Lee Thompson's "Iron Butterflies Rust" is a unique novel that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche; those faraway, dangerous corners where guilt, fear and regret abound. The story begins three years after Frank Gunn's wife pulled his service pistol at the local carnival and turned a fun day outside into a nightmare that would leave a kid in a coma and would shatter the lives of all those involved. Frank, who's no longer a cop, is barely managing to keep his life from completely crumbling to pieces and he's no longer with his wife.

   With Frank walking around trying to get folks to visit the boy in the hospital and dealing with nightmares that seep into his waking hours, things quickly take a turn for the worse when those nightmares become more tangible and his ex-wife, who's now dating his ex-partner, is abducted. What follows is a maelstrom of fear, tension, regret and despair.

   "Iron Butterflies Rust" is creepy and the visions that haunt Frank give the narrative a very eerie feeling. The tension is constant and by the end of the book, readers will feel as tired as the characters. Also, the author throws in a convict, Chambers, that Frank put in prison and who's coming out immediately after Frank's ex-wife is abducted. By putting the blame for the abduction on Chambers' head, the nightmares suddenly take on different meanings and the narrative seems to be split between what's happening in the real world and in Frank's mind.

   While all of the elements mentioned above make "Iron Butterflies Rust" a fast-paced, interesting read, not all is well with the novel. For starters, with some of the nightmares that seep into Frank's real life, there's talk of unfurling wings and a references to past things that the reader never fully grasps. Also, the physical representation of those nightmares seem to get lost in the narration and their purpose becomes unclear toward the end. With some of this elements, it's as if the author decided to open a door and show us that there was something to explore at the other side, but decided not to cross the threshold.

   The novel works perfectly well as a piece of literary fiction: it's filled with great dialogue, believable, well-developed characters and plenty of tension. However, while Frank's guilt is like a monster that threatens to devour his life, the rest of the evil presences in the story never truly achieve their potential. With all the remorse, sadness, rage and pain that's packed into the story, the supernatural elements feels unnecessary. Ultimately, "Iron Butterflies Rust" works on many levels, but fails in others. If you crave a dark story that explores the dangers of a shattered psyche, definitely give this one a read. If you're looking for a good scare, then skip it.   

 - Gabino Iglesias