A retirement, a mystery, and a story that asks uncomfortable questions
I knew within the first few pages that Something of a Calling wasn’t going to behave like a neat little genre piece. It has that strange, slightly feral energy that makes you sit up because something in the story feels off in a way you can’t quite name. That feeling comes from Andy Cooper, a detective three days from retirement who should be packing up her desk and quietly planning a future she isn’t sure she wants. Instead, she’s staring at a body that looks like it has been chewed. Not scavenged. Chewed.
I listened to the audiobook, and it was such a quick, compelling experience. Jenn Lee’s narration suits Andy perfectly. There’s a weary steadiness in her voice that mirrors Andy’s grief and exhaustion, and it adds an extra layer of unease to the already unsettling atmosphere. You know within a few sentences when a narrator is going to carry a story well, and this was one of those moments.
Andy is a woman exhausted by loss and routine. Her daughter is gone. Her marriage collapsed. Her job became the last solid thing she could hold. So when these bizarre deaths start appearing, she clings to the case with a determination that feels painfully human. I found myself rooting for her even when she made choices that made me mutter at my headphones.
What worked for me is how the story blends the mystery with something quieter and more emotional. The bite marks and strange patterns are disturbing, but the real tension comes from Andy’s loneliness and the way she responds to Fiona, a wandering, warm, nature‑soaked stranger who drifts into her life. Their connection surprised me. It felt tender and slightly disorienting, like Andy had forgotten she was allowed to be seen by someone.
The eco-horror angle is sharp and uncomfortable. Stage leans into the idea that nature has been pushed too far and is finally reacting. There’s almost a dystopian undertone, and the moments where Andy senses the suffering around her hit harder than the gore. It made me think about humans, animals, and the possibility that we aren’t the only sentient beings that matter.
If I have one small objection, it’s that the story begins with this delicious sense of confusion and strangeness, and I wanted it to stay there longer. Once answers arrive, some of that eerie tension softens. Even so, the novella kept me hooked, and the audio version made the experience even stronger.
This is a thoughtful, unsettling, oddly tender eco-horror with a detective at its centre who feels real in her exhaustion and longing. If you enjoy uncanny mysteries and stories that make you think about our place in the world, this one is worth your time.
Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing – Audio for this ALC.
