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Shepherd's Fall
Will Shepherd had it all -- beautiful wife, a loving young daughter, and now the job of his dreams that promises to fulfill his every professional and financial ambition. This prize includes relocating his family to a stately old Victorian mansion set on the scenic, remote banks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. But his dream is about to become a nightmare.What Will doesn’t know is that the home’s shadowy inhabitants have ambitions of their own, plans that have been brewing in the bowels of acres poisoned by a history of violence and bloodshed. Will finds himself the focus of otherworldly forces bent on making the Shepherd family into another chapter in the home’s dark tale of misery and pain. Drawing power from land infused with centuries of evil, the apparitions plunge Will into a living nightmare, where he experiences what he prays are hallucinations. But the horror becomes all too real when he witnesses a ghastly death on moving day. He never saw anyone die before, now as the eerie episodes increase, can Will keep his tenuous grip on reality and solve the ancient mystery to save his family, his sanity, his life and his very soul? Or will the denizens of the shadows succeed in bringing about Shepherd’s Fall?Praise for Shepherd's Fall“Shepherd’s Fall is a clever, creepy and inventive tale that puts a disturbing new spin on the classic haunted house story. This one will catch you totally off guard.” — Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Assassin’s Code and Dust & Decay “Fans of The Amityville Horror will devour this debut novel by George Appelt. If you dream of owning a big, old country house, Shepherd’s Fall may change your mind. The nonstop action and chilling scenes will keep you reading into the dark of night and frighten you into wishing for the light of day.” — Dennis Royer, author of Earthburst “Appelt’s fast-paced, debut novel grabs your spine in a death grip from the first chapter, and doesn’t let loose. I simply couldn’t stop reading!”— Ralph W. Bieber II, Bram Stoker Award nominated bestselling author of Ashes and The Epicure
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 3, 2012
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
George R. Appelt Jr.
4 books10 followersGeorge currently haunts a small town in Pennsylvania where he channels sinister, short stories, suspense novels, and quirky mysteries.
George's first novel Shepherd's Fall was published in April of 2012 by Kismet & Company Publishing.
George's second novel Life Bites, A Jay Watson Mystery was published in Nov of 2013 and is now available.
He is a member of Mid-Atlantic Horror Professionals,Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, and Pennwriters. He won First Place in 2002 Central Pennsylvania Writer’s Organization’s contest for short fiction. His short stories have appeared in the Mt. Zion Speculative Fiction Review and on AlienSkinMag.com.
He spent three years as a syndicated cartoonist on ArtistMarket.com.
George is currently at work on a paranormal suspense novel.
George's first novel Shepherd's Fall was published in April of 2012 by Kismet & Company Publishing.
George's second novel Life Bites, A Jay Watson Mystery was published in Nov of 2013 and is now available.
He is a member of Mid-Atlantic Horror Professionals,Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, and Pennwriters. He won First Place in 2002 Central Pennsylvania Writer’s Organization’s contest for short fiction. His short stories have appeared in the Mt. Zion Speculative Fiction Review and on AlienSkinMag.com.
He spent three years as a syndicated cartoonist on ArtistMarket.com.
George is currently at work on a paranormal suspense novel.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 27, 2012
Loved this book from the first sentence. I couldn't put it down. Very well written and easy to follow. I felt like I was living the story with the characters. Very suspenseful, very exciting. Can't wait for the next one!
August 7, 2012
What is the first thing you would think if you saw a ghost? Most people would probably worry about their sanity. I would. George Appelt Jr. inserts that realism into his novel set in central Pennsylvani. When Will Shepherd moves into a new house to please his wife as they relocate for his new job, strange things start to happen. While Will tries to hold down his demanding job, his personal life becomes increasingly complex and uncomfortable. Will knows his problems are related to the house.
This book took twists and turns that constantly surprised me and kept me reading late into the night. Of course, by then I was afraid to turn off the lights. Even the final twist surprised me, but it also made sense. Appelt mixes in enough history and interesting secondary characters to add suspense. His engaging characters had me fearing for their lives with each uptick in suspense.
