Old Soul by Susan Barker

The Historian meets Under the Skin in this searingly provocative literary horror novel about one woman’s determination to stay alive at any terrifying cost.

In Osaka, two strangers, Jake and Mariko, miss a flight, and over dinner, discover they've both brutally lost loved ones whose paths crossed with the same beguiling woman no one has seen since.

Following traces this mysterious person left behind, Jake travels from country to country gathering chilling testimonies from others who encountered her across the decades—a trail of shattered souls that eventually leads him to Theo, a dying sculptor in rural New Mexico, who knows the woman better than anyone—and might just hold the key to who, or what, she is.

Part horror, part western, part thriller, Old Soul is a fearlessly bold and genre-defying tale about predation, morality and free will, and one man’s quest to bring a centuries-long chain of human devastation to an end.

REVIEWS

“Every subplot is a beautifully complete, historically accurate little world of its own. . . Rendered so bleakly that H.P. Lovecraft would be envious. . . Do not miss Old Soul, the most satisfyingly grim supernatural novel in years.” —Wall Street Journal

“Barker ups the tension one bit at a time, unspooling the horrors slowly while maintaining a firm grasp on the emotional stakes within each victim’s narrative. . . [A] thoroughly pleasurable read.” —Los Angeles Times

“Mesmerizing. . . Old Soul is dark, thought-provoking and wholly original—a must-read for gothic horror fans.” —Seattle Times

PRODUCT DETAILS
Paperback
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN: 978-0593718308
Pages: 368