Devil's Creek
THERE’S A DARK TRUTH BURIED AMONG THE ROOTS AND BONES.
About fifteen miles west of Stauford, Kentucky lies Devil’s Creek. According to local legend, there used to be a church out there, home to the Lord’s Church of Holy Voices—a death cult where Jacob Masters preached the gospel of a nameless god.
In 1983, the church burned to the ground following a mass suicide. Among the survivors were Jacob’s six children and their grandparents, who banded together to defy their former minister. Dubbed the “Stauford Six,” these children grew up amid scrutiny and ridicule, but their infamy has faded over the last thirty years.
Now their ordeal is all but forgotten, and Jacob Masters is nothing more than a scary story told around campfires.
For Jack Tremly, one of the Six, memories of that fateful night have fueled a successful art career—and a lifetime of nightmares. When his grandmother Imogene dies, Jack returns to Stauford to settle her estate. What he finds waiting for him are secrets Imogene kept in his youth, secrets about his father and the church. Secrets that can no longer stay buried.
The roots of Jacob’s buried god run deep, and within the heart of Devil’s Creek, something is beginning to stir…
About fifteen miles west of Stauford, Kentucky lies Devil’s Creek. According to local legend, there used to be a church out there, home to the Lord’s Church of Holy Voices—a death cult where Jacob Masters preached the gospel of a nameless god.
In 1983, the church burned to the ground following a mass suicide. Among the survivors were Jacob’s six children and their grandparents, who banded together to defy their former minister. Dubbed the “Stauford Six,” these children grew up amid scrutiny and ridicule, but their infamy has faded over the last thirty years.
Now their ordeal is all but forgotten, and Jacob Masters is nothing more than a scary story told around campfires.
For Jack Tremly, one of the Six, memories of that fateful night have fueled a successful art career—and a lifetime of nightmares. When his grandmother Imogene dies, Jack returns to Stauford to settle her estate. What he finds waiting for him are secrets Imogene kept in his youth, secrets about his father and the church. Secrets that can no longer stay buried.
The roots of Jacob’s buried god run deep, and within the heart of Devil’s Creek, something is beginning to stir…
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Community Reviews
This book started off with a hook that sucked me right in.
The first hundred pages were giving me strong world building vibes that I got from Salem's Lot. I love the slow build with the hint of threat looming.
The premise is around 6 kids who were bred and born into a Satanic cult of people that were rescued at age 7 by their grandparents. Who knows what that sort of environment would do to a child in its formative years? I can't imagine.
Unfortunately, I felt the build up got a little too slow and the boundaries pushed regarding the local church a tad much for my personal tastes - and remember as you're reading this - this is a 100% subjective opinion of me regarding my life and experiences - so please research further if you have been intrigued by this book.
Even though I was bored with the story, I did keep going, I just decided to read a chapter a day to see if I broke it up, it would help through the slowness and get to the good stuff. Instead of horror, I just felt grossed out by the descriptions/actions of the cultists at the end.
If it had been shorter, maybe less of the in depth world building and less characters to focus on around the town, it might have been better for me. I think the author did have a beautiful writing style and I think he has great potential. He did say in a recent interview I watched that he was weird....I believe it.
The first hundred pages were giving me strong world building vibes that I got from Salem's Lot. I love the slow build with the hint of threat looming.
The premise is around 6 kids who were bred and born into a Satanic cult of people that were rescued at age 7 by their grandparents. Who knows what that sort of environment would do to a child in its formative years? I can't imagine.
Unfortunately, I felt the build up got a little too slow and the boundaries pushed regarding the local church a tad much for my personal tastes - and remember as you're reading this - this is a 100% subjective opinion of me regarding my life and experiences - so please research further if you have been intrigued by this book.
Even though I was bored with the story, I did keep going, I just decided to read a chapter a day to see if I broke it up, it would help through the slowness and get to the good stuff. Instead of horror, I just felt grossed out by the descriptions/actions of the cultists at the end.
If it had been shorter, maybe less of the in depth world building and less characters to focus on around the town, it might have been better for me. I think the author did have a beautiful writing style and I think he has great potential. He did say in a recent interview I watched that he was weird....I believe it.
I'm a fan of Keisling's work and this is, in my opinion, the book that will blow his career wide open and make him a household name. It's thick, it's lengthy, and it hits every subject. He discusses the taboo, like cults, racism, incest, abuse, and dark magic. He discusses the enlightening, like open-mindedness, forgiveness, familial love, and sacrifice. Keisling plays with a large cast of diverse characters who have their own personalities and backstory. It's a cinematic read that rolls like a movie in your head, and that movie is terrifying. Devil's Creek is a bleak horror story that is steeped in redemption. It hits the high emotional notes of Stephen King but is pure Todd Keisling from start to finish. Highly recommend. Not for the squeamish.
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