The North Woods

by Douglass Hoover

Over three million acres of dense woodlands make up the North Maine Woods. There are no major towns. No public roads. Nothing but forest for as far as the eye can see.

When two Marines and their Corpsman reunite after a decade apart, they find themselves caught up in the mystery of their former squad leader’s disappearance. With little more to go on than a handful of disturbing charcoal sketches and the whispers of a local legend, they plunge into the depths of one of America’s last truly wild places.

But the trees themselves begin to whisper dark secrets. Secrets of trafficking and violence. Of rotten science and blood. Of something else that lurks in the shadows of the pines — something ancient, savage, and hungry.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Paranormal, Mystery, Supernatural

268 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2023

About the author

Douglass Hoover is a writer, craftsman, veteran, and an avid outdoorsman. He has written four novels and holds an MFA from Emerson College. When not slaving away over a keyboard, you can find him hunting, blacksmithing, farming, or bushwhacking skinwalkers in the forests of rural Maine with his wife, their little goblin, and the pack of wild dogs that nip at their heels.

Follow their adventures on Instagram
@StripedDogForge
@DouglassHooverAuthor

Find handmade outdoor equipment and signed books at www.stripeddogforge.com

Perhaps most importantly, sign up for our newsletter at www.douglasshoover.com for updates on future projects.

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something in the Woods
Was Following Them...

THE NORTH WOODS
by Douglass Hoover

No spoilers. 4 1/2 stars. Bauer died during his tour of duty in Afghanistan... not by the enemy, but from a brain aneurysm...

It was so sad that...

His squad of 13 men made a commitment to unite in the West Virginia cemetery where Bauer was buried to pay him tribute every year on his death anniversary...

They all showed up on the first anniversary, but subsequently, life happened...

Some died. Some just fell away...

Down to four men left from the squad, on the 10th anniversary one of them, Siggy overdosed and two men, Doc and Wyatt...

Organized an intervention...

It was to take place in an isolated cabin in the woods of Maine belonging to fellow squad member Crossman...

Except...

When Wyatt, Doc, and Siggy arrived, Crossman was MIA at his own cabin...

But...

Crossman had left scattered messages to his friends, indicating that he was in some kind of trouble...

Messages like...

Follow the north wind, and if you find this message, burn the whole forest down...

So the group decided to get some camping gear and supplies together and find their buddy Crossman...

But...

The forest was deep and had been secluded from mankind all its existence and something else called it home...

Something that was following them...

This was a good campfire tale that, once I started reading, I found it hard to put down. From start to finish, the story was riveting.

Not being a fan of war stories, I appreciated that the novel was not bogged down with a lot of flashbacks of the squad's time in Afghanistan. However, there were many war-related abbreviations that I had to Google.

Summing up, this was a very good and atmospheric story.

[Devi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tiring book to read. I see I'm the outlier here. While I deeply appreciate the note of the author, this just didn't work for me.

[Dead Inside · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Fine, an animal, and their feeding people to it? What about the naked mother fucker in the cage?”

Being a veteran myself, I was able to relate very well to this book.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story! Not only did it showcase the struggles of veterans, but it was also a thrilling story of survival with a creature feature!

Highly, highly recommend this book!!


Wyatt and Doc are helping troubled brother in arms Siggy find an escape in nature. They venture to their old sergeant Crossman’s cabin to enjoy time in the wild. But… Crossman isn’t there, and he’s left a mystery behind. The ex marines decide to follow his trail into the Hungry Forest and they begin to have some seriously strange encounters. As the men fight their own demons, a true monster starts to stalk them. Will they survive The North Woods?

Seriously, jump on picking up this book! You won’t regret it.

[Lizz]

I don’t write reviews.

I can’t continue. There’s nothing here worth my time. I made it over halfway and the writing is intolerably dull.

(Plus, noting over and over how the nurses were angry at a dying man because the halls were overflowing with corona patients. Oh, really? In between their dancing videos or…. after they told people who actually were sick to go home until they can’t breathe at all).

(Plus, I don’t feel too bad for guys who have chosen to go to war. I’m sorry. Maybe I’m a dick, but I don’t believe in war or using force on others for any reason. Vietnam vets have my heart, since so many were drafted).

[Wade Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in expecting another cabing in the woods with men being picked off one by one. While it sort of starts like that it becomes clear quick that this is a VERY character driven novel and goes in direction I never would have imagined on my own. Not predictably in the slightest and has a very gratifying ending. I reccomend this book to any horror fan but if character focused stories aren't you're thing you may want to skip this although I highly recommend that you DO read it.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I was thinking I needed a new Barron-adjacent folk horror meets brawny man author, I come upon this Graham Platner meets The Ritual with its own fun spin book.

