Published: Jan. 05, 2010
Words: 99,631 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781907190926

Short description

A Stoker Award finalist. "Can you hear him a-knockin'?" A 13-year-old boy struggles with his faith when his mother joins a haunted Appalachian church led by Archer McFall, a mysterious preacher. As mutilated bodies turn up, a sheriff investigates and is tempted to join the congregation. "Sacrifice is the currency of God," McFall preaches, and if he gets his way, then everybody pays.

Extended description

"Like Stephen King, he knows how to summon serious scares."--Bentley Little

For 13-year-old Ronnie Day, life is full of problems: Mom and Dad have separated, his brother Tim is a constant pest, Melanie Ward either loves him or hates him, and Jesus Christ won't stay in his heart. Plus he has to walk past the red church every day, where the Bell Monster hides with its wings and claws and livers for eyes. But the biggest problem is that Archer McFall is the new preacher at the church, and Mom wants Ronnie to attend midnight services with her.

Sheriff Frank Littlefield hates the red church for a different reason. His little brother died in a freak accident at the church twenty years ago, and now Frank is starting to see his brother's ghost. And the ghost keeps demanding, "Free me." People are dying in Whispering Pines, and the murders coincide with McFall's return. (Read more) "Like Stephen King, he knows how to summon serious scares."--Bentley Little

For 13-year-old Ronnie Day, life is full of problems: Mom and Dad have separated, his brother Tim is a constant pest, Melanie Ward either loves him or hates him, and Jesus Christ won't stay in his heart. Plus he has to walk past the red church every day, where the Bell Monster hides with its wings and claws and livers for eyes. But the biggest problem is that Archer McFall is the new preacher at the church, and Mom wants Ronnie to attend midnight services with her.

Sheriff Frank Littlefield hates the red church for a different reason. His little brother died in a freak accident at the church twenty years ago, and now Frank is starting to see his brother's ghost. And the ghost keeps demanding, "Free me." People are dying in Whispering Pines, and the murders coincide with McFall's return.

The Days, the Littlefields, and the McFalls are descendants of the original families that settled the rural Appalachian community. Those old families share a secret of betrayal and guilt, and McFall wants his congregation to prove its faith. Because he believes he is the Second Son of God, and that the cleansing of sin must be done in blood.

"Sacrifice is the currency of God," McFall preaches, and unless Frank and Ronnie stop him, everybody pays.
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A Stoker Award finalist and alternate selection of The Mystery Guild Book Club, my spiritual thriller "The Red Church" explores a boy's struggle with faith when his mother attends a haunted church. Inspired by real-life legends in the Southern Appalachian Mountains where I live, the novel mirrors my own search for faith, love, and deeper mysteries. I hope you'll try my other novels Drummer Boy, The Skull Ring, and Speed Dating with the Dead.

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"Scott Nicholson is the kind of writer who always thrills and always entertains." --Jonathan Maberry, Patient Zero

"Scott Nicholson understands that the best horror novels achieve primal fear through a combination of sustained atmosphere, richly drawn characters, and believable if uncanny evils that draw unholy power from everyday lives. The Red Church is a damn scary story well told." --Christopher Ransom, author of the international bestseller, The Birthing House

"A master of atmospheric suspense." --Eric Wilson, NY Times bestselling novelist

"Scott Nicholson knows the territory. Follow him at your own risk."--Stewart O'Nan, Boston Noir

"Hold onto your pants, because Nicholson is about to scare them off."--J.A. Konrath, Origin

"Scott Nicholson writes with a mixture of H.P. Lovecraft, Manly Wade Wellman, and Clive Barker."--Kevin J. Anderson, The Dune series

"A wonderful storyteller."--Sharyn McCrumb, The Ballad novels
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Tags

thriller, horror, suspense, drama, mystery, ghosts, spiritual, fantasy, paranormal, faith, myth, supernatural, ebook, dark fantasy, psychological, supernatural thriller, ghost, psychological thriller, christian, stephen king, sale, psychological horror, epub, mystery fiction, paranormal mystery, nook, spiritual fiction, appalachian, 99 cents, ipad, dean koontz, kobo, ibook, james herbert

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Reviews

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Review by: Nathan Henrion on April 19, 2010 :
4 1/2 stars...Run For The Hills!

I picked this up after following a forum link by the author and I am glad I did. The writing was excellent, and though the pace was a little slower than my personal taste leans toward, it allowed for a deeper exploration into the background and development of the characters. The opening scene sucks you in and I found myself burning a lot of the midnight oil just to see where this story was going.

Ronnie was a solid character and there were parts of his story (when he kept trying to sort out his faith and how the world worked) that reminded me of Huck Finn. You definitely end up rooting for the kid...he's tough, naive, and good.

My only complaint is that I found myself rooting for an ending that didn't happen. It is not that the ending was inadequate, I was just geared to watch something else unfold. Its just a matter of taste on my part and not reflective of the author's talent. I do not want to give away the ending by explaining any more.

Highly recommended...and I am looking forward to checking out Nicholson's other material.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

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