We are always tender with our dead by Eric LaRocca review

No one I’m reading right now is writing books like Eric LaRocca.

He is becoming well-known in horror circles for his anthologies of visceral short stories, but with ‘We are always tender with our dead’, the first in a new trilogy, the author has expanded his output into one larger, far-reaching story.

Set in the mysterious town of Burnt Sparrow, we follow a series of characters who after some unspeakable events start to pick up the pieces and try to live a new normal.

It has to be said ‘We are always…’ is not afraid to get down and dirty, with LaRocca really crafting some visceral horror that will make you wonder why more horror authors are playing it safe.

What sets this novel apart is the layers that LaRocca creates amongst his characters. They are flawed, they have hidden desires. There is no perfection in Burnt Sparrow.

The finest of LaRocca’s creations is Rupert, a young man thrust into an awful position following a tragedy within the town of Burnt Sparrow. The thing is Rupert isn’t squeaky clean, he is at odds with his family. He wants to do good but also has sexual desires that may not be considered ‘normal’.

The interweaving of the multiple characters is handled effortlessly by the author, with a convergence of stories which leads to some moral dilemmas amongst the townsfolk.

I haven’t read anything like this in recent memory. It was refreshing, dark and only had me clambering for the next in the series.

Mr. LaRocca you have my attention.

‘We are always tender with our dead’ by Eric LaRocca is available now in various formats from Titan Books.