Bethany's Sin

by Robert McCammon

When Evan Reid brought his wife and small daughter to Bethany's Sin, it seemed the perfect setting. A small village, far from the noise and pollution of the city, it was quaint and very peaceful.

Too peaceful. There were no sounds at all... almost as if the night had been frightened into silence.

Then Evan noticed there were very few men in the village, and that those he knew of were crippled. And sometimes he thought he heard the sound of horses galloping in the dead of night.

Soon he would know the superhuman secret that kept the village alive. And he would watch in horror as Kay and Laurie underwent a hideous transformation right before his eyes. He would know the terror that happened at night - and only to men... in Bethany's Sin.

The place where no man walks the streets after nightfall.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Thriller, Mythology, Supernatural

343 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Pseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon

Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.

His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.

McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.

Reviews

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the village of Bethany's Sin, no man walks the streets after nightfall.

Initial Thoughts

Join me as I travel back in time, continuing with the early works of Mr Robert R McCammon. I've recently ticked off his first two novels, Baal and The Night Boat, and as you'd expect from a man of my calibre it hasn't taken long to get stuck in to book number three. That's Bethany's Sin for those not in the know.

It's worth noting that although this was the third novel Bobby Mac wrote, it was the second novel that he decided to send to the publishers. As it happened The Night Boat was his second book but he stalled on putting that one out there. Want to know why? Then jump over to my review of probably the worst book he's ever put to paper. With a key aspect of my dive back into the early works of one of my favourite authors being to see how he progressed as a writer, I decided to stick to the order they were written in.

It's worth noting that McCammon himself felt his first three novels were not up to par as he was still learning the craft of writing. But after some discussion with his publishers he changed his mind, giving us lucky fans the chance to read more of him. I was a little hesitant, with the negativity surrounding them. But let's face it, McCammon on a bad day is better than most other horror authors out there.

An interesting titbit in the introduction tells of how he got the idea from driving past a big old building in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, that was called the 'Woman's Club.' Despite passing it frequently, he never witnessed a single soul going in or out. It wasn't long before his imagination started to run away with itself and the rest is history. Always fascinating to learn where these ideas from stories come from.

The Story

The story kicks off in 1965, when an unnamed archeologist makes an extraordinary discovery while excavating ancient ruins in Turkey. We then jump forward in time and are introduced to the main protagonist, Evan Reid, a scarred Vietnam War veteran who's plagued by extremely disturbing nightmares. A symptom of his post traumatic stress suffered during the conflict.

Along with his wife Kay and daughter Laurie, Evan moves to the tiny, picturesque Pennsylvanian town of Bethany's Sin in an attempt to rid himself of the lingering guilt. It all seems a little too perfect and that's because it is! Scratch beneath the surface and there's some shady goings-on. Unexplained disappearances, sinister figures watching out the windows and the sound of hoof beats at night. It doesn't take long for our main man to realise that there's something drastically wrong with his family's new home.



The Writing

The style here Is typical for 80's horror, very visual and explicit with some great action sequences. Which is often a very good thing. Particularly when someone as skilled as McCammon is at the wheel.

The horror scenes are excellent. Very gory, violent and full of blood. Just what the doctor ordered. The pacing moves the reader along nicely and the action that the author packs in is absolutely on the money. He really dies writes some of the best action sequences out of any horror author. For my two cents he's the best and it's great to see he had this talent back then.

The dialogue is good for the time it was written. You've got to remember this is a period piece and people didn't talk the way they do now. It has a different vibe to it. A little bit more wordy, but still has a nice flow.

The book opens fantastically and McCammon use two prologues to great effect. Particularly the second one, which is from the Vietnam War. It goes some way toward explaining why our main character (Evan) is so fucked up. I was under the impression that a good bit of torture didn't harm anyone?

Perhaps were this novel really shines is in the town of Bethany's Sin, which is a character in itself. The author does a perfect job of describing this idyllic location and provides a set up for the underlying evil that really does work.

