with sinus infections) really took me out of the story and I could not take anything seriously.

[Stephanie B. •literaryland_livin• · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crow Island is the kind of place where nothing stays buried. Years after a brutal massacre shattered the community, the ground begins to call again…pulling at the people who live there, urging them to dig. What starts as one man unearthing the past quickly spreads, until the entire island is caught in a restless obsessive need to claw through the soil. But the deeper they dig, the more it feels like something beneath them is waking… and it’s hungry for what’s been hidden.

This one doesn’t just unsettle you, it itches. There’s this constant, nagging tension running through it, like something is just slightly out of place and no one can quite name why. The need to dig, to uncover, to know starts to feel almost contagious, and that obsession seeps into everything.The island itself feels wrong in a way that’s hard to pin down. Not loud or chaotic, but watchful. Patient. Like it’s allowing things to unfold exactly as they’re meant to. There’s a quiet inevitability to it that makes everything feel heavier. Atmospherically, it’s thick and consuming. There’s a Southern gothic edge mixed with something more primal and unsettling, where the horror isn’t just what’s happening but why it won’t stop. I also loved how much this leans into buried history and generational weight. The past isn’t just backstory here, it’s active in shaping every choice the characters make. As pieces come to light thru the multiple POVs, it feels less like discovery and more like something being unearthed that never wanted to be found. Overall, this is a dark immersive read that gets under your skin in a quieter more persistent way. It’s eerie, layered, and deeply unsettling. Leaving you with the strange feeling that maybe some things aren’t meant to be dug up at all.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[yyb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad publicity for bees

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC of Dig!
While the story was interesting, there were a few major red flags that I just could not get past. Mostly surrounding the character Blue Bottles as written by a white author. Unfortunately this is yet another depiction of the Magical Negro Trope where Blue Bottles is somehow the only mentioned person of color left on this island and his magic and knowledge is the only way for the plot to progress forward, but without giving the character any real depth. It’s also interesting that while they talk about the island being a plantation and having a horrific legacy of slavery and stealing the land from BIPOC peoples not once, but twice, Blue Bottles says Amy is not like her family’s lineage at all… simply because she made sure Blue Bottles got to keep the bee shack when she inherited the entire island. There is just something about a white author writing a black character who explicitly states that Amy, a spoiled white rich girl, is free from guilt because she gave the black character a piece of land, not even a large piece, that really didn’t sit well with me.

Finally, two of the narrators were good. The last one who voiced the sherif, the reverend, and the author was overacting for his life and jumped the shark.

[Audrey | WellReadandUndead(ish) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot of elements that had potential to be very good--the pacing was consistent and balanced learning about the characters with steadily creeping towards dread, the Boo Hags are downright frightening, and the mystery of why everyone's lost their mind and are digging. But, there are just as many things that didn't work or were downright shameful that made this book a disappointment. I'll hide the rest as I have to spoil some plot points and reveals in order to properly criticize the book.

First and foremost, the horribly overused stereotype of having a Black character who serves no other purpose than to warn the white people of approaching doom and then dies themselves. I mean, the poor man doesn't even have a name for most of the book. He's just referred to as "Mr. Blue Bottles" until we learn his name is Mr. Passafume, but even then we keep going back to using Blue Bottles. It's also an added insult considering Mr. Passafume's story ended up being the most interesting but we learn the least about him. For a story that relies on Gullah Geechee folklore and culture, this felt extra exploitative. I was so disappointed by how white the story ended up being considering the story completely relies on the Gullah Geechee culture.

There were also a couple character choices that didn't make sense. For Mr. Passafume (Mr. Blue Bottles) to give Amy, the rich descendent of slave owners that exploited Black people to generate wealth, a pass because she's not like her ancestors was a wild plot point. Amy wasn't struggling with feeling like a bad person, so I don't get why this was even a part of the book.

