Bad Bones

Gabe and his family are impoverished. As a consequence, layers of responsibility build themselves upon and burden Gabe, who feels he must try to improve their lot. Gabe becomes an accomplice to the school bully carrying out a variety of errant errands.

Things take a turn for the unexpected, however, when Gabe stumbles upon a shallow grave with skeletal remains and a gold bracelet, jutting from the earth. Greed and a desire to change his personal circumstances lead Gabe to steal this. So begins a terrifying set of consequences as supernatural powers are awoken that want the item returned to its rightful home. These manifest and exert themselves with unnerving frequency.

Marks not only has an uncanny ability for the chilling, but also balances expectation and convention of the horror trope in this broodingly dark novel that explores the psychology of ethics.