Family Solstice

The second I read about this one on ladiesofhorrorfiction, I pre-ordered it. The premise is bat-shit crazy, and I spent this morning reading the hell out of it (it's a whopping 53 pages, so just perfect for a single-sitting read).
The positive- Maruyama manages to maintain a heckin level of suspense across the entire story. I could not turn (well, scroll) the pages fast enough. I had to know what was going on in that basement. And Shea is pretty level-headed. She remembers little details from growing up that keep your interest peaked and manage to provide enough backstory.
The (not bad, but frustrating)- character development really suffers here, I feel due to length. Also, clearer explanations. I reread the ending twice and I know what I decided the ending was but I also know that is not how some readers roll. I needed to know more about the mother, the father, and the family history. Also, I'm still unsure of what the payoff is: the American dream? Is living in Connecticut and eating grilled corn the American dream? Are there winter solstice battles in basements all over America?
As I cannot stop myself from comparing what I read to other things I have read (perhaps the librarian in me subconsciously writing “if you liked_____” lists), I would compare this to Shirley Jackson's darker works. The theme here is definitely family and preserving traditions.
I look forward to reading more, longer works from Maruyama and consider this a great start to Women in Horror Month.