The Ferryman is Justin Cronin's first novel since The Passage trilogy, and I can safely say it is well worth the wait. I loved everything about it, from the characters to the world-building to the plot. If I'm being honest, I believe it is even better than The Passage trilogy. 

The Ferryman is one of those novels that immerses you in its world so thoroughly that you forget what is real life and what is fictional. It might be 560 pages, but it does not feel that way. You become so immersed in the action that the pages fly past. 

It helps that there is no lull in the action. The odd happenings around Proctor pique your interest, which never wanes because they keep getting weirder and weirder. Also, Proctor is so damn charming in a nerdy but oafish way that it makes you want to find out what is happening that much more.

The entire cast of characters in The Ferryman is superb. Even the minor characters are memorable with their strong personalities and decisive actions. The fact that you remember these characters as well as you do speaks to Mr. Cronin's ability to build his cast and develop them, no matter how small their role is in the overarching plot.

Mr. Cronin applies the same amount of attention to building his unfamiliar world of Prospera. It doesn't take too long before it is as familiar to you as your hometown. There isn't much to it, which makes it easier, but when the action is most intense, it helps to have a clear mental picture of who is where doing what. 

I loved The Ferryman. I did not want it to end. Yet I could not stop reading it. The story is fascinating, and I did not expect it to go in the direction it did. The twist is such a game changer that it became the point where I refused to do anything else until I finished reading. The Ferryman is so well-written and perfectly executed as to be Mr. Cronin's best novel yet.