Now for the nitpicky stuff. There's a lot of adverbs in this book and a hell of a lot of repetition. McCammon is using this for dramatic effect, but he does it so much that it often comes across badly, badly, badly. I picked up on this in his previous books and he's certainly at it again. But it was a mild irritation and shouldn't take away from the definite improvement he makes in overall presentation.

"Yes. The Hand of Evil was real; it was real, and it had been waiting for him all this time in Bethany's Sin. And all these years, when he thought he'd been escaping its grip, he'd only been running nearer and nearer to it. Until now, finally, it was reaching for him again."

The Characters

Out of McCammon's first three novels, Bethany's Sin definitely has the best character work. They all come off as well-sketched, compelling and believable. The protagonists of the novel are the husband and wife duo of Evan and Kay and both were well defined enough to gain my investment. Their relationship is a key aspect of the plot and McCammon makes it believable by drawing out the conflicts that can evolve in any marriage. The difficulties they faced as couple under the pressure of evil did start to pull on my heart strings and I've got to say this was the authors best effort so far to gain that emotional investment in his characters.

McCammon also made some great strides in developing his side characters and some received their own POVs. A special mention has to goto Neely Ames, an innocent drifter, who was excellently crafted. He provided some key moments in the story as I became sympathetic toward his plight and was routing for him to make it out alive.

When you get down to it the villains are a little bit lacking. They serve the narrative but aren't going to blow your socks off. Certainly not as compelling as the antagonist that McCammon used in his first novel, Baal.



Final Thoughts

So what we have in Bethany’s Sin is a classic horror story told extremely well, despite a few small flaws. Although its not the best of McCammon's offerings, this is a very good 80s horror book. It's genuinely scary at times and has a claustrophobic feel that I really enjoyed as I felt trapped in the village right alongside Evan and his family.

It has a satisfying conclusion and it didn't feel drawn out. The final chapter itself was quite emotional, which is something I didn't really see in his previous two books.

Bethany’s Sin is not as polished as McCammon’s later work, but it is definitely a fun, easy read. Yes, Bobby Mac was still learning when he penned this and it does not measure up when compared to his later work. But you can see that he is starting to get it together. Not quite in his groove like we witnessed in later novels like Swan Song and Boys Life, but certainly getting there.

"he realized, suddenly and numbingly, that he was afraid to sleep. Because he feared what his dreams might show him."

Either it's a fascinating glimpse into the early years of a great writer, a man whose raw talent was visible right from the get go. For fans of the horror genre, I'd definitely pick it up. This is great pulp horror at its finest.

Thanks for reading, if you're still here. Cheers!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bethany's Sin seems to be the perfect place to live in for a young family. Evan (writer and Nam veteran), Kay (maths teacher) and their little girl Laurie love their little house especially after Evan's bad experience in LaGrange. But what is hidden underneath that perfect friendly and polished surface? Why seems everything focused on women in this town and what about the strange occurences Nelly Ames, a drifter, who works as a gardener for the town council has? What about the strange behaviour of Sheriff Wysinger? And why are Evan's dreams of torture, fire, killing and evil forebodings getting stronger since he lives here? What is the history behind this little village with the uncommon name? There is Kathryn Drago and the old museum and women on horseback ready to hunt... This novel is absolutely fascinating starting with the mysterious excavation to the Amazonian cult described in detail. I was hanging on the edge of the seat to finish this brilliant second novel by McCammond. Nailbiting tension, a story fully of mythology and murder, set in an American village. This book will strike you like the blade of a sharp axe! Absolutely recommended, what a read!

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another enjoyable read from Robert McCammon.
A small, beautiful town with an unusual name seemed to be a perfect place for a family to start anew. But, of course, it wasn't.

This book combined ancient mythology with present day horror.(Well, present day for 1980 or so, because that's when this book was originally written.)Oh, and did I mention the Amazon women?

