Published by Crooked Lane Books, Dreamscape Media Genres: Fiction, Horror, Mystery
Format: ARC, Audiobook, eBook
Children in Blue Cliff, Virginia, know about the Hickory Man, the one who takes children. For generations those in Blue Cliff have heard the warnings about the Hickory Man and the children who went missing. Hushed whispers and fear surround the legend and the woods. They don’t feel quite right….
Cheyenne Ashby grew up deep in the woods and her mother, Constance, often told her how to be safe, i.e. put dirt in your shoes to stay grounded to the land, and other customs to keep danger at bay.
When three children were found dead, a local man was blamed for their deaths and the town slept better after that. But another child has gone missing, and Cheyeanne has come back and along with her friend, Natalie, is determined to learn the truth!
Will the truth set them free? Is there danger in them thar woods? Is the Hickory Man real. Were the superstitions and unusual customs helpful? Why three children killed?
This was a slow burn and I struggle with slow burns. No amount of dirt in my shoes would save me from that. But don’t you worry, there is a payoff in the end! This book is creepy, and the woods are not Robert Frost’s woods (‘lovely, dark and deep’), they are creepy, deadly, and unsettling.
The author did a good job setting the stage and making the woods creepy and atmospheric. The superstitions and customs surrounding the legend were interesting and intriguing. I kept wondering if the legend had any merit. Was there something sinister and dangerous lurking in the woods?
I had both the book and the audiobook which made for an enjoyable reading experience. This was an enjoyable book, but it started a little slowly for me. I do appreciate that the author was building the story and introducing readers to the legend and customs of the town, but I wanted things to hurry up a little at the beginning.
I enjoyed trying to figure out where the book was going and enjoyed the mounting tension and sense of danger as the book got closer to the finish line.
Well written, creepy, and atmospheric.
#TheWoodsareWaiting #NetGalley #KatherineGreene, #Crookedlanebooks, #DreamscapeMedia
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.