I will certainly be checking out more from this author.

[Luke Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Read it.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was great! Three war buddies search for the fourth one deep in the woods. Each veteran is battling his own demon inside, and as the story progresses, they'll have to stick together to battle one outside in the wilderness, too.
This is a character driven mystery/supernatural novel, that primarily focuses on the relationship between the men and their post-war struggles. But don't worry, it doesn't drag with the the war topic! I am someone who lived through war and I really, really don't like the topic in books or movies because it hurts. But I think it is handled with care and measure, just enough so you understand where the guys are coming from and why they are as they are. I can see that the author lived through combat, and is not just recycling information.
The supernatural element is there, and at times it was very creepy and scary, but it is not the focal point.
It's like Jaws: the movie is not about the shark. If you know you know.
One star off because I felt that some plot points were rushed or a bit disjointed. But anyone who wants a buddy forest adventure with something creeping around, messing with them, will surely enjoy it immensely like I did.
PS: listened to the audiobook

[Jeanna Picha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The North Woods is an intriguing mix of mystery and horror that I could not put down. I have never read a story where the characters undergo such anxiety and anguish and yet I was entranced with the story and what would come next after every chapter. Hoover does an excellent job painting not only the settings but also the feelings and thoughts of each character. I really hope this can be translated into a movie in the future. If I would recommend any book, it would be this one!!!

[Christine HorrorReaderWeekend · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ominous yet thrilling novel of three ex-Marine buddies entering the North Woods in search of a fourth comrade.

Wyatt and Doc “kidnap” Siggy as he’s released from the hospital after an overdose suicide attempt. They plan to stay in the isolated cabin of Crossman, but when they get there they realize that Crossman is on a delusional trek into the deep woods looking for a fake sanctuary based on an urban myth rampant in the foster care system.

But there is something in the woods, stalking and luring them deeper, where monsters are in dark caves and in the hearts of man.

Truly creepy and immersive, with horrors coming at the friends as monsters, as weather, as injuries and as weakness. There were points in the story where I was so tuned in my eyes were bugging (the campsite, the cage, the old lady, the CAVE!!). The tension beautifully ratcheted up as the friends’ situation became DIRE.

Would have easily been a 5 star read, except the very end. The story tied up neatly but too quickly. I have questions about some details.

Thank you to the author for access to the audiobook for this unbiased review.

[Eugene Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was just getting a horror story, but what I really got was a journey into the soul of the veteran archetype. Hoover’s characters are a small encapsulation of everyone you meet in the Marines, and the way he conveys post-service confusion, pain, and self loathing is all too real. This work was beyond what I expected from a “small time” author. I can’t wait to read more of his work. Consider me a fan boy.

This book is for everyone, civilians and veterans alike. I can’t wait to recommend it my friends and family. Semper Fidelis!

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an entertaining read! I enjoyed the character building and likable characters. This book was broken into three separate sections, the first two I thought had a great pace. Some SPOILERS ahead but the third section I thought was somewhat lacking in development, especially when it came to the “creature” that inevitably brought the story to a close. There really wasn’t a lot of description of the monster itself or “Her” other than a few small scenes. Even in the final “battle” we only got a glimpse of what had been haunting them the entire story.

[Tomasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was a massively pleasant surprise - a fine novel, admittedly a bit rough around the edges, but this actually was value added, verisimilitude added. The concept of delivering the plot through the three protagonists works fine (including their varying levels of a**holery), the tension is palpable, the stakes - realistic. Homebrewed horror FTW!

[Milica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, introspective and deep, with some entertaining gore on top. I'm so glad I picked it up.

[Christopher Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is why you visit the South Woods.

[Avary B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The North Woods—so much so that it almost pains me to give it four stars instead of five. For me (and I assume most readers), endings are so crucial to my overall enjoyment, and while this book wrapped things up neatly without loose ends, the conclusion fell just a bit short. Without giving away any spoilers, I found myself wishing a certain part near the end of the story had been better explained. There's a brief time skip near the end that felt a little frustrating and somewhat lazy compared to the otherwise amazing narrative. Despite this, it was still an incredibly enjoyable read, and I’d still highly recommend it. I just wish the ending had been given a bit more attention and depth.

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good.

[Renee Girtz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this book had so much potential, but it just fell flat for me. The characters were not relatable and were underdeveloped.

[Lynn craycroft · Rating 3 out of 5]

No end to the desperation.

