Wow, what a fun book! I went into this with a bit of trepidation, it looked at first glance like a paranormal romance/mystery, which is not something I seek out. But it was nominated for the Philip K Dick award for 2014, and trying to complete the six by the award ceremonies, I forged on.

Did I mention, what a fun book? Lizbeth Bordon, scientist, living with her sister Emma, also a scientist, are indeed hiding the truth of what happened that night with the axe, but it's far more than anyone suspects.

Told through diaries and letters from a number of voices, this is the story of just what prompted Lizzie's famous attack and what is happening to the town around them.

The female characters are strong and unapologetic and fierce, but still human, with foibles, weaknesses and shortsightedness to those closest to them. It reminded me a lot of Marie Brennan's writing in "A Natural History of Dragons," a learned woman hungry for answers in a time when society is only just noticing that women can resolve the questions.

The three main woman, Lizbeth, her sister and her lover, are the main heart of the story. But what stood above anything else was the sister bond. It was messy and complex and real. I also liked that while the women were strong and opinionated, so were the men, they were not weak and helpless in comparison.

A book full of strong characters, realistic relationships, aquatic ambiguities and so many bonus points for all the Lovecraftian touches.