In Keep My Soul Sealed Shut, which is billed as a gay psychological thriller, Luca and Jax are taking their eight-month relationship to the next level. They ditch the big-city hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, and they move into Jax’s childhood home in a small Arizona town. But every time they visit a creepy storage facility in the middle of the desert, the flickering lights and unnerving noises chip away at their relationship. Both men have disturbing pasts that threaten their stability as a couple and their sanity as individuals.
The author, Patrick J. Kane, is adept at creating an atmosphere of dread, but his real talent is navigating the unspoken complexities of relationships—the way our unresolved childhood issues shape who we are and affect who we love. He's also skilled at drip-feeding the characters' backstories, until it all locks into place and the big picture becomes clear to the reader.
There are some real thrills here, all culminating in a f***ed up climax and ultimately settling on what seems like crazy, messy, real love. It’s a short, dark, twisted, exhilarating read.
