TITLE: Dark Things Crawl Out
AUTHOR: C.S. Magnuson
PUBLISHER: Horrorsmith Publishing
PUBLISHING DATE: March 5, 2024
PAGES: 231
SOURCE: ARC
FROM GOODREADS: Four different men have been locked inside the new jail in the town of Tiefer Spalt, built from the limestone of the Hellion Ridge mines. But no one comes to check on them...No one comes to let them out.
And something strange waits in the snow outside, singing, inviting nightmares.
Four paths have met at the crossroads, and choices need to be made.
Their lives will never be the same.
One mountain. One chance. Will they be able to save themselves?
This book is definitely a creature feature. Four men from different walks of life end up in two jail cells outside the small town of Tiefer Spalt, Oregon in the 1920's. Unbeknownst to him, the rich man, who owns a mining company, has awakened something that has slumbered for years deep below his mines. The bootlegger is just trying to mind his own business when the sheriff arrests him to "look good" to some officials. The old man is a drunk who parents migrated from overseas to follow a priest who believed the town was home to a sleeping "mutterworm." And finally, the fourth man is cruel and sadistic serial killer. All summer local children have been dying from snakebites. Fate happens to bring all of these men together one cold, snowy night. However, as the days go on, no one shows to provide food or heat and they can't help but wonder what singing they are hearing at night. They finally manage to break out but what they find is the whole dead congregated at the local church. However, the whole town is also dead.
The four men are forced to work together to discover what happened and how to end it. During this endeavor, they encounter evil dead kids, snakes, and several other worm-like creatures. The author definitely doesn't shy away from horrific, gruesome scenes and there was a feeling of dread over me the entire time I was reading. I loved the ending and although not really shocked by the twist, loved how it was carried out. Magnuson gave me four very unlikeable characters but had me invested in the moves of each and every one. I loved the folklore aspect and the way the past was woven with the present to give the reader a well-laid foundation for the plot.
If you like creature features, then you should definitely put this one on your radar. The recent releases I've read from Horrorsmith Publishing definitely has me excited about what's to come.
MY RAING: 4 Paws
Wow, it sounds like this book really had you on the edge of your seat! The fact that you enjoyed it despite your fear of snakes says a lot about the author's skill in crafting a compelling tale. The premise of the story, with its mix of folklore and horror, sounds intriguing, and I love how the author wove together the past and present to create a solid foundation for the plot.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good read! New to me, thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, congrats for reading a snake book, even though I don't see book snake on the cover;-) This sounds super scary and fun, and I love the four different prisoners and how they fit into the story.
ReplyDeleteEvil dead kids and snakes? Those two things alone make me shiver.
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