I would recommend Bethany's Sin to any Robert McCammon fan. I also would recommend this one for any lover of horror set in a small town. This is one of those classic horror stories that grudgingly gives out clues to the secret the town holds close.

What is the town of Bethany's Sin hiding? Read it to find out.

[Melki · Rating 2 out of 5]

"They'll come for you! Oh, yes they'll come for you just like they came for me!" A thread of saliva had broken from the man's lip, and now it hung down over his chin onto his shirt. "In the night! They'll come in the night when the moon's strong and full and they'll take you to that place -- God, that awful place!"

Evan and Kay have moved to idyllic Bethany's Sin to save their festering cesspool of a marriage. (Okay - I exaggerate slightly, but these two are clearly not meant to be together!) The town is quiet. Too quiet. Where does everyone go after dark? And why are so many of the menfolk missing limbs? Are those hoofbeats I hear?

Dun-dun-duh!

This is the first time I've been disappointed by a McCammon title. The mystery was just not intriguing enough to keep me spellbound. And then there was the fact that I honestly didn't care if the main characters lived or died. The pacing was deadly slow, which can occasionally serve to build suspense, but in this case, the payoff was not only not worth the wait, it was laughable instead of horrific.

Oh, well . . . there are plenty of good reading days left before Halloween.

[Dan Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another early McCammon book that is better than most fans give it credit for. Bethany’s Sin is a much more intimate novel than Baal (his debut): more mature and deliberately slower paced. It foregoes the balls-to-the-wall action approach, instead opting for a mounting sense of dread that oozes through every chapter, before opening up Pandora’s box in a BIG way for the third act. And make no mistake: just because this isn’t a nonstop splatterfest, that doesn’t mean that McCammon doesn’t bring the gore. There are some VERY graphic scenes to behold, but McCammon exercises restraint a lot in order to pack a bigger punch when he does decide to go there.

McCammon’s character work here is noticeably improved from his debut novel. The protagonist has a more in-depth backstory and a more compelling character arc. As for the baddies, this time around there are a whole host of villains, and man are they vicious and royally creepy.

Though the story’s scale is much smaller than Baal’s (mostly contained to one village), the stakes for our heroes are just as high. My anxiety was in overdrive as I tore through page after page, hoping our beloved family at the center of this story would make it out in one piece.

This is definitely the type of book that shows McCammon trying to develop his literary muscles. You can tell he is experimenting a bit, testing his capabilities as he goes. And it mostly worked for me. I really enjoyed this book quite a bit, despite some minor flaws, a bit of required suspension of disbelief, some slightly annoying early McCammon quirks (Ex. repeated instances of using the same word three times, such as “the woman screamed, screamed, screamed”), and the fact that his writing has improved in every conceivable way since this was written. Overall, this early novel is a moody, atmospheric slow burn with a pay-off that was well worth the investment. Not too shabby at all.

3.75/5, rounded up to 4

P.S. the cover art is creepy as hell, too.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me, as we're going though the Robert McCammon Challenge (reading his catalog in chronological order, one book a month). This time around, Bethany's Sin picked up an extra star. I found that I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story about the strange happenings of this out-of-the-way little hamlet set in rural Pennsylvania. McCammon does such a fantastic job tying the ancient civilization of the Amazons and transplanting them into 1980 suburbia.

Evan Reid is a Vietnam vet whose PTSD causes him to relive his past in his dreams. This causes him and his family a hard time staying in one place before Evan burns their bridges and they have to start all over. Now, Evan, his wife Kay, and their little daughter Laurie discover Bethany's Sin. An idyllic Mayberry that seems to be the perfect spot to "start over". Soon after moving in, Evan notices strange things about the residents of Bethany's Sin. All of the women seem to be the dominant ones in the neighborhood. Many aren't married and the ones that are have submissive husbands. Obviously, Evan finds this unusual for 1980 and brings it up to Kay. Afraid that her husband is overreacting and is going to spoil their attempt at a new beginning, Kay goes off on Evan. The guilt from these new accusations coupled with his past missteps clouds Evan's thinking. He desperately wants the life his family deserves and this causes him to dismiss what he sees as paranoia. But, no matter how much he wants the American dream for his family, it doesn't change the fact that there's more to Bethany's Sin than meets the eye.

