Freakslaw

Scottish author Flett debuts with a grotesque tale of a freak show carnival out for blood. In the summer of 1997, the Freakslaw traveling carnival sets up camp in the Scottish town of Pitlaw, seeking revenge for the murder of witches there 400 years before. Among the carnies is teenage witch Nancy, whose first diabolical act is to put a hex on teenage punk rocker Ruth MacNamara, who desperately wants to leave Pitlaw. Under Nancy’s magical influence, Ruth dances euphorically with the carnies and has sex with one of the show’s strongmen. Meanwhile, amusement ride operator Zed falls for teen Derek Geddes. Derek’s violent and heavy-drinking father, Boyd, hates the carnival, and after Nancy attacks a friend of his, more violence ensues. The recurring plot device of characters being coerced into sex grows repetitive and will disturb some readers, though the prose is often arresting (“What’s really called for is proper sacrifice. Slaughter. A red mist raining down like early-morning dew,” Nancy muses). Fans of Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love should snap this up. Agent: Alexis Hurley, InkWell Management. (Apr.)