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The Felicitous
THE PAST NEVER RESTS IN PEACE…
IT RESTS IN PIECES
Annie Porter bought a ghost town.
After the tragic death of her husband, Annie moves to the abandoned town of Gull Valley, Maine, to start a new life. Her hope for peace and quiet begins to unravel as strange and frightening things happen around her.
Is Annie really alone in Gull Valley?
She learns that a murderous and deranged cult known as The Felicitous used to live there, whose enigmatic leader and devoted members mysteriously disappeared decades ago.
Now, Annie fears that The Felicitous have returned to Gull Valley. Is it all in her head? Have the cult’s vengeful spirits been resurrected from beyond the grave? Or have The Felicitous reemerged to give Annie a blood-soaked welcome to the town they once called home?
Annie and her friends will soon find out.
AUTHOR’S This book contains graphic violence, murder, gore, swearing, sarcasm, discussions of mental health and trauma, alternative lifestyles, abundant pop culture references, a large cast of quirky characters, an offbeat sense of humor amongst the carnage, Generation X representation, and a general refusal to follow convention or be like other books (I tried to talk some sense into it, but it just wouldn’t listen).
IT RESTS IN PIECES
Annie Porter bought a ghost town.
After the tragic death of her husband, Annie moves to the abandoned town of Gull Valley, Maine, to start a new life. Her hope for peace and quiet begins to unravel as strange and frightening things happen around her.
Is Annie really alone in Gull Valley?
She learns that a murderous and deranged cult known as The Felicitous used to live there, whose enigmatic leader and devoted members mysteriously disappeared decades ago.
Now, Annie fears that The Felicitous have returned to Gull Valley. Is it all in her head? Have the cult’s vengeful spirits been resurrected from beyond the grave? Or have The Felicitous reemerged to give Annie a blood-soaked welcome to the town they once called home?
Annie and her friends will soon find out.
AUTHOR’S This book contains graphic violence, murder, gore, swearing, sarcasm, discussions of mental health and trauma, alternative lifestyles, abundant pop culture references, a large cast of quirky characters, an offbeat sense of humor amongst the carnage, Generation X representation, and a general refusal to follow convention or be like other books (I tried to talk some sense into it, but it just wouldn’t listen).
- GenresHorror
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2023
7 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Matt Forgit
7 books56 followersMatt Forgit lives and writes in New England. His interests include spending time with friends and family, annoying his better half, trying to be a cool uncle, scary stuff, movies, television shows, music, reading, eating, board games, creepy folklore, urban legends, spooky history, abandoned places, castles, islands, cabins in the woods, being near the ocean, and the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He is terrible with social media, dreams of owning a haunted bed and breakfast atop a cliffside overlooking the sea, hopes that someday Chopping Mall: The Musical becomes a reality, and doesn't normally talk about himself in the third person. For updates, random thoughts, horror recommendations, and general nonsense, please like and follow “Matt Forgit Author” on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 24, 2023
Spooky and shrouded in mystery, I was constantly trying to figure out what was behind the creepy happenings in this ghost town. Plenty of gore-filled scenes that are broken up nicely with delightful banter and pop culture references. If cults, murder, and twists are your thing, then this book is for you!
October 15, 2023
A gore-filled horror with plenty of pop culture references (That I actually got this time!) As a fan of cults, I loved it. Also, is any horror novel complete without cannibalism and taxidermy?
December 9, 2023
Mystery ✅️
Gore ✅️
Slept with the light on ✅️
Gore ✅️
Slept with the light on ✅️
November 12, 2023
This is my second book from this author, and it didn't disappoint. I don't read many horror novels but found it to be quite the page-turner. I loved the witty dialogue and pop culture references, and the mystery of Gull Valley kept me guessing all the way to the end. Check it out whether you're a longtime horror fan or new to the genre!
November 15, 2023
The gory and scary parts were awesome! I found the dialogue to be unnecessarily lengthy and found myself skimming entire paragraphs.
June 8, 2025
Forgit's personality shines through this book like a star. Having had the pleasure of actually spending time with Matt and getting to know him I could see him in every page. His love of 80s pop culture, 80s slasher movies, his upbeat personality and just the right touch of quirkiness makes this a great read. As a Gen-Xer myself, it was full of nostalgia with a plethora of references to the music and movies I grew up with.
Cult horror, with a large cast of outlandish and zany characters it hit an the marks of a great story. Fast paced, the perfect amount of gore and lots of twists.
