Millersburg

Harry Cauley’s third novel, Millersburg (Bridie and Finn and The Botticelli Angel preceding), might well be described as “New Jersey Gothic.” It’s set in 1939 in a small town in Northern New Jersey, narrated by Ben, a 17-year-old boy. He’s part of a family ruled by Mamu, his tyrannical grandmother, and starts with a grisly double murder that eventually involves his family and changes the family dynamics forever as long-kept secrets begin to unravel.

Among the other beautifully rendered mem...