I connected with Evan the most out of all the characters. I felt his grief and anxiety as he tried so hard to provide a wonderful life for his family. I've read some reviews where some have accused McCammon of being sexist because women characters are portrayed as the "bad guys". I would argue the opposite. I think his unique and strong portrayal of the women of Bethany's Sin as a paradoxical dig on the male dominated society that was the norm in 1980. I also found the writing to be much better than his first novel, Baal. You can really see the progression that led him into the great writer he is today. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I've read numerous writers who would kill to be able to write at this level. When you put it in perspective, it makes you truly appreciate his talent.


4 Electric Blue Eyes out of 5


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[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

McCammon's second novel, written in the 70s, is definitely a little rough around the edges and the prose lacks the smooth, almost hypnotic power of his later works. Nonetheless, this was a fun read, and still demonstrates some of McCammon's story telling talents.

The story starts off with a bang, with two short story arcs that you know will make sense somewhere down the line. First, we have an archeological did near the Black Sea in Turkey circa 1965, where a female archeologist crawls into a recently uncovered cavern beneath a mountain finding strange things and second, an American GI is being tortured by the VC in 1970. When the story starts in the 'now' (1980), the poor GI (Evan) becomes our main protagonist.

Evan has some sort of precognition that manifests itself in his dreams, although his wife (Kay) doesn't buy it, and it has lead to numerous 'disagreements' between them. In any case, Evan often wakes screaming from nightmares since his return from Vietnam and their marriage has struggled as a result. Seeking to start fresh, Evan, Kay and their 6 yo daughter move from LaGrange (a dirty mill town in PA) to Bethany's Sin, a small town in PA where they got a great deal on a house and Kay has a new job lined up as a math teacher. Evan is a struggling author, primarily of short stories, and hopes the move will help him in his career as well. So, a classic small town horror set up, but McCammon does the 'small town horror' motif proud with this one.

Of course, there is something strange about Bethany's Sin-- the first night there Evan has some really strange dreams-- but McCammon builds the tension and mystery nicely here, utilizing suggestions and hints from the locals and also a hired town handyman to help uncover the mystery. I do not want to go into the plot in more detail due to spoilers, but can you say ghostly Amazon warriors? Oh boy! 3.5 stars!

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bethany's Sin was McCammon's second novel, and is a worthwhile and fascinating read. It isn't quite as well polished or subtle as his later works, but makes up for any lack of literary polish with enthusiasm and thought-provoking subjects. It's more directly influenced by mythology than any of his other novels, and is a tense and dark fantasy that reminded me of Thomas Tryon's Harvest Home.

[Ethan’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know if I should give this 4 or 5 stars. But the story is so unique that I really feel it deserves 5 stars. This justifying my rating.

Bethany's Sin, a quiet town that's an ideal place to live.
Beautiful scenery, quiet, what's not to love?
Main character Evan, husband, father, starts having strange dreams that he can't explain but they scare him.
The dreams place a strain on his marriage because his wife is struggling to understand why Evan lets his dreams rule so much of his life. But Evan stays true to his dreams and pays attentions to the signs.

What follows are strange events that put even more strain on Evan and his wife Kay.
Evan begins to notice that the town barely has any men, and if it does those men are handicapped physically. A drifter (Neely Ames) comes to town and he begins to notice weird things happening as well. Like human teeth at the trash dump, or a sherif that won’t quite get off Neely’s case.

Evan and Neely eventually meet in the story and from there continue to get weirder.


***SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT***

***DONT READ BEYOND THIS POINT***



Think of it like a horror version of Wonder Woman, which is bad ass in my opinion. I can not for the life of me figure out why McCammon doesn’t like his first three books. I will continue my rereads through his books but so far the premises alone are outstanding.

[Alex (The Bookubus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[John (JC) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally found a novel that gives me the chills. Night riders … disappearances … mutilations … all contribute to reading late into the night, hoping to reach the books conclusion, but now nervous about turning off the lights. I had read McCammon’s works decades ago. I have never found his books to be disappointing. This one is not an exception.

[John Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

If you’re already a McCammon fan then I think you will enjoy this but I wouldn’t start here if you’re not.

This book is pretty good but a large step down from his later works, which even he admits and is actually embarrassed by it.

This book is about an ancient evil that basically takes over the minds of women in the town of Bethany’s Sin. They will kill all males after they have gotten their reproductive use out of them. They’re basically a human version of the Black Widow.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1980, McCammon's second novel is not one of the author's favorites. In fact, he felt that his first three shouldn't be reprinted due to the writing not being up to par with his work after that. Robert is his own toughest critic of his work. While this may not be his best story, it's still a really good read. That's McCammon for you. The bar is raised to the heavens. He's an amazing author and Bethany's Sin is chock full of what he does best - an interesting premise, full and vibrant three-dimensional characters, and a writing style that grabs a hold of you and sucks you in.

Evan, a writer and a Vietnam veteran who has seen his share of horrors, and his wife Kay, a math professor, and their young daughter Laurie move to the charming, well-kept small town of Bethany's Sin, Pennsylvania to start a new life. Evan's dreams have made a mess of their previous attempts in other cities. You see, he has a penchant for predicting danger through the recollection of his nightmares. His wife doesn't believe that he's having premonitions and that he's actually creating the problems by reading too much into his dreams. Soon after moving to Bethany's Sin, Evan begins having troublesome visions during the night again. Not wanting to cause problems so soon after moving into their dream neighborhood, he tries to stifle his visions. Kay takes a position at a local community college and bumps into the head of the history department, Dr. Drago. She learns that Drago is also the mayor of Bethany's Sin and a woman of mesmerizing qualities. In fact, Evan notices that the village is full of dominating women that are either single or married to a submissive husband. Oddly enough, there is a museum in town that is dedicated to the lost civilization of the Amazon women.

McCammon slowly unfolds his tale developing the characters and setting up the curious scenes in the first half of the novel and then kicks it into high gear during the second half. It's definitely worth picking up.

4 out of 5 stars


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[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for the From Hell bookclub. This was my first Robert McCammon book. Oh Boy! Hold on to your balls for this one gents! (No pun intended) Without revealing too much on the story line, I will say that the plot was unique in that I had not read a book like it before. Reading this book intrigued me to read more on lost cities and different civilizations that have disappeared. History has shown us that there in fact have been cultures and towns that have vanished. It truly is a fascinating topic.

Bethany's Sin has so many hidden secrets. Evan and his family should have just kept driving on when they passed the town sign. Of course if he had then we wouldn't have a story LOL. I also enjoyed reading the author's concept of the story and the book itself. Driving to work day in and day out, he would pass a mysterious yet well kept home that said "women's club" on the front. He would see shadows at night through the windows of the home and saw cars parked out front but never actually saw a person go into or come out of the house.......

The women from Bethany's sin are after their men. They have a horrific ritual that involves them chopping off one of their own breasts to better hold their bow & arrows! Oh yeah it gets gory. Like I said, it's a first for me as far as the storyline concept. I enjoyed the cultish macabre feel of the story!

[Corey Woodcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Sunday, it’s over 100 degrees outside, and I have zero responsibilities today-why not knock the rest of this thing out??

