Review - Fever by Jordan L. Hawk

Colin and his older brother Doug have been making a living as con men since they left home to escape from their abusive father. They’re in Seattle when the first miners return from the Klondike, laden with gold from the newly discovered strike. Doug instantly sees an opportunity for a new con and soon the brothers are on their way with a new mark. Getting to the Yukon as winter closes in proves harder than expected, but Colin makes friends with Steve and his family, who are also out to strike it rich. When the group stumbles on an abandoned claim, they think they’ve been lucky, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“Fever” weaves a thrilling tale of hardship and supernatural happenings in a harsh winter landscape of the late nineteenth century. In broad strokes, the story put me in mind of the classic movie The Thing. We have a group of people trapped by snow in an isolated location. There’s something dangerous outside, and maybe inside as well. Nobody is sure who they can trust. However, beyond the superficial similarities in mood, this is a very different story.

The story is told by Colin. He’s a young man haunted by guilt over an incident that leads to the pair of brothers leaving home. Doug clearly uses that guilt to keep Colin in line. Colin’s conscience nags at him when they’re running a con. He hopes that striking it rich in the Yukon will finally satisfy Doug’s avarice. Of course, as many of us now realize, there are people that can never have enough money.

Doug definitely has the charm that makes him a good con man. It’s clear he’s also always scheming, looking for some new scam to run. Doug’s charm and Colin’s own guilt keeps him from seeing how disturbed Doug really is until it’s almost too late.

Steve is the new influence in Colin’s life that inspires the young man to see there’s more to living than moving from one confidence scheme to the next. Steve becomes Colin’s first friend, something Doug has always discouraged. In addition to Steve, there’s Eleanor, the “mark” Doug found to pay their way, and Steve’s family. Each has a distinct personality, which makes for an interesting mix in the one-room cabin they’re forced to share. Like many great thrillers, it’s the human elements that drive the suspense as much as the supernatural events.

“Fever” is available from Smashwords.