by caleb mason
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"In this stunning literary mystery, a gruff carpenter (Jon) becomes the primary suspect in the murder of his father. Mason burrows deep into Jon's battered psyche and paints nuanced portraits of his main characters without ever letting the intrigue slacken. Readers who like their whodoneits on the meditative side will love this."
-- Starred Publishers Weekly review
“Thickafog is insightful and beautifully written. There were so many things I liked about the novel, including the description of the island and how up-to-date the author is about all sorts of things.”
-- Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
"Murder mystery Thickafog gets Maine island life right. We care about the characters. We want the mystery of Bobby's death cleared up, and we want to see Jon's life get straightened out. Mason keeps us engaged while twisting the threads of his story into a satisfying ending."
-- The Maine Sunday Telegram (reviewed by John Alden)
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Read Goodreads Reviews HERE
Crime and Punishment meets Demon Copperhead in this psychological mystery set on a remote Maine island, from the glorious days of summer to the harsh storms of winter.
Thickafog is a mystery wrapped up in a love story between two elderly characters, as well as for all the citizens of Archer Island who persevere through the challenges of addiction, teenage angst, and isolation.
Narrator Jon Davis becomes the lead suspect in the murder of his father Bobby, who is found dead at the bottom of a cliff near Jon’s house. Bobby had moved in with his son nine months ago, after getting kicked out of assisted living in Florida, apparently for making unwelcome advances to a wealthy lady.
Jon, a carpenter, is battling alcoholism and is a loner whose life becomes complicated when his smooth father pursues Ingrid Backlund, the “Island Queen,” who suffers from early onset dementia. Ingrid’s drug dealer son Kevin distrusts this newcomer “from away” and blames Jon for bringing Bobby into the community, fearing his father is angling for his inheritance. Jon struggles to understand and reconcile with his father, as their time together reopens emotional wounds.
As the mystery and love story unfold hand in hand, new suspects enter the puzzle and add to the intrigue. Shane Vachon, the lead contractor on a project for a tech billionaire, hires both Kevin and Jon, putting the three of them in close proximity and adding to the overall tension. Shane is a drug user and has upset locals by parking his old RV in the town lot, taking up valuable spaces.
The island itself becomes a character, with multi-generational lobstermen and newly arrived summer people living together, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes uneasily, in a place as harsh in winter as it is glorious in summer.
Exploring themes of fate and self-determination, Thickafog takes readers on a wild ride that lingers long after the last page is turned and the fog finally lifts.
Read Opening Chapter: HERE
Pub Date: March 4, 2025
$18.95 trade paperback; ISBN: 979-8-9866178-4-8
$9.99 ebook; ISBN: 979-8-9866178-5-5
Distributors: Ingram, IPG, Baker & Taylor, Overdrive, and others
About the Author
Caleb Mason is the author of The Isles of Shoals Remembered: A Legacy from America’s First Artists and Musicians Colony (1992), about which Allen Lacy of The New York Times wrote: “Provides a fascinating look at an important time period in the American arts.” Caleb has authored four previous novels under the pen name Don Trowden: Normal Family (2012); No One Ran to the Altar (2016); All the Lies We Live (2019), and Young Again (2022), co-authored with Valerie McKee. Caleb welcomes reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as constructive comments on his social media outlets, where he is mostly to be found under the pen name Don Trowden.
NEW! Read author blog post: "What Role Does the Fog Play in Thickafog?" Read here.
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REVIEWS:
"Through it all, the constant presence of the island fog—“thickafog,” as the lobstermen say—plays a recurring role. The thick fog that rolls in and blankets the island, the fog in Jon’s brain from his drinking, the fog of dementia that the “Island Queen” suffers from."
-- Clarke Canfield, The Working Waterfront
“Caleb Mason has skillfully created a believable world, a sense of place, with characters who are fully dimensional, as well as a suspenseful plot well-orchestrated.”
-- Joyce Kornblatt, author of The Reason for Wings
"Thickafog reveals the humanity of its characters, with all their failures and triumphs, hatreds and redeeming love, and above all the ways a community can test and nurture and connect us to each other.”
-- Wayne Karlin, author of eight novels including A Wolf by the Ears
“Crime and Punishment meets Demon Copperhead in this fast-paced philosophical novel that had me guessing until the final pages.”
-- Anna Blauveldt, author of The Leavetaking and Awakening
“Thickafog is insightful and beautifully written. There were so many things I liked about the novel, including the description of the island and how up-to-date the author is about all sorts of things.”
-- Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author