"The Aggregate” by G. Owen Wears

Criminal noir and cosmic horror by the author of “The Place of Stars & Bones”

There is dust on the horizon and dust in the fields. The sky is a burned out shade of white and cicadas haunt the trees and rooftops. It is late September, and Lucy Ashwood has just finished the last unremarkable day of her life.

By morning, Lucy finds herself lying in a puddle of gore. The dead number three: two men from the MontVida Corporation and one sheriff’s deputy. They came to serve notice of genetic patent violations, and to evict the Ashwoods. When the Ashwods push back, the end result is an accidental bloodbath. Lucy’s contribution involves feeding the dead to her pig, Wilbur. The contribution of her cousin, Arthur, involves his connection to a criminal collective known as the Aggregate. They say they will help the Ashwoods…for a price.

Subject to waking nightmares and crippling guilt, Lucy goes on the run. As her visions grow ever more vivid, Lucy begins to suspect there is more to what happened at her home than simply murder. Meanwhile, the Aggregate has decided to call in its favor for assisting the Ashwoods, thrusting Arthur into a world of violent revolution. Neither Lucy, nor Arthur, nor the Aggregate realize there is something else at work, something malevolent that has sprung from the very soil beneath their feet. It speaks through Wilbur, through the drone of the cicadas, through the hot dry wind. When it finally gains a foothold it will force its way through the veil between worlds, Lucy and the rest of humanity be damned.

Prepare for a journey into the heart of fear.

In ‘The Aggregate’, G. Owen Wears masterfully weaves a tapestry of crime noir and cosmic horror that will leave readers breathless. With prose as sharp as a razor and a narrative that twists and turns like a labyrinth, Wears crafts a tale of unimaginable terror and suspense. The characters are vividly drawn, their struggles palpable, as they navigate a world teetering on the brink of madness.

Guilt, secrets, and the unknown collide in this gripping tale.

From the eerie landscapes to the bone-chilling revelations, every page drips with atmosphere, pulling readers deeper into the darkness with each turn. ‘The Aggregate’ is a tour de force of psychological horror, a haunting exploration of the darkest corners of the human soul. Gripping, visceral, and utterly unforgettable, this is a novel that will linger long after the final page is turned.