September 5, 2022
Church (Rain Boys) stages humanity’s stand against ancient deities in this tension-filled folk horror outing. When Constable Ellie Cheetham of the remote Peak District village of Barsall finds the body of Tony Harper frozen to death, her intuition leads her to suspect foul play, a suspicion compounded by a mysterious symbol at the crime scene. Liz Harper, the matriarch of a family known as much for troublemaking as for their hatred of law enforcement, further confirms Ellie’s misgivings by appearing to know more than she’s telling. Indeed, monsters are emerging from the darkness, and as the Harper family prepares to outlast them, Liz’s daughter, Jess, flees home with her infant son and the family Bible, turning to Ellie for protection. But Liz needs that Bible to keep the monsters at bay, and Jess’s betrayal leaves her hungry for revenge. Meanwhile, Ellie must rally Barsall’s other residents to find a way to defeat the monsters before everyone ends up dead. Though the pace sometimes lags, Ellie proves a heroine worth rooting for and the Harper clan make for ruthless and formidable antagonists. This claustrophobic outing is sure to resonate with horror readers. Agent: Anne Perry, Ki Agency.
October 1, 2022
When Constable Ellie Cheetham finds Tony Harper's frozen corpse, she assumes that he passed out on the way home from the pub. But a strange charcoal symbol drawn near his body gives her pause. Tony's mother, Liz, clearly recognizes the symbol but refuses to admit it. Soon, the remote village in England's Peak District is under attack from sightless creatures that harvest human skin. The Harpers know that these creatures are merely the advance guard for something far more terrifying, something they have worshipped in secret for generations. As Ellie and the rapidly dwindling group of survivors fight for their lives against the supernatural monsters, they soon realize they need to guard themselves from human ones as well. There's plenty of tension and suspense as well as some thoughtful character development as Liz's daughter breaks from her family and Ellie's friends, a doctor and a vicar, grapple with reconciling the events with their Christian faith. It should please fans of folk horror such as The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy (2017) or the folklore-inspired crime fiction of Sharon Bolton's stand-alone novels.
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October 4, 2022
DEBUT As a snowstorm descends on the small village of Barsall in the Peak District, the frozen body of local Tony Harper is found by teenagers. It appears that he drank too much and froze to death. But as police constable Ellie Cheetham investigates, she's puzzled by the details of where and how he was found, with a knife frozen in his hand--Tony used his fists, not a knife. Then there's the mysterious marking left near the body, which seems to stop the Harper matriarch in her tracks, although she won't say why. Meanwhile, smashed windows and missing people are also occupying Ellie. The culprits, however, are far more monstrous and destructive than she could imagine as creatures ransack the village during the snowy nights, determined to awaken ancient gods. VERDICT Folk horror meets small-town police procedural with a side of revenge and redemption as police constable Ellie and a likable group of ragtag helpers work together to stop the end of the world.
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