Throughout the small New England town of New Milford, strange deaths have been occurring at an unusual rate. A woman is driven off the road to her death, with a rabid squirrel found bouncing around the interior of her vehicle. An old man's lifeless body is found floating under the scum of the town pond, miles from his home. A teenage boy is found electrocuted in his bathtub. In all three cases, the victims share a common thread: each was abusive to animals in some way, and each died in much the same manner in which their pets were abused.
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On the surface, these deaths appear to be nothing more than unfortunate accidents. But there is one person in town who sees a connection between these deaths: New Milford's newest detective, Jake Allen. As a boy, Jake was called "Worm," due to his thick, round glasses and the turtleneck sweaters he wore -- even during the hottest days of summer -- to hide the bruises caused by his abusive father and aunt. Upon graduating from high school, Jake left New Milford to join the army. Upon returning, he noticed that his appearance had changed so dramatically that no one in town recognized him anymore -- not even Jake's high school crush, Maggie McCarthy.
Maggie is the owner of a small pet store in town that she inherited from her father. Unbeknownst to her, she is also the catalyst and sole inspiration behind a series of serial killings in her beloved hometown. The story of Worm follows Jake's investigation into these serial killings, interspersed with short journeys into Jake's past. Jake soon realizes that in order to solve these murders, he must first confront his problems face-to-face. By doing so, he will learn the answers to all of his questions, including why, at the scene of each murder, he hears the ominous echo of a rooster's crow.
The review of this Book prepared by Michael Glander
