Memorials by Richard Chizmar

Review by Jordan S.

It’s Spooktober here at Kaiju & Gnome, and so far, I’ve written about baseball and a trip to Minneapolis—not the spookiest of topics, to be honest. However, I’ve been tapping into the eerie side of the season by diving into a lot of horror books. Some have been okay, some good, and a few have stood out as what I’d call truly great horror. Some Like it Darkby Stephen King was a fantastic short story collection, perfect for the shortening daylight hours. I’m also deep into Revenant X, David Wellington’s follow-up to Paradise-1, and absolutely loving it. I’ll hopefully have a review up soon for its upcoming release. But the horror book that’s gripped me the most this season is Richard Chizmar’s Memorials.

Memorials hooked me right from the concept. A group of classmates, and maybe friends, decide to make a video project about roadside memorials in the Appalachian region. They embark on a road trip to document and investigate the stories behind them—and things go horribly awry. Weird symbols, disappearing memorials, and other unsettling occurrences quickly unfold, leading the characters down some dark paths.

First off, this book is conceptually one of the best I’ve read this year. Using roadside memorials as a source of horror is brilliant and reminded me of Chuck Wendig’s Black River Orchard, which similarly turned something ordinary—apples—into a conduit for horror. Chizmar also nails the “found footage” vibe, evoking The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, but in a way that doesn’t feel forced or kitschy. The format contributes to some genuinely great scares.

The characters are another highlight. Billy is a fantastic narrator, and I never got tired of reading from his perspective. His relationships with Melody, Troy, and the others feel authentic and add depth to the story. Troy, in particular, brings an important outsider’s perspective on Appalachia and the memorials, enriching the narrative in a really satisfying way. The villains? They’re chilling and exactly what I was hoping for in a horror novel like this. I won’t spoil anything, but there are several twists I genuinely didn’t see coming.

Another key strength of Memorials is Chizmar’s portrayal of Appalachia. I often talk about “setting as character,” and this book is a prime example. The story feels rooted in its Appalachian backdrop—it simply wouldn’t work in Iowa or Missouri. That specificity adds so much to the horror.

Overall, I loved this book. It’s definitely at the top of my list for favorite reads this year. It’s thrilling and scary, while also giving you that itch to hit the road with friends and explore some weird, spooky places. If you’re looking for a fun horror read this Spooktober, I highly recommend Memorials!