I actually could recommend this for older teens, although they may not get the 80s references. There's no sex and no swearing so this is perfect for those who like cozy, wholesome horror. If you're a Gen-X horror fan, you really need to read this book.
Cult horror, with a large cast of outlandish and zany characters it hit an the marks of a great story. Fast paced, the perfect amount of gore and lots of twists.
I actually could recommend this for older teens, although they may not get the 80s references. There's no sex and no swearing so this is perfect for those who like cozy, wholesome horror. If you're a Gen-X horror fan, you really need to read this book.
April 12, 2025
This book caught my eye because of one thing - that awesome cover! Now I am not vapid enough to buy it solely based on the cover, but the cover encouraged me to research the book. Seriously...a woman in mourning buys 3800 acres for next to nothing and included is a small town in the middle of nowhere with a movie theater and roller rink?! Ummm...where do I sign up?
I just loved this book! I thought the flow slowed a bit when the friends arrived and we had to get insight into all of them (although, as a Gen Xer, I did love all the info), but otherwise, this book is pretty close to perfect. I can't believe no one is talking about this! I'm so glad I stumbled upon a copy.
4 1/2 stars
I just loved this book! I thought the flow slowed a bit when the friends arrived and we had to get insight into all of them (although, as a Gen Xer, I did love all the info), but otherwise, this book is pretty close to perfect. I can't believe no one is talking about this! I'm so glad I stumbled upon a copy.
4 1/2 stars
November 19, 2025
After the tragic death of her husband, Annie thinks she has had the best luck in finding an entire deserted town for sale. She quickly starts working on cleaning up the town and getting everything back up and running. However, dark shapes lurk around every corner and it quickly becomes apparent that Annie is not alone. Annie will be thrust into a battle for survival.
If you like a tense, gripping book about cults, then this is the book for you. The story flows along perfectly and the tension quickly builds as you hurtle toward the finale. Highly recommend!
If you like a tense, gripping book about cults, then this is the book for you. The story flows along perfectly and the tension quickly builds as you hurtle toward the finale. Highly recommend!
October 30, 2023
4.5⭐️ this was a great combination of horror and humour mixed with pop culture references.
This book kept me on edge the entire time and I didn’t want to put it down.
I absolutely love Matt’s writing style. He really brings every character to life, even the little ones, so if something bad happens to them, you really feel for them.
To sum it up, this was dark, creepy and witty.
I cannot wait to see what Matt comes out with next.
This book kept me on edge the entire time and I didn’t want to put it down.
I absolutely love Matt’s writing style. He really brings every character to life, even the little ones, so if something bad happens to them, you really feel for them.
To sum it up, this was dark, creepy and witty.
I cannot wait to see what Matt comes out with next.
August 15, 2024
After the murder of her husband, Annie Porter buys a ghost town and moves into the middle of nowhere.
Alone.
What could go wrong?
Did I mention the town was home to a notoriously deranged cult?
The wooded land surrounding the town may be her private property, but they still attract a multitude of hikers, campers and adventure seekers.
As she clears out the buildings in town with the help of a few local people, strange events plague her and Annie isn't sure if people are behind it, or if it is her own grief-stricken mind playing tricks.
When friends pay a surprise visit for her 47th birthday, nostalgia, mystery and mayhem collide.
Did The Felicitous really leave Gull Valley?
Do they haunt it now?
Will Annie and her friends survive the weekend to find out the awful truth?
This book is equally a devastating depiction of grief, a creeping mystery, a gore packed slasher and a nostalgic romp. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Packed full of pop culture references, humor and playful banter, it kept me turning pages and trying desperately to figure out what was actually going on.
The characters pop off the page and make you fall in love with them or roll your eyes at the mention of their names. I cannot wait to dig into more of Matt Forgit's writing.
Alone.
What could go wrong?
Did I mention the town was home to a notoriously deranged cult?
The wooded land surrounding the town may be her private property, but they still attract a multitude of hikers, campers and adventure seekers.
As she clears out the buildings in town with the help of a few local people, strange events plague her and Annie isn't sure if people are behind it, or if it is her own grief-stricken mind playing tricks.
When friends pay a surprise visit for her 47th birthday, nostalgia, mystery and mayhem collide.
Did The Felicitous really leave Gull Valley?
Do they haunt it now?
Will Annie and her friends survive the weekend to find out the awful truth?
