Carlyle's Crossing — Chris Quinton

Jubal must face a primordial evil with only an ancient flint knife, two ancestral spirits and Sal at his side. If he fails, more than lives are lost. Jubal is the last Carlyle, and lives near Seattle, far away from his Abenaki ancestors. A letter from a lawyer draws him and his best friend, Sal, to Vermont and the town of Whitewater. Soon they are right in the middle of the old conflict that drove Jubal's parents away just before his birth. Whitewater is suffering and not just from the economic downturn. Unleashed by one man's obsession to call back the spirit of his dead wife, and by the well-meaning but flawed actions of another, dark forces are bringing depression and hopelessness. Jubal's father had neither the talent nor the wish to attempt the task of driving back the incursion, but Jubal knows he has to try. He must find a way to reverse the process before the malaise spreads. But he has no knowledge, no training, just instinct - and Sal. Always Sal, who is rapidly becoming far more than a friend with benefits. The dangers they face are insidious, and more than their lives and sanity are at risk. Reader Advisory: This book contains language some readers may find offensive.