Jack Ketchum’s Off Season is a visceral, unrelenting descent into primal horror, a novel that strips civilization down to its barest instincts. Set in the quiet beach town of Dead River, Maine, the story begins with an idyllic setup: a New York editor retreats to a secluded cabin, expecting a peaceful visit with her sister and friends. But peace is quickly replaced with terror as a feral, flesh-hungry family emerges from the surrounding woods, unleashing chaos, carnage, and survival-driven madness. This was my second Ketchum novel, and once again, I found myself impressed by his raw and unapologetic storytelling style. His prose is lean and direct, creating a steady undercurrent of dread that explodes into graphic brutality once the action begins. Ketchum doesn’t pull punches—he knows how to disturb, shock, and keep you flipping the pages even when you want to look away. That said, the pacing shifts drastically once the horror kicks in. While the build-up is effective and tense, the...