New York City is a living, breathing creature that belongs to its occupants. That is the message ever present in John Freeman Gill’s debut novel, THE GARGOYLE HUNTERS. This is truly a wonderful city, and Gill takes you back in time to 1970s New York and gracefully guides you through it. Plenty of chapters open with commentary on the city, how it lives, breathes and behaves. The author fully immerses you in the Big Apple, even if you haven’t the slightest clue what the difference is between the West Side and the East Side, or how a neighborhood can completely change above a certain street. The descriptions are vivid, and he takes his time eloquently describing buildings, rooms, the city and the gargoyles themselves.

But as much as THE GARGOYLE HUNTERS is about New York City, it is, at its core, about the bonds between parent and child, specifically father and son. The novel revolves around the relationship between Griffin Watts and his father, who is separated from Griffin’s mother and living amongst the gargoyles he steals --- or liberates, I should say. He views his gargoyle thieving not as stealing, but as liberating pieces of the city from those who would not appreciate them. He is in love with New York and can’t stand to see pieces of it go to waste, be torn down, or not be looked at with the same wonder that he does.

"The bond between father and son is what this book is really about, and it will keep you reading until the end. THE GARGOYLE HUNTERS is a very good debut novel that deserves a spot in your personal library..."

Meanwhile, all Griffin wants is for his dad to be his dad. He goes along with him on hunts and becomes a part of his father’s hunting team, but their relationship, at its foundation, is very business-centric. Some of the best moments in the book are when Griffin goes gargoyle hunting alone and brings back pieces to his dad. They turn this into a scavenger hunt, quiz-like game where Griffin presents an artifact and his dad explains where it’s from and the history behind the building. While Griffin’s dad demonstrates his knowledge and love of the city above all else, Griffin attempts to form a meaningful bond between them.

Although this is the focal point of the story and gets developed well along the way to a satisfying conclusion, Gill does introduce readers to a number of supporting characters. Griffin’s mother collects eggshells to use as part of her art. His sister, Quigley, is about as interesting and eccentric as you’d expect a person with that name to be. Griffin’s crush, Dani, is one of the more well-rounded characters here.

However, the supporting cast often gets little attention, and most secondary storylines are dropped in favor of isolating Griffin and focusing on the bond between him and his father. Griffin’s mother isn’t given much to do. The tenants that the family houses for rent money are one-note characters who do little to help the story. Griffin and his best friend, Kyle, drift apart, and his other friends and classmates are barely present or used. Quigley isn’t given much to do in the latter half, which is a shame for she has some of the novel’s best scenes. She forms a friendship with one of the tenants that proves to be a highlight of the book, but isn’t developed to its fullest extent. Still, these issues will not detract from your enjoyment of the novel.

The bond between father and son is what this book is really about, and it will keep you reading until the end. THE GARGOYLE HUNTERS is a very good debut novel that deserves a spot in your personal library, and John Freeman Gill will certainly be an author to watch out for.