This is a strange early book from one of my newfound favorite writers. It was definitely an entertaining read, and it wasn’t too hard to keep the pages turning, but this book undoubtedly falls at the bottom of the McCammon pile (though I have not read them all yet). There are some issues here-the writing isn’t bad as it’s still McCammon after all, but he definitely has come a long way since then. There’s also some content in here that probably wouldn’t fly by today’s social standards, and while this doesn’t bother me personally, I could see how it may be a problem for some people. Overall it’s 3.5 rounded up to 4, but the main reason for this is because I just couldn’t bring myself to give it 3 stars-I love McCammon too much and after all, the pages kept turning and it’s a pretty quick read.

I would recommend this one for readers who already have read a few McCammons and know what he can do. If you’re new to him, I’d skip this one for now and pick up one of his later books.

[Feli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since it's Christmas eve, I will try to put up a short review tomorrow.

in short: bad, repetitive writing; some good parts; a very slow beginning and not many likable characters

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the reviews posted here, I approached Bethany's Sin with a degree of caution as it wasn't that highly rated. But having enjoyed almost every other Robert McCammon book I've read, I didn't think it could be all bad. I'm happy to say that I found this book most enjoyable. Bethany's Sin is a small Pennsylvania town where the main character Evan, his wife Kay, and his daughter Laurie move. It's soon apparent that life in this town is not as quaint and peaceful as it first appeared. Kay begins having horrific and violent nightmares after meeting the towns mayor and primary antagonist, Kathryn Drago. It's up to Evan to unravel the dark secrets of the town before its too late to save himself and his family from the horrors of the coming "killing month". Sin is fairly quick read and has an interesting slant on the legend of the Amazon women and their hostile relationship with men. Some of the descriptions of this are downright brutal. It's a good horror story with some very creepy moments. Well worth reading in my opinion. (originally posted on Amazon.com)

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not McCammon's best, but it's still pretty damn good. In fact, this is my least favorite by him, but it still gets a 4.

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems this is an earlier work of McCammon's. I personally found it disturbing and unsettling.

Bethany's Sin is a picture perfect town but has dark secrets.

When archeologist Kathryn Drago discovers an ancient site in 1965 and enters the underground fortress alone, dark forces take hold of her. She later becomes mayor of Bethany's Sin and the women of this small quaint village become under her spell. They are possessed by Amazon spirits who have a lust for battle and a hatred of men. They hunt at night either killing the men who dare to travel after sundown or capture them and use them as breeding slaves.

Hero and marine Vietnam veteran has a bit of the second sight and notices some strange happenings in Bethany's Sin where he moved his family thinking to have a better life. He is plagued by nightmares which are prophesies, but his wife does not believe in them. She feels he is losing his mind.

Slow moving up to about 50-60% but then takes off into page turning horror. I never cared much for any of the characters except the hero who was very well developed. I didn't feel the love between him and his wife as strongly as the author intended. Not one of his best imo.

Content concerns: Graphic blood and gore. Torture. Sexual content. Cursing. Unhappy ending.

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

well... this is an earlier book in Mr. McCammon's writing. I'm glad he kept working on it. while there is some good parts, this isn't his best.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 3.8 STARS ****

The female of the species is more deadlier than the male.

Robert McCammon almost always never disappoints; in the case of Bethany's Sin, I thought it was, just about, very good. I thoughrouly enjoyed the slow build-up and the setting. Small town America with a murderer lurking in the shadows is always a great set-up.

Even though I didn't find Bethany's Sin as good as some of McCammon's other fantastic books, there was a lot to like about Bethany's Sin.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure that when McCammon first published Bethany's Sin, it was well received. It was, after all, released in 1980, at the beginning of the surge of American horror. The problem is, that 80's horror flicks were, for the most part, boring...and so too was this book.

In a way it pains me to say that. I've become a huge fan of McCammon in the last year or so, and I think he's constantly overlooked in a genre already too full of great authors. I also understand (and was pretty lucky to come across) that Bethany's Sin was only his 2nd novel (and one he actually had pulled from publication because it just wasn't up to snuff against his more nuanced and better written work). So yes, I'm not just some idiot who's never read McCammon or discovered the history behind his books.

