This Wretched Valley

"A hallucinatory nightmare of a novel that blends adventure, horror and historical fiction, and isn't shy about violence or strangeness."--New York Times

"If you love wilderness horror, This Wretched Valley is a must-read."--Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger and The Fervor

Take only pictures. Leave only bones.

This trip is going to be Dylan's big break. Her geologist friend Clay has discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant Sylvia, and Dylan's boyfriend Luke, Dylan is going to document her achievement on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock climbing.

Seven months later, three bodies are discovered in the trees just off the highway. All are in various states of decay: one a stark, white skeleton; the second emptied of its organs; and the third a mutilated corpse with the tongue, eyes, ears, and fingers removed. But Dylan is still missing--and no trace of her, dead or alive, has been discovered.

Were the climbers murdered? Did they succumb to cannibalism? Or are their impossible bodies the work of an even more sinister force?

This dread-inducing debut builds to a bloodcurdling climax, and will leave you shocked by the final twist.

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304 pages

Average rating: 6.33

27 RATINGS

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3 REVIEWS

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Community Reviews

Grolfe_77
Nov 01, 2024
8/10 stars
A really good debut. Great concept, some really spooky scenes, and some luscious prose sprinkled in.
Looking forward to what Kiefer offers next.
Bonus points for the rad freaking cover!!!!!
Codeliusthe2nd
Sep 04, 2024
8/10 stars
“This Wretched Valley” is a wickedly fun tale, filled with dread and terrifying atmosphere. This has been on my radar for ages now, so it’s amazing to finally have the chance to read it, and know that it was absolutely worth the wait. This novel is wild, with a lot of heavy plot details happening at once, which could be exhausting, but this book reads like butter. It’s a perfect spooky book for the fall season (even if it takes place in the spring) and is a great addition to the wilderness horror subgenre. I cannot wait to give this one another visit, since I had so much fun with it.
Hartfullofbooks
Aug 04, 2024
2/10 stars
The premise for this novel was great, the execution not so much. The story is too slow, there are alternate timelines, and the characters are forgettable. This one took me forever to finish, even listening to it on the way back from Vegas and it wasn’t enough time. I’d recommend skipping this one unless you really want a supernatural survival horror.

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