I finished this tale of endless desperation and tragedy gladly. Certainly not a story to lift one up. The characters were were so realistic their situation pulled me right down with them. Why is it authors take so much time with the backstory the reader almost gives it up as a lost cause. The vagueness of the meat of the storyline here is frustrating. It almost feels like the point is missed.. Truthfully the only reason I kept reading was the characters. The pretty predictable ending left me wanting to closure.

[james mccarney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneventful

Yeah, this book was not for me. Nothing happened until the very end of the book. The ending still didn't do it for me. Pretty much a few ex servicemen sitting around guzzling booze, chain smoking and talking shit. I don't even know what kind of book this was. Wasn't horrifying, wasn't thrilling,just kind of boring. Maybe other people would find this story interesting, not me. I'm sure this author has better books, but I guess I'll never know.

[Nick Coughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some aspects of this book are very typical of a veteran turned author, however over all it doesn't fall completely into that category. This avoids a lot of the forced corniness of other fiction of both that type or of the horror genre. I couldn't put this down, very reminiscent of Off Season by Jack Ketchum to me. Highly recommend.

[Linda Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phone call late at the night turns Wyatt’s ordered world upside down. A former Marine who served in combat, Wyatt has traded in his uniform for the hallowed halls of academia. The late-night call comes from Thomas Sigmund (Siggy), one of the guys Wyatt served with overseas. Siggy has overdosed and is calling to say goodbye. He hangs up not revealing his whereabouts. A panicked Wyatt calls another old Marine buddy, Doc, who intuits where Siggy is – at the grave of a fallen comrade. Doc proceeds to get him help and Siggy survives. but Wyatt and Doc don’t know for how long. Not knowing what else to do, they take Siggy and head to the North Maine Woods where their former squad leader, Crossman, has a cabin. Crossman had sent out an email some time before advising that he would be up there, out of touch, for a while. However, he invited any members of his old squad to join him if they wished. It seems, on the surface, a good place to take Siggy – isolated and remote – with no drugs readily available. However, all is not peaceful and serene in the north woods and, thus, these three former comrades-in-arms begin on a journey that will take them into hell and back.

The North Woods was a fantastic read. A real page-turner, I could not put it down. Author Hoover has created a crew of characters whose angst, fellowship, and loyalty is remarkably portrayed. Yes, there is a horror in the North Woods, but there is also horror lurking in the minds of these three men – a horror borne from a brutal and meaningless war. Will they all survive? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

The North Woods comes most highly recommended by this reader and I have to say it is the best novel read so far this year.

I want to thank the publisher, BlackPit Publishing, for providing me, as a voting member of the Horror Writers Association, with a free copy of this novel in consideration of a Bram Stoker Award.

[Gareth Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like The North Woods, but by the time I finished it, I mostly felt tired and a bit let down.

The biggest issue for me is the pacing. The story takes an absolute age to get going. There’s a lot of scene-setting, atmosphere-building, and slow circling around ideas, which isn’t a bad thing in theory — I enjoy a patient book when I know it’s heading somewhere. Here, though, it feels like the book is constantly clearing its throat, promising that something significant is just around the corner. I kept thinking, right, now we’re getting into it, only to realise fifty pages later that we were still in the same holding pattern.

And then, when it finally does start to feel like it might kick into gear… it doesn’t really go anywhere. Threads are introduced, moods deepen, tensions hint at something darker or more revelatory, but very little actually lands. The payoff never quite arrives, which makes all that early slowness feel unjustified in retrospect. Slow burns live or die on their endings, and this one just fizzles rather than ignites.

The writing itself is competent, sometimes even nicely restrained, and there are moments where the sense of place is genuinely strong. You can tell the author cares about atmosphere and texture, and I appreciated that on a sentence-by-sentence level. Unfortunately, good prose can only carry you so far when the narrative momentum is this weak. Eventually, it starts to feel like beautifully described stalling.

By the end, I wasn’t angry so much as underwhelmed. I didn’t hate reading it, but I also can’t say it gave me much in return for the time it asked of me. For readers who love very quiet, meandering stories where mood matters more than movement, there might be something here. For me, it just took too long to start and then never justified the wait.

[Luke Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four stars are for the prose and the characterizations more than the story. Your own mileage may vary.

I judge all “broken men in the woods horror” according to The Ritual by Adam Nevill, and this one holds up very well to that standard.

The author is a Marine combat veteran, and he understands the rhythm of speech, the casual “ fun and friendly cruelty” and the sarcasm of men who have served very well. This lends itself to the immersive nature of the story, which is not particularly ground-breaking but well-done for this genre.

