The Night That Finds Us All

Think a haunted house is scary? At least if you can get out, you have a chance to run for help. Imagine being a crewmember on a ship, the Blackwatch. The job is to sail from Seattle to England. Sounds easy for an experienced crew, but factor in severe weather, temperamental parts, and at least one crewmember battling an addiction, and you have set sale on a trip you will not forget. That is, if you live to tell the tale.The story is told by Sam, someone remarkably close to the edge. But is her sobriety, causing her to see things that aren’t there, or is there something very very wrong on the ship? When Sam finds an incredibly old diary, we start to get a glimpse into what else inhabit this haunted ship.This was a treadmill read for me, and I just had to find out if Sam was an unreliable narrator (which I really did not think), or if there was something very very wrong with the ship. I am not gonna going to sail into spoiler territory, but the creepy atmosphere, the diary Sam found, a very strange woman she met when they were restocking, disappearing crew, and horrendous accidents convinced me that the ship was haunted.I received a DRC from Penguin Group Putnam through NetGalley.

Haunted ships are essentially haunted houses with the added terrors of wind, churning sea, and creatures of the deep, as well as the empty, unknowable horizon. The Night That Finds Us All is set on such a ship, The Blackwatch, crewed by a cast of characters we get to know through the perspective of Samantha Vineyard, aka Sam Vines (a nod to Terry Pratchett's Discworld policeman). Sam is the ship's engine mechanic, and as our narrator, she also powers the book's suspense and mystery at a pace that builds steadily and ominously, like a rogue ocean wave, creating a sense of dread and uncanny alienation at sea. I highly recommend this, especially if you seek an effective blend of Gothic, cosmic, and Lovecraftian horror with a nautical bent.[Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

"In my dream, the Blackwatch was a moving mansion of memory, with many doors to points in my life, and I was certain that if I wandered far enough, I would be lost forever."Easily engaging, The Night That Finds Us All, immediately transported me into its nautical nightmare, and gave me a creepy October read. Perfect? No.Fun? Sure.Worth a read? Yeah.What worked for me? The atmosphere. I loved the authentic feel of the 100 year old Blackwatch, and the motley crewmen that operate the ship. I enjoyed the author's play with humor: almost making this feel like a cult comedy horror. But do not misunderstand me, it is not funny. However, it does have it's own vibe, for sure. A hard, raunchy, 80's feel, that was both creepy and campy. I was certainly unsettled by the moments that were meant to creep.What didn't work for me? The juvenile feel of the language felt out of place to me. The banter was good, but did not seem age appropriate. I also would have preferred more time in the scares and less time in the lessons of sailing. And finally, I have more questions than answers. Not to mention the weird, impossibly quick, sci-fi ending left me scratching my head while trying to figure out this strange shift in narrative.Final thoughts? A quick read with a fresh scene. Think a mix of Ghost Ship with a kind of Dirty Harry vibe. If foul, horny sailors, severed body parts, and menacing maritime spirits are on your spooky season wish list, this is exactly what you're looking for!My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I finished this book in record time for me. Like literally the same day. That’s how crazy good I thought it was. What a page turner. Couldn’t wait to see what happened next.Samantha Vineyard is a sailor. Owner of her own boat, she runs charters. At least she did. Until the boat was forced into dry dock for major repairs. Which Samantha currently can’t afford. Samantha is also an alcoholic when she’s on land. Or she is now with her boat in dry dock.So when her old sailing pal Loick contacts her to be the chief engineer on a boat destined for the UK, she can’t turn down the pay. Loick stoically announces that the boat is haunted. He also says that is just to drum up interest in the boat. Samantha laughs it off. And then she meets the Blackwatch.This boat has a history, and the longer that “Vines” is on the boat, the more she starts to believe the haunted aspect. Strange things start happening. Voices are heard. Strange shadows appear. Maybe the boat isn’t so innocent after all.Great novel. Perfect for spooky season. Jacobs definitely catches the attention of the reader and keeps you wondering what’s next through the novel. I spent the entire day glued to it. Blew my mind the kind of absolute craziness going on. It wasn’t a terribly long novel which suited me just fine. Sometimes it’s better to get to the good stuff and see what happens, than drag the book out for extra pages.For the horror, suspense crowd, I think it’s a must read.

Sam Vines, our protagonist, is troubled and withdrawing from alcohol, so when she starts hearing and seeing things on the 100 year old sailboat she's been hired to help deliver to England from Seattle, she seriously doubts herself. Things only get worse when one crewmate disappears and another dies in a gruesome accident, and she starts to suspect there is something sinister going on, something supernatural. Now, can she get any of the other crew members to believe her before things turn get much, much worse?I felt such a sense of unease throughout this whole book. Seriously, adjectives like haunting and suspenseful don't do it justice. The tone is dark and oppressive, and I loved it! It was very hard to put down, and even after I finished reading it, that sense of foreboding stuck with me. That's the mark of a good book in my opinion. The setting was described perfectly, the plotline was unique, the pacing was great, and the characters were well written.All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more of John Hornor Jacobs' work.5/5 stars.*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and John Hornor Jacobs for the opportunity to read and review The Night That Finds Us All