'Memorials' review: Creepy occult tale reminiscent of Stephen King

Richard Chizmar, who co-wrote parts of the “Gwendy” trilogy with Stephen King from 2017-2022, has written his longest novel yet and readers should not be surprised that it reads, somewhat, like something from the mind of Stephen King.

“Memorials” is set in 1983 as three students embark on a road trip through Appalachia, documenting roadside memorials for their American Studies 301 class at York College. Billy, Melody and Troy experienced personal loss prior to their college years, so the act of documenting sites where someone else’s loved ones lost their lives turns out to be both educational and personal. Chizmar intentionally gives the trio a “Scooby Doo”-like vibe, even making their wheels, a “Volkswagen Westfalia pop-top camper,” reminiscent of the Mystery Machine.

The plot starts off slow as they meander the back roads, taking Polaroids and shooting VHS video of crosses and balloons and stuffed animals that mark the spots where people died. Chizmar employs a cool narrative trick, providing transcripts of the video footage as they interview locals and loved ones.Billy lost his parents in a car accident in Sudbury, Pennsylvania, and it’s when he returns home, visits their roadside memorial, and starts asking questions, that the novel gets more interesting.

The story is stuffed with foreshadowing, as various characters are introduced and act suspiciously and as Billy, Melody and Troy begin to find occult signs at memorials and experience strange visions. And while the point is to build tension until the novel’s climax, it sometimes comes across as heavy-handed.

When the plot puzzle begins to assemble in the final 100 or so pages, “Memorials” really takes off and becomes something altogether different, genuinely earning its placement in the horror section of the bookstore.