If you're a fan of the horror genre or suspense novels, you'll love this.
This book took twists and turns that constantly surprised me and kept me reading late into the night. Of course, by then I was afraid to turn off the lights. Even the final twist surprised me, but it also made sense. Appelt mixes in enough history and interesting secondary characters to add suspense. His engaging characters had me fearing for their lives with each uptick in suspense.
If you're a fan of the horror genre or suspense novels, you'll love this.
August 30, 2012
This is not my kind of book. I don't go for horror. But I enjoyed this book way more than I ever expected to. Appelt tells a tale that keeps you reading by keeping an aura of 'something big is about to happen' on every page.
April 11, 2022
3.5/5 Rounded up to 4.
I have to say it is a little weird to read a novel set in my hometown and starring a character who does almost the exact some job as me. There were times where that familiarity actually took me out of the story, but I can't fault Appelt for that.
Shepherd's Fall plays with a lot of tropes that will be familiar to fans of "haunted house" stories. There's a child with an imaginary friend that is actually a ghost. The house is built on cursed land. The wife feels oddly drawn to the house and is working on a secret art project that no one is allowed to see. In addition to the spooky tropes there are some familiar narrative tropes. Our protagonist struggles with his sobriety, and temptations towards infidelity. Ultimately, solving the paranormal mystery becomes linked to fixing his shaky marriage.
Where Appelt differs from the standard tale in his pacing. The book starts with a bang and never lets up. If anything I'd say there are too many scares or unsettling moments. Most of the scares resolve around Will's distorted perception of reality, and much of the suspense comes from wondering whether or not the situation that Will just experienced actually happened. It gets to a point where I find it kind of hard to believe that this man not only hasn't been checked into a psych ward, but is allowed to purchase multiple firearms.
Even though the plot does test the limits of believability at some points, it is never boring, and I was engaged the whole time. Given the sheer number of subplots, characters, and ghosts I was pretty sure that Appelt would not be able to tie it together into a satisfying end. I'm happy to say that I was wrong about that. There are a few threads that are looser than I would like. A few shortcuts taken in the name of wrapping things up, but overall, surprisingly well executed.
I'm not sure if George R. Appelt Jr. is still writing, but I'd be happy to check out some more of his work.
I have to say it is a little weird to read a novel set in my hometown and starring a character who does almost the exact some job as me. There were times where that familiarity actually took me out of the story, but I can't fault Appelt for that.
Shepherd's Fall plays with a lot of tropes that will be familiar to fans of "haunted house" stories. There's a child with an imaginary friend that is actually a ghost. The house is built on cursed land. The wife feels oddly drawn to the house and is working on a secret art project that no one is allowed to see. In addition to the spooky tropes there are some familiar narrative tropes. Our protagonist struggles with his sobriety, and temptations towards infidelity. Ultimately, solving the paranormal mystery becomes linked to fixing his shaky marriage.
Where Appelt differs from the standard tale in his pacing. The book starts with a bang and never lets up. If anything I'd say there are too many scares or unsettling moments. Most of the scares resolve around Will's distorted perception of reality, and much of the suspense comes from wondering whether or not the situation that Will just experienced actually happened. It gets to a point where I find it kind of hard to believe that this man not only hasn't been checked into a psych ward, but is allowed to purchase multiple firearms.
Even though the plot does test the limits of believability at some points, it is never boring, and I was engaged the whole time. Given the sheer number of subplots, characters, and ghosts I was pretty sure that Appelt would not be able to tie it together into a satisfying end. I'm happy to say that I was wrong about that. There are a few threads that are looser than I would like. A few shortcuts taken in the name of wrapping things up, but overall, surprisingly well executed.
I'm not sure if George R. Appelt Jr. is still writing, but I'd be happy to check out some more of his work.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews