by Chuck Wendig
First published 2021
Nate receives his father's house after the old man dies. He moves there with his wife Maddie and their son Oliver, hoping for calm after city life. The house sits in rural Pennsylvania, surrounded by tunnels and coal mines. Strange events begin immediately. Night brings unexplained disturbances. Day offers no relief. Nate carries secrets about his father's abuse that he has never shared with his family. Maddie witnessed something terrible as a child that still troubles her. Something dangerous lives in the local mines and mountains, something that feeds on pain. Oliver becomes the new target. He befriends a mysterious boy who practices dark magic and harbors his own secrets. This friendship pulls Oliver into supernatural danger. The evil that terrorized the previous generation returns with fresh hunger. Oliver finds himself at the center of a conflict between opposing forces. The family must confront both their buried past and the present threat. Their survival depends on facing truths they have spent years avoiding.
Genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, secrets, supernatural-threat
Setting: Pennsylvania, Rural Pennsylvania
ebook · Cornerstone Digital
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse, violence