This book is equally a devastating depiction of grief, a creeping mystery, a gore packed slasher and a nostalgic romp. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Packed full of pop culture references, humor and playful banter, it kept me turning pages and trying desperately to figure out what was actually going on.
The characters pop off the page and make you fall in love with them or roll your eyes at the mention of their names. I cannot wait to dig into more of Matt Forgit's writing.
January 25, 2024
I was really excited for this book and it started out strong but I unfortunately DNF. It's 499 pages long and I got to the 50% mark.
I do still anticipate the ending and uncovering the mystery so I may come back to it eventually, but at this stage I can't force myself to read a book that consists 50% of dialogue that doesn't contribute to the story at all. I found myself skipping 2-5 pages at a time and finding the dialogue/references were still going and the story wasn't being continued yet.
With that said it did have funny moments. "That wasn't a documentary. That was the movie Wrong Turn" cracked me up. I think less dialogue and constant jokes would make it funnier and help jokes land more. The slasher scenes were fabulous and well written. There were very suspenseful moments. I liked the world building and how each character was created uniquely. This book has so much potential, I just can't deal with all the dialogue. If it wasn't pages and pages then I would definitely have loved this story. As I said, I may try to continue it again in the future, but for now I'll leave it here. A book with 499 pages and half of it is unrelated dialogue/pop culture references is too long for me. I was excited to read about the mystery and horror of The Felicitous.
I do still anticipate the ending and uncovering the mystery so I may come back to it eventually, but at this stage I can't force myself to read a book that consists 50% of dialogue that doesn't contribute to the story at all. I found myself skipping 2-5 pages at a time and finding the dialogue/references were still going and the story wasn't being continued yet.
With that said it did have funny moments. "That wasn't a documentary. That was the movie Wrong Turn" cracked me up. I think less dialogue and constant jokes would make it funnier and help jokes land more. The slasher scenes were fabulous and well written. There were very suspenseful moments. I liked the world building and how each character was created uniquely. This book has so much potential, I just can't deal with all the dialogue. If it wasn't pages and pages then I would definitely have loved this story. As I said, I may try to continue it again in the future, but for now I'll leave it here. A book with 499 pages and half of it is unrelated dialogue/pop culture references is too long for me. I was excited to read about the mystery and horror of The Felicitous.
January 8, 2025
If you enjoy culty mysteries then you need to pick this one up and give it a go. The whole time I was reading this, it felt like someone was watching me. 😳🫣
The Felicitous follows Annie as she’s just recently purchased a new estate in an abandoned small town in Maine. Before moving in, this property belonged to a cult known as “The Felicitous.” This group just upped and left with no explanation and the property and town has set vacant ever since. Once Annie moves in she begins to notice strange occurrences inside the home. Is this place haunted? What ever happened to this supposed cult? Annie begins digging into the towns history and then more strange happenings begin to occur.
This was an enjoyable read for me. It had some really eerie moments and the suspense aspect was done very well. There is also some pretty graphic imagery in this one, so if you aren’t a fan of gore, this is your warning. It’s not constant though, just here and there. There’s a lot of pop culture references and humor sprinkled in throughout as well. Overall, I liked this book and had a good time reading it.
The Felicitous follows Annie as she’s just recently purchased a new estate in an abandoned small town in Maine. Before moving in, this property belonged to a cult known as “The Felicitous.” This group just upped and left with no explanation and the property and town has set vacant ever since. Once Annie moves in she begins to notice strange occurrences inside the home. Is this place haunted? What ever happened to this supposed cult? Annie begins digging into the towns history and then more strange happenings begin to occur.
This was an enjoyable read for me. It had some really eerie moments and the suspense aspect was done very well. There is also some pretty graphic imagery in this one, so if you aren’t a fan of gore, this is your warning. It’s not constant though, just here and there. There’s a lot of pop culture references and humor sprinkled in throughout as well. Overall, I liked this book and had a good time reading it.
December 17, 2024
Love a good cult read !!! And the setting in an old ghost town??? Sign me up!!!
June 29, 2025
The premise of the book was interesting and I loved the cult aspect. I enjoyed the creepiness of the ghost town and learning more about The Felicitous and their actions.
