Early REVIEWS for Fathoms

“KJ McQuade has plumbed the depths of our monstrous psyches with FATHOMS. Part seatown noir, part crime thriller, part coming-of-age drama, McQuade's debut novel scours the rugged coastline of East Hook as it ignites the mystery and anguish of the vivid characters who call it home. Be careful--in every word, in every wave, in every stroke of a brush, there be monsters...”

— Clark Young IV, award-winning playwright, “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski”

“KJ McQuade’s FATHOMS pulls us under with an atmosphere so rich you can taste the salt on your tongue. Through fogbound mystery, aching grief, and brushstroke-level detail, McQuade renders a coastal town haunted by more than just the past. It’s a story about monsters—both the ones we imagine and the ones we try not to—but also about art, memory, and how we keep each other afloat. A stunning, deeply human debut.”

— J3ss, author, “The Friends of Stevie Derstler”

“A gripping mystery…that can only be solved by Ellis Ward, a downeastern hercule Poirot-meets-holden-caulfield”

—Charlie Yardley, Literary Critic

“As the pace quickens and pages turn, Ellis Ward struggles with color and darkness, commitment and uncertainty, and cold, unseen adversaries.”

— Chip Yardley, non-fiction author, “Grandmummy and the WAVES”