The characters, however, propel this over into territory that feels more “literary” albeit with a more blue-collar execution to it. Are you following me? Because I’m trying to put stuff into words that is usually caught rather than taught.

Great stuff, and will definitely read his other two novels.

However, the bar for this kind of thing is still set up very high by Nevill’s book, which gave me dreams for two weeks while I read it and still pops up in my psyche from time to time. Everyone responds differently to works of art, and for that I’m grateful.

[Karen MacDowall Haggerty]

Just WOW

I have no idea why this book ended up in my library. Maybe I had downloaded it because I found the title intriguing; at sa NY rate, time went by and I was forgotten. Still living in the aftermath of Helene, my Kindle is my only resource for reading, at least for already downloaded books. After nearly a week with no power and no internet (I charge my Kindle in the car), The North Woods was all I had left.

And what a rollercoaster ride I stepped on! It starts off rather slowly, and because I had no idea what it was about, I decided to read on. OH MY WORD. I found myself in the grips of a terrific story, absolutely horrifying in nature. Heart-pounding is a great description. I didn't want to stop reading, but duty calls, and I'd get back to it as soon as I could. I finished today, and I'm still reeling.

I'm not even going to talk about the plot, because I had no idea when I started reading, and that made the shock even stronger.
Just think "deep woods, the unknown, something out there. Be afraid. Be very afraid."

I live next to the woods. I'll never look at it the same way again.

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year's last surprise: a horror story with a heart.

Incredibly, researchers have recently found that consuming horror media may actually have some psychological benefits. First, it helps our brain to handle stressful situations by placing us in frightful situations vicariously through the characters. Second, it especially helps people dealing with trauma (or PTSD). Horror has a gift to draw our attention away from our thoughts and focus on the situation in which the characters have to find a way through; in this sense, it can paradoxically have a relaxing effect, releasing people from their inner turmoil and slowly aiding them through their grief. There's no need for jumpscares; true horror stems from the fear arising from tension and from the shock of the mind before the macabre.

"The North Woods" has everything I wish to see in a horror novel. It has good characters dealing with their own internal problems (here, a trio of veterans); it has a lot of twists and a monster that not only frightens us, but also has a meaning: it embodies our most ingrained fears and weaknesses, and uses our shadows against us, as does the devil. Following a common trope of the genre, our main characters have to descend to the depths of hell (and of their own selves) to put an end to their struggle.

It is also fitting that the novel has a message of hope for struggling veterans. May God give them fortitude.

[Brett's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little Rough Around the Edges

I enjoyed this short buddy-horror-fantasy(?) mashup; although I have criticisms. The plot is fine, a straight creature feature; not too long, the third act moved apace. I think in an effort to be real and raw about veterans issues, the author may have good too far. The authors rough around the edges former Marines were very rough, on themselves on each other, relentlessly; it was somewhat depressing. As was the I incipient nihilism of Wyatt. Similarly, the overall tone was very dark; human depravity, with an overlay of meanness and meaningless. I actually thought about not finishing the book because of the darkness. One final criticism, the author need not explain everything for a story to be enjoyable, but maybe explaining some of the fantasy elements would have ameliorated the darkness of the book. A weak recommend for horror fans.

[Gilda Felt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty great book. The plot was suspenseful and involved, the characters complex and thoroughly constructed. I was totally taken in by the story, and its affect on the three men as they search for their missing comrade.

So, yeah, pretty great. Until it got to the ending. After all the build-up, the book comes to a quick, incomplete and totally flat ending. So much is left unexplained, as if the author, having gotten us there, doesn’t know what to do next.

What was “ancient, savage, and hungry”? Your guess is as good as mine. How do the three men manage to extricate theirselves from their predicament? Don’t know. They’re there, practically at death’s door, and then they’re not.

A completely disappointing ending. What I thought I’d give five stars, I’ve had to give only three. A real shame.

[Samantha Ledford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a slower start for me, it didn't immediately pull me in but I was determined to see where it went.

I enjoyed the storyline and the characters individually and learning to love them.

Once the pace started to pick up it started to feel a bit rushed. And the climax seemed to be too fantastical for my taste personally. I found myself with an eyeroll or 🧐 reaction more times than I want to admit.

THE ENDING?! Then ending alone caused me to remove a star. I can understand why the author did what they did, but I don't like it personally. I was left with more questions/concerns than anything else.

It almost felt like ideas ran out so let's just do this and be done with it.

**I don't dislike this book, I would recommend it to someone who is looking for something different to try, but I personally would choose it again.