The Summer of Haight
The intriguing historical mystery novel The Summer of Haight is narrated with an undercurrent of surrealism.
In George Petersen’s whimsical mystery novel The Summer of Haight, 1960s San Francisco is subjected to intrigue and otherworldliness.
During the Summer of Love, Longfellow, a British expatriate and attorney who is logical and conservative by nature, feels out of touch with his eccentric neighbors, who embrace psychedelic color schemes, incense, and free love. Even his best friend Jonathan revels in in the counterculture, hosting lavish parties in his mansion with his spoiled cat, Zelda, at his side. But when Jonathan asks Longfellow to draft a will leaving his possessions to mysterious Asmodeus, Longfellow is prompted to investigate. Assisted by his canine companion, Winston, and a detective, Maggie, Longfellow looks into Asmodeus and discovers that the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood has a sinister side. His methodical investigation, which is fed by his sense of loyalty, morbid curiosity, and an ever-evolving understanding of the world around him, gives way to uncharacteristic recklessness, putting him in danger.
Narrated with an undercurrent of surrealism, the book contrasts Longfellow’s straightforward perspective with parties and other experiences that feel like fever dreams. Longfellow’s forays out of his comfort zone both mask and accentuate the idiosyncrasies of the characterizations, as with Jonathan’s recent and increasing brooding and Asmodeus’s outlandishness, including his daytime sleeping habits and innate ability to unnerve even Zelda, despite his tailored flower-power outfits. Throughout the narrative, his presence inspires dread, his friendly grin tinged with menacing intent. There are plausible explanations for most of what Longfellow observes, but they command less attention than his new obsession and Jonathan’s sudden, inexplicable fascination with snakes and metamorphosis.
Maggie’s investigation into the recent murders of several young women—tragedies that occur soon after Asmodeus infiltrates Jonathan’s life and household—seems unrelated at first, though they are a compelling, dark element in the backdrop of the carefree hippie counterculture that Longfellow fears. The world seems to be leaving behind the rules and norms that once governed it; thus, the settings are developed in terms of juxtapositions. Bright colors and deep shadows go hand in hand, accentuating significant sites like the Fillmore. As the story transitions between Longfellow’s everyday tasks and schedules and the oddities that he encounters, the intertwined mysteries are unraveled at a steady rate. Stark verbiage also trades with poetic prose as Longfellow’s trains of thought vacillate; at times, he feels helpless before forces he can’t see or comprehend.
The Summer of Haight is a mind-bending mystery novel set amid eerie gray areas and unsettling cultural phenomena.
Reviewed by
Katelynn Watkins
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
