Thickafog - by Caleb Mason (Paperback)

About the Book

Crime and Punishment meets Demon Copperhead in this psychological mystery set on a remote Maine island, from the glorious days of summer to the harsh storms of winter.

Thickafog is a mystery wrapped up in a love story between two elderly characters, as well as for all the citizens of Archer Island who persevere through the challenges of addiction, teenage angst, and isolation.

Narrator Jon Davis becomes the lead suspect in the murder of his father Bobby, who is found dead at the bottom of a cliff near Jon's house. Bobby had moved in with his son nine months ago, after getting kicked out of assisted living in Florida, apparently for making unwelcome advances to a wealthy lady.

Jon, a carpenter, is battling alcoholism and is a loner whose life becomes complicated when his smooth father pursues Ingrid Backlund, the "Island Queen," who suffers from early onset dementia. Ingrid's drug dealer son Kevin distrusts this newcomer "from away" and blames Jon for bringing Bobby into the community, fearing his father is angling for his inheritance. Jon struggles to understand and reconcile with his father, as their time together reopens emotional wounds.

The island itself becomes a character, with multi-generational lobstermen and newly arrived summer people living together, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes uneasily, in a place as harsh in winter as it is glorious in summer.

Exploring themes of fate and self-determination, Thickafog takes readers on a wild ride that lingers long after the last page is turned and the fog finally lifts.

Inspired by the beauty of Vinalhaven island and the people who live there.

Book Synopsis

Crime and Punishment meets Demon Copperhead in this psychological mystery set on a remote Maine island, from the glorious days of summer to the harsh storms of winter.

Thickafog is a mystery wrapped up in a love story between two elderly characters, as well as for all the citizens of Archer Island who persevere through the challenges of addiction, teenage angst, and isolation.

Narrator Jon Davis becomes the lead suspect in the murder of his father Bobby, who is found dead at the bottom of a cliff near Jon's house. Bobby had moved in with his son nine months ago, after getting kicked out of assisted living in Florida, apparently for making unwelcome advances to a wealthy lady.

Jon, a carpenter, is battling alcoholism and is a loner whose life becomes complicated when his smooth father pursues Ingrid Backlund, the "Island Queen," who suffers from early onset dementia. Ingrid's drug dealer son Kevin distrusts this newcomer "from away" and blames Jon for bringing Bobby into the community, fearing his father is angling for his inheritance. Jon struggles to understand and reconcile with his father, as their time together reopens emotional wounds.

The island itself becomes a character, with multi-generational lobstermen and newly arrived summer people living together, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes uneasily, in a place as harsh in winter as it is glorious in summer.

Exploring themes of fate and self-determination, Thickafog takes readers on a wild ride that lingers long after the last page is turned and the fog finally lifts.

Inspired by the beauty of Vinalhaven island and the people who live there.

Review Quotes

"Thickafog is insightful and beautifully written. There were so many things I liked about the novel, including the description of the island and how up-to-date the author is about all sorts of things."

-- Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: "In this stunning literary mystery from Mason (coauthor of Young Again, as Don Trowden), a gruff carpenter becomes the primary suspect in his father's murder. Nine months ago, alcoholic loner Jon Davis's estranged father, Bobby, moved in with him on Maine's Archer Island. Though Bobby was kicked out of his Florida assisted living facility, he manages to charm most of Archer's year-rounders--especially "Island Queen" Ingrid Backlund. But Ingrid suffers from early-onset dementia, and her family sees Bobby as a suspicious, smooth-talking outsider. When Bobby is found dead at the bottom of a popular scenic overlook, Jon's fingerprints are found on the rock that police assume to be the murder weapon. A plot thread following Jon's mentorship of a troubled teenage carpenter illuminates the novel's central theme: "the good that comes from the bad." Mason burrows deep into Jon's battered psyche and Archer Island's insular community, and he paints nuanced portraits of his main characters without ever letting the intrigue slacken. Readers who like their whodunits on the meditative side will love this. (Mar.)"

"Thickafog is as much a psychological novel as a mystery, and so much of narrator Jon's voice sings. The author has skillfully created a believable world, a sense of place, with characters who are fully dimensional, as well as a suspenseful plot well-orchestrated."

-- Joyce Kornblatt, author of The Reason for Wings and Mother Tongue

"Thickafog reveals the humanity of its characters, with all their failures and triumphs, hatreds and compassion."

-- Wayne Karlin, author of The Genizah

About the Author

Caleb Mason is the author of The Isles of Shoals Remembered: A Legacy from America's First Artists and Musicians Colony (1992), about which Allen Lacy of The New York Times wrote: "Provides a fascinating look at an important time period in the American arts." Caleb has authored four previous novels under the pen name Don Trowden: Normal Family (2012); No One Ran to the Altar (2016); All the Lies We Live (2019), and Young Again (2022), co-authored with Valerie McKee. Caleb welcomes reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as constructive comments on his social media outlets, where he is mostly to be found under the pen name Don Trowden.