Speaking of "not like the others" the reveal that Jericho went on a murdering rampage not because he's the vessel for the Boo Hags but because he mistakenly thought Amy was kissing his brother, Nate (when it was actually Amy's twin kissing her boyfriend Nate) was laughably bad. We got the "not like other girls" trope while also completely undercutting this serious danger.

Now speaking about Nate, what a waste of a character. He's entire deal is that he's worried that he has evil inside him that could snap at any point like his murderous dead brother, Jericho. The book opens with him being asked to take time away from the middle school he teaches at for an incident we don't yet have the details on. He's also in love with is coworker, Lauren, but hasn't had the courage to ask her out because of this fear he has. Later, we come to find out that the incident was actually that he grabbed a student hard enough to leave bruises when he was trying to protect another student. Lauren tries to get him to see that he wasn't in the wrong and actually no one liked that bully because he was a problem and this only became an issue because his family is rich. What the fuck? If the author wanted Nate to be likable at any point, that definitely shouldn't have been his story. And having Lauren say that she would quit if Nate got fired was a double dose of what the fuck. Nate assaulted a student. Yes, the student was hurting other students, but that doesn't justify more violence. I don't understand why that was treated as if Nate was being unfairly treated. It could've been the same story with Nate recognizing that he needs help controlling his anger and it would've worked better.

Finally, some other minor criticisms was that there were waaaay too many characters who didn't have enough of a backstory for us to care about their deaths and the decent into madness the island population is experiencing. We would learn about a new person as they were dying. It just felt like a bad attempt at manufacturing care. We essentially follow three main characters--Amy, Nate, and Sheriff Kilbourne--so we could've been introduced to peripheral characters through their relationships, but all of that was squandered on Amy's not like other girls storyline, Nate's self-pitying, and Sheriff Kilbourne's surprise marital problems. Those storylines did nothing to tie together a theme for the book, give information that would reveal why everyone was digging, nor make these characters sympathetic. It felt like tackling too much, and since nothing really came together it just felt irrelevant because it definitely didn't make the characters feel more real.


The book was a fast read, but not a really good one, unfortunately.

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dig by J.H. Markert takes place on an island off the coast of GA near Savannah and the island seems to have tremors- earthquakes… something and now everyone is digging, the local priest has a massive heart attack after chopping off his hand, and his son is back to collect his remains. Eight years ago, a boy named Jericho Dodd took up an axe and slaughtered a dozen people. Dodd has been dead and buried in his father's yard for years, but ever since that massacre, Crow island hasn't been the same since. The real terror doesn’t come from what’s on the surface it’s what’s buried beneath. As a grieving father, Rev. Dodd, starts to dig the secrets start rising like something that never wanted to stay dead.

Dig is atmospheric, haunting, and gives an inescapable touch of the supernatural. Boo hags, crows bees and Southern Gothic. Thanks to netgalley and crooked lane books for the E-Arc.

[Molly G · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a weird little horror book. And by weird I mean creepy, atmospheric, and right up my alley.

Crow Island is plagued by tragedy, rich with folklore, and produces nature’s bounty in abundance. After the death of an esteemed Reverend, the island and its residents begin to experience an uncontrolled urge to dig… metaphorically into the past and physically into the earth. What they uncovered had me saying “WTF!?” as I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and J. H. Market for an eARC in exchange for my thoughts.

[janet jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! Now THIS was strange. Absolutely bizarre. And yet, also a banger. I really liked the story, characters (especially the rotating POVs), and right level of weirdness. I took 0.5 stars off for how quickly it all ended (especially given how grand the horror was) but other than that, this is a necessary horror read. Definitely need to listen to the audiobook too, the voice actors really gave it their all.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly what in the world did I just read?? This was wholly unpredictable and all around weird. Im not entirely certain i understood the entire plot but what i did understand was cool! Definitely very creepy at times, the author was very successful with the horror elements (looking at you BooHags). I did have some beef with one of the narrators voices, but I’m also very picky with audiobooks! Definitely recommend for a horror/supernatural lover!