It still doesn't change the fact, however, that at times this novel can be increasingly frustrating and tough to get through. I started reading this in the beginning of August 2015 and didn't happen to finish it for over a month, going back and forth with it in place of other books. It's not because McCammon isn't a bad author (and for a sophomore release, McCammon was still a hell of a writer), but rather because it's just so slow. At 348 pages, the book is fairly short, though nothing of any significance occurs until more than mid-way through. And even when the good stuff finally starts rolling, the basic plot and premise are just too full of holes to really grasp and cause far more questions than should be necessary. Like, for example, if the town is being constantly drained of men, wouldn't the other surrounding villages notice? And how can they stay so isolated? And if the spirits are able to exist outside the women's bodies, how are they taken care of by Evan?

Yet still, somehow, for the most part, this book does manage to work. I give most of that credit to McCammon. Like I said, the guy is a phenomenal author; he writes compelling characters and vivid scenes that draw the reader in and make us feel like we are there. This ain't Swan Song or Mine, but you can easily see the talent McCammon had and the way he has evolved over his career. Had anyone else tried to write this book, I'm sure it would have failed miserably.

Though I can't exactly recommend this as a first start to McCammon, it still marks an important book in his catalogue. And though it wasn't a rip-roaring, page turner, being able to read this was a plus, especially now that it's out of print (though still available in digital).

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in 1984. Being a horse lover and an artist, the cover drew my attention. Then I read the back cover and thought that it was worth buying and reading. It was an enjoyable read, though somewhat gory at times.

The story has a familiar theme, normal family moves to a small secluded, yet idyllic rural town in Pennsylvania. A town that harbors are dark secret.

Honestly, when I started to read, the first few chapters were so dry and boring that I had to skip ahead (I did go back later and read them). The pace of the book is steady with an occasional lull to build on the fact that something "ain't quite right" in Bethany's Sin.

Amazons. That's right, the boogie women of an ancient Greek's nightmares. Basically the book plays to the cliche of man hating amazons in modern day America. Their leader was the queen of the ancient band that was trapped and wiped out. Then along comes a female archaeologist. She discovers an ancient statue that unbeknownst to her, contains the raging spirits of the slain amazons. She is possessed and returns to the US to start her own community and resurrect the amazon way and tries to indoctrinate the Heroes wife into the bloody cult. Men are little more than breeding stock to be used and then eliminated if they challenge the status quot. The final confrontation is a little over the top and dragged out. Not Herculean, but it gives it a shot.

It is not the best horror novel, but certainly not the worst.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge, hate, horror and fear all hidden away in a perfect little town called Bethany's Sin... Until darkness falls and hell rides the highway.

My second read from this author and from the first page to the last I really enjoyed this book. McCammon is fast becoming a favourite author. Recommended.

[Robert Reiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was somewhat disappointing for a McCammon read. In fairness, this was written early in his career. His writing style improves dramatically after getting a few of these sub par novels out of the way. I did enjoy the first half of the book but then it gets boring fast. I only recommend this to the die hard McCammon fans who feel the need to read everything he’s written (like myself).

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blah.

[Kevin Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid, entertaining outing. Love me some McCammon!

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite McCammon, but I really enjoyed it once it got going. I also very much liked the mythology angle, and thought it fitting the person who opposed the Chosen of Artemis had precognition, which is the purview of Apollo, the twin brother of Artemis. Somehow I don't think that was an accident.

[Aaron Nash · Rating 3 out of 5]

An above average horror romp by a writer that was starting to find his feet. Chocked full of cliches, and with a tedency to repeat words over and over and over and over..... again. Still though, theres a lot of fun to be found here. Well worth a read.

[WILLIAM]

Trashy AF, but written well enough. Kind of a gender-flipped Stepford Wives, but with plenty of McCammon's trademark violence and gore.