Unfortunately the writing just wasn’t for me. I think I read the phrase ‘She didn’t notice the person standing in the corner…’, ‘They didn’t notice the masked figure in the shadows…’ AT LEAST 20 times in the novel, and by the end I was rolling my eyes every time. It just seemed too convenient that a cultist always seemed to be in every room, in every corner, absolutely everywhere in the town at all times. There was too much dialogue, often pages and pages worth, where the characters I guess were meant to be witty. However, it was incredibly boring and irrelevant, and I ended up skipping over paragraphs, especially the conversations between Cal and his kids. After introducing each character, and I think there were legitimately about 20 of them, the author shoehorned in a paragraph about their family life, likes, dislikes and personality, and it got repetitive after character 2. I didn’t actually care about any of them because I didn’t get to know them, the author just rattled off a list of facts.
Because I enjoyed the storyline, I would read another book by this author if the writing was different. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
Unfortunately the writing just wasn’t for me. I think I read the phrase ‘She didn’t notice the person standing in the corner…’, ‘They didn’t notice the masked figure in the shadows…’ AT LEAST 20 times in the novel, and by the end I was rolling my eyes every time. It just seemed too convenient that a cultist always seemed to be in every room, in every corner, absolutely everywhere in the town at all times. There was too much dialogue, often pages and pages worth, where the characters I guess were meant to be witty. However, it was incredibly boring and irrelevant, and I ended up skipping over paragraphs, especially the conversations between Cal and his kids. After introducing each character, and I think there were legitimately about 20 of them, the author shoehorned in a paragraph about their family life, likes, dislikes and personality, and it got repetitive after character 2. I didn’t actually care about any of them because I didn’t get to know them, the author just rattled off a list of facts.
Because I enjoyed the storyline, I would read another book by this author if the writing was different. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2024
ⓇⒺⓋⒾⒺⓌ
The Felicitous - Matt Forgit
The Felicitous by Matt Forgit is a gripping horror novel that delves into the eerie and enigmatic.
The story unfolds in the mysterious town of Gull Valley, where secrets are buried deep within the soil.
Our protagonist Annie moves to the abandoned town Gull Valley, and discovers that it was once home to a murderous and deranged cult known as The Felicitous. Their leader and devoted members vanished decades ago, leaving behind a legacy of darkness.
Now, Annie fears that The Felicitous has returned, their malevolence lurking in the shadows of the ghost town.
I’m a big fan of cult horror so when the author approached me about reviewing his work it was a no brainer.
The characters are believable and there is plenty of gore, mystery and pop culture references in abundance but also a lot of unnecessary dialogue which slowed the pacing of the storyline.
It’s a bit scatty at times but I must say the positives out weigh the negatives.
Enjoyable but superfluous in length.
The Felicitous - Matt Forgit
The Felicitous by Matt Forgit is a gripping horror novel that delves into the eerie and enigmatic.
The story unfolds in the mysterious town of Gull Valley, where secrets are buried deep within the soil.
Our protagonist Annie moves to the abandoned town Gull Valley, and discovers that it was once home to a murderous and deranged cult known as The Felicitous. Their leader and devoted members vanished decades ago, leaving behind a legacy of darkness.
Now, Annie fears that The Felicitous has returned, their malevolence lurking in the shadows of the ghost town.
I’m a big fan of cult horror so when the author approached me about reviewing his work it was a no brainer.
The characters are believable and there is plenty of gore, mystery and pop culture references in abundance but also a lot of unnecessary dialogue which slowed the pacing of the storyline.
It’s a bit scatty at times but I must say the positives out weigh the negatives.
Enjoyable but superfluous in length.
September 1, 2025
I enjoyed this book. It was delightfully creepy, falling under my "Only Read This During the Day and Stop Well Before Bedtime" category. That being said, I was somewhat disappointed after the more than 20 friends joined the story. They seemed clueless to what was happening. I mean, if weird stuff was happening, I'd surely be talking about it with others! It almost seemed the last chapters were rushed. But, that's just my opinion. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind reading the end of the book.
December 27, 2025
This book was very creepy and not in a way I was suspecting. The opening chapter made me think the story was going to go in one direction but as the story went on, the true nature came out and made the story even better. The hidden secrets and cult aspect of the story made the book one I couldnt put down.
March 18, 2024
This book is such a fun read, it has murder, mystery, pop culture references and so many dynamic characters. No joke I would have to take off my Apple Watch while reading this book because the twist and turns would have me on edge and it was notifying me to take a mindful moment. lol!
February 18, 2024
It didn’t leave me scared when I put it away. The cult aspect in it is really good. The author sent me a personal signed sticker to add to the book plate, which I LOVE! Stay spooky
friends. 🖤
friends. 🖤
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews