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The River Through the Trees
Decades ago, Dan and Grace Robertson encountered a horror of childhood legend: Bicycle Bob. Some say he's an insane drifter with a taste for blood. Others call him evil made flesh, and claim his touch will poison your soul. Some say he’s just another country ghost story. Now, Dan is a cemetery caretaker who prefers the solace of his work to the complexities of living people. Grace persists as a strung-out addict living on the fringes. Under the influence of the Newbert brothers, maniac woodsmen prophets who have seen the truth beyond the nighttime stars, she has put a desperate plan in motion. Her brother Dan is the only one who knows the root of her madness, and he alone can uncover the unholy monstrosity hungering beneath the surface of a dying town.
David Peak's The River Through the Trees is a grotesque of impoverished rural life, a life of quiet acceptance broken only by drugs, death metal, desecration, and the teachings of an ancient book. Combining the pacing of Dennis Lehane, the cosmic terror of Lovecraft, and the defunct modernity of Ligotti, it is a taut, disturbing story whose haunting images bring to mind the dark places we do our best to ignore.
David Peak's The River Through the Trees is a grotesque of impoverished rural life, a life of quiet acceptance broken only by drugs, death metal, desecration, and the teachings of an ancient book. Combining the pacing of Dennis Lehane, the cosmic terror of Lovecraft, and the defunct modernity of Ligotti, it is a taut, disturbing story whose haunting images bring to mind the dark places we do our best to ignore.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2013
16 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
David Peak
25 books277 followersDavid Peak is the author of The World Below (Apocalypse Party), Eyes in the Dust and Other Stories (Trepidatio Publishing), Corpsepaint (Word Horde), and The Spectacle of the Void (Schism). He lives in Chicago, where he is working on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 6, 2016
Wow! Once again, I am thoroughly impressed by author David Peak. His book of poetry, Surface Tension, was dynamic, full of imagery and shades of color. His novella, The River Through the Trees, pulls you right into the heart and soul of winter, and you are cold. So cold. The author's descriptions of the small town of Ardor, Michigan, are bleak and harsh, contributing to the desolate chill. There is a murder, and a myriad of secrets and hidden memories that become the background of desperate characters. It is through memories that we are led through tunnels of trauma and nightmare. Redemption does not come in a familiar form. Grab a blanket to throw over your shoulders, because you will feel the whistling wind and the fall of snowflakes. Become immersed in a gut-wrenching, beautifully told story that will linger with you through the night. Highly recommended.
November 22, 2014
4.5 stars!
"The Thornapple's winding body and its non-navigable waters, bringing nothing to nobody. A steady stream of pointlessness. A withered worm in a rotten apple. A river surrounded by a stillness, whose muddy banks go untrodden, whose tireless, repressed rage goes unheard, out of earshot, trembling with inarticulate anger."
The Thornapple runs through Ardor, Michigan, during the winter in which this story is set. I could feel the cold in my bones. It may well be that the the season is a symbol, of what's become of this town. The dead-ness of it. The grittiness of it. The wasted remains of its inhabitants.
It's not just the meth-amphetamine that's a problem here, but that's definitely part of it. It's dying dreams, it's cult worship, it's Bicycle Bob. Who is Bicycle Bob? Is he real, or is he the product of sick imaginations? I think he's real. He's ruined too many lives not to be. And I haven't even mentioned the worm yet.
This book begins with a quote from Edgar Allan Poe. I've included the last two lines here:
"...That play is the tragedy of "Man", and its hero is the Conqueror Worm."
I was super impressed with this novella. It's dark, it's gritty and it's creepy as all hell. It puts me in mind of authors like Kealan Patrick Burke, and Lovecraft. This horror is quiet, it's gritty, it's not super gory, it's not in-your-face bloody. What it IS is scarier than that-bigger than that. I'm excited to have found a new author capable of writing something this good.
I highly recommend this tale to fans of gritty, quiet horror! If you do read it, look me up because I would love to discuss Bicycle Bob.
"The Thornapple's winding body and its non-navigable waters, bringing nothing to nobody. A steady stream of pointlessness. A withered worm in a rotten apple. A river surrounded by a stillness, whose muddy banks go untrodden, whose tireless, repressed rage goes unheard, out of earshot, trembling with inarticulate anger."
The Thornapple runs through Ardor, Michigan, during the winter in which this story is set. I could feel the cold in my bones. It may well be that the the season is a symbol, of what's become of this town. The dead-ness of it. The grittiness of it. The wasted remains of its inhabitants.
It's not just the meth-amphetamine that's a problem here, but that's definitely part of it. It's dying dreams, it's cult worship, it's Bicycle Bob. Who is Bicycle Bob? Is he real, or is he the product of sick imaginations? I think he's real. He's ruined too many lives not to be. And I haven't even mentioned the worm yet.
This book begins with a quote from Edgar Allan Poe. I've included the last two lines here:
"...That play is the tragedy of "Man", and its hero is the Conqueror Worm."
I was super impressed with this novella. It's dark, it's gritty and it's creepy as all hell. It puts me in mind of authors like Kealan Patrick Burke, and Lovecraft. This horror is quiet, it's gritty, it's not super gory, it's not in-your-face bloody. What it IS is scarier than that-bigger than that. I'm excited to have found a new author capable of writing something this good.
I highly recommend this tale to fans of gritty, quiet horror! If you do read it, look me up because I would love to discuss Bicycle Bob.
April 13, 2017
A single complaint: this book is nowhere close to long enough. I might have said that even if it was a 500+ pages brick though. The River Through the Trees is the most successful and true feeling telling of a 'rural noir' that I've come across ever. Language is great and the narrative is so visual that when thinking about the book in between reading sessions I actually saw the characters for my inner eye. This also made the cold and harsh environment come alive better than it most often does.
March 29, 2017
2.5*
This one was probably a case of the book coming at the wrong time for me. I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters involved. I picked it up several times, and DID finish, but I didn't feel "connected" to the events at any point.
*Many people whose opinions I trust really liked this one, so I can only say it just wasn't for me at this time.*
This one was probably a case of the book coming at the wrong time for me. I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters involved. I picked it up several times, and DID finish, but I didn't feel "connected" to the events at any point.
*Many people whose opinions I trust really liked this one, so I can only say it just wasn't for me at this time.*
July 25, 2017
Excellent novella-length story. The tension here just grabs you from the first pages and then slowly ratchets up from there. The winter-in-a-small-town with secrets-to-keep setting works very effectively in a story that operates on two layers; that of a police-procedural / crime-drama surrounding a family-in-crisis and that of a supernatural horror thriller featuring both chthonic and cosmic elements. Powerful dread and quality storytelling skills on display here from David Peak
October 26, 2024
David Peak is defintiely my favorite author, bar none.
Cold, biting cosmic dread played out against the backdrop of broken towns and broken people -- what more could you ask for?
Cold, biting cosmic dread played out against the backdrop of broken towns and broken people -- what more could you ask for?
November 27, 2022
Bleak midwestern noir/horror, carefully plotted and admirably cold. As usual with Peak, he trusts to let the horror concepts run through the story as undercurrents and implications rather than belabor them on on the already grime-slicked surface. It's not quite up to the level of Corpsepaint or The World Below (which has a similar setting and some recurring preoccupations) but it's real good.
"...just a floating face in the dark, pink and pale and trembling..."
"...just a floating face in the dark, pink and pale and trembling..."
July 31, 2018
I went in thinking this was just a horror novel. But this is also a gritty, bleak rural noir tale as well. The story takes place in a decaying small town in the grip of winter. There's poverty and violence, pill addicts, meth addicts, people dying because of shitty health insurance, the whole bit.
In one evocative passage, an outsider reflects on the decay, something anyone can see today on a road trip through America:
"The middle between the haves and the have-nots had almost completely disappeared in these small towns. Hapscomb should know. He used to live in one. But he was smart. He got out. Back when he was a kid, it wasn’t so bad; there used to be two of everything. Two lumber yards. Two drug stores. People had some spending money in their pockets. Everyone’s fences were painted up nice every summer. Now there was only a big box store outside town, eating all the business. Retired people. Rich farmers. Bankers and lawyers. They were doing all right. They had pensions, 401ks. They lived in the big houses up on the hills, away from the roads at the end of winding drives. But then there was everybody else."
This book was an engrossing page turner, I wished it was longer, but it's just the right length. It was a lot of fun to read, although the ending didn't quite satisfy me and I'd even say this book is better as a meditation on rural poverty than horror, although it does generate some chills here and there. What lingers after you finish the book is the utter sense of hopelessness, which may be even grimmer than the horror elements.
I've seen it said that this book evokes Lovecraft and Ligotti, I would say that's more true of the former than the latter, but it Ligotti came to mind as well. A very fun, exciting read, despite the depressing subject matter.
In one evocative passage, an outsider reflects on the decay, something anyone can see today on a road trip through America:
"The middle between the haves and the have-nots had almost completely disappeared in these small towns. Hapscomb should know. He used to live in one. But he was smart. He got out. Back when he was a kid, it wasn’t so bad; there used to be two of everything. Two lumber yards. Two drug stores. People had some spending money in their pockets. Everyone’s fences were painted up nice every summer. Now there was only a big box store outside town, eating all the business. Retired people. Rich farmers. Bankers and lawyers. They were doing all right. They had pensions, 401ks. They lived in the big houses up on the hills, away from the roads at the end of winding drives. But then there was everybody else."
This book was an engrossing page turner, I wished it was longer, but it's just the right length. It was a lot of fun to read, although the ending didn't quite satisfy me and I'd even say this book is better as a meditation on rural poverty than horror, although it does generate some chills here and there. What lingers after you finish the book is the utter sense of hopelessness, which may be even grimmer than the horror elements.
I've seen it said that this book evokes Lovecraft and Ligotti, I would say that's more true of the former than the latter, but it Ligotti came to mind as well. A very fun, exciting read, despite the depressing subject matter.
May 18, 2021
A nice work of American Gothic, The River Through the Trees is a pleasantly surprising horror novel.
The story takes place in rural Michigan - so I applaud this too unusual setting - with a coroner forced to examine a dead body in awkward circumstances. Rapidly we learn about the small town and area, a depressing, withered, and bleak community that just naturally feels like a good fit for creeping weirdness. Characters cope with futility, poverty, drug addiction, violence, and hopelessness... not to mention a local urban legend that might be real and hints of a dark cult.
I enjoyed how Peak set up a series of expectations, both within the horror genre and sourced elsewhere, then blithely undid each of them. I can only say more behind spoilers:
Recommended.
The story takes place in rural Michigan - so I applaud this too unusual setting - with a coroner forced to examine a dead body in awkward circumstances. Rapidly we learn about the small town and area, a depressing, withered, and bleak community that just naturally feels like a good fit for creeping weirdness. Characters cope with futility, poverty, drug addiction, violence, and hopelessness... not to mention a local urban legend that might be real and hints of a dark cult.
I enjoyed how Peak set up a series of expectations, both within the horror genre and sourced elsewhere, then blithely undid each of them. I can only say more behind spoilers:
Recommended.
February 13, 2015
Just three days in this town and I feel like I've lived there for years....and need a hot shower badly! Dark, cold and sickly....and that goes for the countryside, town AND its residents. Sure, you're right there with Dan as he goes around town meeting his fellow neighbors, watching the drama unfold. But all the while, you have a feeling that something ELSE going on. I love the references to goats, and "hail bornless" tattoos....and that Ram truck. And the urban legend of Bicycle Bob that was just so brilliant.
There's quite a bit going on in this short novel (long short story?), that I immediately read the book a second time. And I liked it even better the second time, where the background and mood screamed out at me. Excellent story-telling and highly recommended.
There's quite a bit going on in this short novel (long short story?), that I immediately read the book a second time. And I liked it even better the second time, where the background and mood screamed out at me. Excellent story-telling and highly recommended.
November 11, 2019
Dark, and filled with the poetry of rot and despair; David Peak consistently delivers the bleak.
I'm only giving this one four stars, however, because it was a little lighter on the "cosmic" element of horror than the blurbs suggest. (It's there, but to me it felt a little like an afterthought.)
That said, The River Through the Trees is plenty horrible in the way it pulls back the skin of rural blight in America; one hardly need summon the supernatural to evoke madness and evil in a community that's slowly consuming itself in a cycle of poverty, drugs and insularity. It's a fine piece of dark fiction, but the occult elements weren't as well-developed as I'd hoped. 4 stars.
I'm only giving this one four stars, however, because it was a little lighter on the "cosmic" element of horror than the blurbs suggest. (It's there, but to me it felt a little like an afterthought.)
That said, The River Through the Trees is plenty horrible in the way it pulls back the skin of rural blight in America; one hardly need summon the supernatural to evoke madness and evil in a community that's slowly consuming itself in a cycle of poverty, drugs and insularity. It's a fine piece of dark fiction, but the occult elements weren't as well-developed as I'd hoped. 4 stars.
September 4, 2013
Nothing is hollow. Nothing is carved out. David Peak Pulls everything from beneath the snow, from out of the gnaw.
May 6, 2021
As children, Dan and Grace had an encounter with a being of local legends called Bicycle Bob. They've never been the same since. Now as adults, Dan, an introverted cemetery caretaker, and Grace, a meth addicted prostitute, find themselves mixed up in a murder case that brings an out of town detective to their small, dying home of Ardor, Michigan.
Up until now, I'd only read David Peak's poetry. Like his poetry, this novella is also full of dark and surreal imagery and turns of phrase. However, it also tells a fast-paced, rural noir story that mixes elements of Lovecraftian horror. It chugs along like a lofi black metal song (appropriate, as multiple metal bands are name dropped) conjuring up images of haunted forests in the dead of winter and the sinister things hiding within them.
Highly recommended.
Up until now, I'd only read David Peak's poetry. Like his poetry, this novella is also full of dark and surreal imagery and turns of phrase. However, it also tells a fast-paced, rural noir story that mixes elements of Lovecraftian horror. It chugs along like a lofi black metal song (appropriate, as multiple metal bands are name dropped) conjuring up images of haunted forests in the dead of winter and the sinister things hiding within them.
Highly recommended.
March 12, 2025
David’s work always gives me that horrifying, but beautiful feeling when you realize we are just a speck of dust floating is space. Euphoric cosmic horror.
October 18, 2019
Stuck halfway between a serviceable (if overly edgy) noir and a strong desire to flirt with horror, The River Through the Trees ends up flailing from side to side and never really making a landing properly. It's written quite well and the setting is vividly described with an atmosphere that seeps through at every turn. But the feeble flirting with horror elements keeps throwing the book off again and again without ever delivering anything, resulting in a subpar story that would have been better as a straight noir.
January 15, 2022
Having known nothing about this novella or Peak’s writing going into it, I can say that this story was truly gripping. What began as a view behind the curtain of lonely, difficult lives in a crime-ridden, poverty stricken forgotten town morphs into an terrifying glimpse into the brutal darkness that is cosmic indifference. I simply relished this one. The last twenty pages are a nightmare of the most terrifying (and satisfying) kind.
January 13, 2024
This book is so unique. It's a mashup of crime, small town horror, and cosmic horror. The best I can come up with is cosmic Michigan gothic. Bleak as it is, the book is beautifully written. This was my first David Peak book and it's been on my TBR forever. I definitely won't wait so long to read my next one. 4.5 stars, rounded up.
December 6, 2017
A gripping meditation on the potential for situational depravity of small town life and people who have known each other too long with shades of Ligotti and Lynch.
April 17, 2020
Dark, and very well paced. This one goes by almost too fast. The story itself is a grim one - not a heroic adventure with horror trappings. Somehow the bleakness keeps from being overwhelming, and manages direct (and misdirect!) the horror elements.
I almost wish it was longer, but I wouldn't want it's tight-rope balancing act disrupted. Eerie, bleak and a smooth read. Very much recommended for those who don't mind some darkness with their darkness.
I almost wish it was longer, but I wouldn't want it's tight-rope balancing act disrupted. Eerie, bleak and a smooth read. Very much recommended for those who don't mind some darkness with their darkness.
January 12, 2023
Bleakness, crushing depression. A feeling of hopelessness that envelops everyone and everything in Ardor, Michigan. Satanic cults, meth heads beyond salvation and human tragedy at its finest, David Peak's style of writing really absorbs the reader in "The River Runs Through the Trees". This is my first novel by this author but it will not be my last. An easy 4 out of 5 stars
June 26, 2020
Dark
What a twisted town full of twisted people. You think it's one thing, then another, then back again, until it's all twisted up. Then, when you think the light will peek out, the darkness reforms, and you KNOW.
What a great story!
What a twisted town full of twisted people. You think it's one thing, then another, then back again, until it's all twisted up. Then, when you think the light will peek out, the darkness reforms, and you KNOW.
What a great story!
May 25, 2021
Not what I expected
This is a dark descent into depression and madness, deception, hopelessness and loss, with an added methamphetamine enhancement. Very well written.
This is a dark descent into depression and madness, deception, hopelessness and loss, with an added methamphetamine enhancement. Very well written.
February 8, 2020
Atmospheric, bleak and with a certain sense of hopelessness. This novella should be right up my alley and in a way it was. The depiction of rural, cold and miserable Michigan created an apt setting and atmosphere for the human scum and average-at-best people inhabiting it. Really, there’s no redemptive spark in there, but that’s not the point of the story, either. It’s dismal, gritty and desolate. David Peak crafts most of his sentences in quite the poetical manner, which turns this story’s ugliness into something aesthetic, something almost beautiful. That’s the best part about The River Through The Trees for me.
I feel like the novella itself relies a little too much on the vile and despicable aspects of the story. Neither does it give us particularly fleshed-out characters nor much of a thrilling plot. The sub-plots were readily comprehensible, which is fine, but I feel like Peak aimed for a rather obscure web of intriguing storylines that lead back to The Worm. When it comes to complexity (assuming that’s Peak’s intention), the novella doesn’t really deliver with its flat characters and quiet predictable storyline.
I personally don’t find Bicycle Bob, The Worm, etc. creepy. I’m somewhat familiar with black metal and I also never found “satanic” story aspects frightening. Drug abuse, rape, violence, while confrontatonal, don’t instill fear in me. So, that’s a shame, but overall, the dark tone of the novella worked for me.
I feel like the novella itself relies a little too much on the vile and despicable aspects of the story. Neither does it give us particularly fleshed-out characters nor much of a thrilling plot. The sub-plots were readily comprehensible, which is fine, but I feel like Peak aimed for a rather obscure web of intriguing storylines that lead back to The Worm. When it comes to complexity (assuming that’s Peak’s intention), the novella doesn’t really deliver with its flat characters and quiet predictable storyline.
I personally don’t find Bicycle Bob, The Worm, etc. creepy. I’m somewhat familiar with black metal and I also never found “satanic” story aspects frightening. Drug abuse, rape, violence, while confrontatonal, don’t instill fear in me. So, that’s a shame, but overall, the dark tone of the novella worked for me.
April 7, 2013
Review forthcoming.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews