Matt Query

The authors, brothers Matt and Harrison Query explore the ultimate in buyer’s remorse: What if the house of your dreams wants you dead?
If I were the characters, I’d probably never go outside my front door again.

Marine veteran, Harry Blakemore and his wife, Sasha, have left their old lives behind in order to follow their dream of living off the land in the rural country. The couple has just purchased a house nestled in the beautiful wilderness of Teton Valley, Idaho...forty acres of show more meadow and forest all to themselves and their golden retriever, Dash. I thought early into the story that NOTHING had better hurt Dash!!

At first, they are happy and absolutely thrilled. Their new home is everything they’ve ever wanted, and their closest neighbors, Dan and Lucy Steiner, are also the nicest folks that are more than willing to help them get settled in. That is, until the Steiners give them some really strange advice. They tell them that they are not alone in the valley, that the land is also home to a malevolent spirit that can show itself in many different ways and unless Harry and Sasha do exactly as they are instructed, some very bad things will happen. At first this angers Harry and he believes that the Steiners are trying to pull some sick prank. He refusing to listen to anymore and asks the couple to his property, and certainly intents to forget it all. Then spring arrives, along with the first manifestation of the evil spirit, exactly as he had been told. Harry and Sasha realize that everything the neighbors had told them was true, but unfortunately, it’s much too late for any regrets.

If you like horror, you will find this to be a fun trip. The plot was simple but 100% effective. Think of Old Country as a haunted house story, except the setting is a huge mountainous wilderness. The year goes on and each new season brings fresh terrors and more dangerous and extreme situations for Harry and Sasha.

This is not a long book, and it's a good thing because this limited the lengths and numbers of flashbacks and made them less distracting. Harry had been a Marine who had served in Afghanistan. His experiences there had led to PTSD. Until he met Sasha, his life had been stuck in a downward spiral. The authors did a good job establishing the couple’s relationship and convincing the reader of the love they have for each other...making you believe that they are an inseparable team. However, the characters might have been written a bit too well. At times I found Harry’s personality to be "too" much. His stubbornness and difficult attitude sometimes made sense when you think of the things he has seen and lived through, but it often became a crutch for the story, with the plot filled with many questionable decisions on his part, many of which just seemed to be there to push the story along.

On the whole, it was an enjoyable story. The ending does leave you with a lot of questions, almost like there could be a second book. Horror lovers, you will want to check this one out. Especially the fans of Stephen King and Paul Tremblay and Dean Koontz. show less

The entire time I was reading Old Country I couldn't help but think -- this is an incredible idea; if only it was shorter.

The main reason for this is the story's structure. Split into four seasons (which, as the book explains, results in a different manifestation of the mysterious spirit haunting the land), the story follows a rhythmic pattern of our protagonists learning about a new spooky thing that will happen, seeing it happen for the first time, then dealing with it multiple times over. show more Rinse, repeat.

With a shorter story, this absolutely can work. I think that's part of the reason why the original Reddit posts were as lauded as they were. All six parts of that series clock in at just over 42,000 words -- about 170 pages. Meanwhile, Old Country is a whopping 340 pages long. In other words, the book sags as a result of its length; those pauses between the end of one season and the beginning of another are more pronounced. The result isn't suspense so much as it is just monotony. And sure, that gives the reader an intriguing glimpse into our protagonists' lives, but it doesn't always make for engaging horror.

There are some really spooky passages in this book, and I think the spirit as a concept, along with its manifestations, are unique and interesting. I just think this could have worked better as a novella rather than trying to inflate it to novel length. show less

I enjoyed this much more than I expected to as I often dislike books told in first person in two or multiple points of view, but this worked well in this book even though third person POV remains the best. The parts I disliked were more to do with the realities of living in the wilderness, farm life, and having to hunt. There were also moments when I was silently screaming in worry for the dog, the best character in the book. I cared much more about what happened to any animal than any of show more the humans. Much about Harry actually irritated me, and I cared least about him… until late in the book. This novel is the perfect example of why flawed characters are not only interesting but necessary. The plot wouldn’t have worked without the juxtaposition of Harry and Sasha’s relationship. People do things without thinking or with the best intentions that affect the lives of others, and sometimes, this applies to Harry. The ending is satisfying although I feel it has a slight plot hole if one wants to be pedantic, but I can’t say why without giving everything away. Delightfully creepy in expected places, scenes that would make a decent film. show less

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: A poacher-turned-game-warden is on the hunt for a bloodthirsty cult in this unnerving thriller from the authors of the “artful chiller” (Lincoln Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Wilderness Reform.

Clark Rickert was once the most prolific big game poacher throughout the Rocky Mountain west but when he lost both his son and his wife, he turned away from hunting. Now a game warden working for the very law enforcement officers that once show more pursued him so aggressively, Clark is overwhelmingly successful at his job.

So, when there’s a string of disappearances in rural Montana, Clark is selected to join a task force on an operation targeting a mysterious, violent cult in the area. As he works to uncover the truth, Clark begins to be plagued by visions and starts to realize that there is a deeper purpose to his assignment and the cult might up to something far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed.

From two authors who “set themselves apart with sterling prose” (Publishers Weekly), Blood Trail is an eerie and suspenseful horror novel that will sink its teeth in you.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: A dark, violent mix of dad-book, supernatural/cult thriller, and weirdly ambiguous redemption arc for a bad hombre. I was awash in acronym soup, annoyed by the way Clark vacillates between his draw towards and repulsion by the acts of the baddies, and the sheer overwhelming sausage party atmosphere of the whole exercise.

It's not bad, it's not great, and it is too damn long.

Emily Bestler Books/Atria takes $14.99 for your access to the ebook. show less