Black Fox: An Indigenous Horror Novel

by Jack Moffet

#1 Amazon Bestseller in Horror Suspense

What if your dream home hid a nightmare beneath the floorboards?

In this relentless, edge-of-your-seat supernatural thriller, a single mother must face an ancient evil to save her daughter—and possibly all of humanity.

When Leah Jones moves into a secluded home in the North Georgia mountains, she believes she’s found peace. But the discovery of a tunnel beneath her basement—and the shrine-like cave it leads to—shatters that illusion. Something nameless and ancient is stalking the mountain. And it’s hungry.

After a local teenager is found brutally killed, Leah and Sheriff Frank Phillips uncover a dark force tied to the land itself. Together, they must confront the beast and its twisted motives before their town—and their lives—are swallowed whole.

For fans of Stephen King, atmospheric horror, and Native American mythology.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Detective, Crime

425 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2024

Reviews

[Kate | Date With A Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy cult and witchy vibes galore with this one!!! There were a few times where I got the heebie jeebies!! 🙌

I do have to say it was a bit slow to start, and I felt like some of the writing was overly descriptive where it didn’t need to be, which tended to drag the story a bit. But honestly overall it was a great read and I enjoyed it!!! 👏

Thank you to Jack Moffet for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review!! I look forward to reading more from you in the future!! ❤️

[Xenia Melnik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, where to begin? At first this book kept my interest because a woman and her daughter moved into a secluded house and everything was going well until she found a mysterious door which led to a tunnel and a mysterious creature that chased her through it. We discovered that this creature was an evil spirit that looked like a zombie. I thought it would be a wendigo or a skin walker since this was an indigenous horror. No, it was some other thing which was fine, until these fox spirits were introduced and then everything went sideways. There was a scene where her daughter finds her crawling on her hands and knees and snarling like an animal and I was like ok, the evil spirit has her. That part was interesting. Then rumors of a cult in the area and then people wandering in robes and killing people just didn't make any sense to me. Also she apparently had magical powers that came out of nowhere? Making people explode in the sky with her telekinesis, etc. That was weird. The whole last chapter or two was just weird and full of gibberish. I was disappointed that the book veered off the path completely.

[L A · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first DNF in years. I made it 35% of the way through but I just can’t finish this one. There are constant tedious descriptions of things that do not matter, awful dialogue, frequent ridiculous tropes, and people getting heart attack level mad for no reason. And too much coffee. This is like Birdemic and The Room gave birth to a book. It’s too bad because I liked the idea of this book based on the description. I can’t understand why it has a 4 star average rating.

[jennifer garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

wanted more for less

The story is good. This book could have been at least 100 pages less. The author gets caught up in descriptions for pages and it’s distracting and disappointing. Then at the end it’s a bit grandiose for my liking.

[Krissy Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book, but I am so glad I read it. Who doesn't love a good mystery cloaked in mythology?

[Suzy Olear · Rating 5 out of 5]

A non stop, edge of your seat thriller. I could not put this book down. From start to finish, it is well-written and pulls you in until you have read the last page. This book was the perfect blend of love, loss, terror, magic, cults and horror. I picked this book up from a promo I saw on Facebook. I started it and couldn't put it down. I found myself walking around with my phone reading page after page. I never saw what was coming next, and the ending is great. I am really looking forward to more from this author. Definitely putting his books on my must read pile. Black Fox was a really stellar and incredible read that I enjoyed from start to finish. I am excited I had the opportunity to read it, and hope you read it too. It's a story you won't want to miss out on. Definitely an talented author who I hope gets this book into as many readers hands as possible. Highly, highly recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Dale Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK read but I skim read most of the pages. A lot of it was filled with menotinous parts where characters were going about their daily business, it didn't add anything to the story, it was long winded and disengaging. The premise intrigued me and I was enjoying it - a creepy tunnel in your basement that leads under a lake! - until it started to get a bit strange. By then I was starting to lose interest. I just didn't find the story creepy or scary either. Just didn't really do anything for me. When the main crux of the story is revealed, I was past the point of caring.

[Kari Corbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was truly a slow burn, building to the climatic ending. I love books this way. Books that catch your interest and then hold on until they've got you totally captivated (when you can't/don't want to put the book down) and then ends with a explosive surprising end. No spoilers from me as clues to the ending/outcome are scattered throughout allowing the reader to guess what's going to happen but, at least in my case, not getting it totally right. Keeps the reader trying to figure it out until the end. WOW!! A++++

[Sierra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this book so many times, but I hate to leave things unfinished. The dialogue wasn't great. Before things even started popping off main characters were making some big over reactions and leaps in logic. There were some very pointless scenes that didn't nothing for character building or furthering the story. There was potential here for a good story, but it just didn't make it.

[Chloe Gatzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Fox - Jack Moffet
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the debut novel for Jack Moffet and I hope it won’t be the last! 📖 This book will have you on the edge of your seat with some truly nightmarish images in your mind.

This book had some horrifying moments that caused me to pause in my reading and visually see the scene being described. Terror right from the rip! 🦊

Moffet takes a unique approach here with multiple POV’s telling the story. It honestly gave me Stephen King vibes as we met each character and the role they played in this small town. The police chief Frank was definitely my favorite character of the bunch. 👮‍♂️His back story was intriguing and I kept asking myself what happened to Nicky?! As the story builds, Moffet expertly droped hints of internal thoughts that only left you with even more questions! 🤌🏻

The prose is beautiful, with incredible descriptions of the scenery and the town. 🌄 In some instances I felt some of this description slowed down the momentum of the story and my eyes wanted to skip ahead to the action. Particularly at the finish when all of the loose ends were coming together. The last 50 pages could have been 20 and the conclusion just as satisfying.

My only complaint is I wanted more from our main character. I didnt buy why she picked up her 15 year old daughter and moved to such a rural town. There were hints to why, hints to hallucinations etc. but it wasn’t ever explored. I believe this could have really confused me on of my narrator was reliable or not! 😵‍💫Is she crazy!!?😵‍💫 though I truly did question her rampage at the end…I also wanted more of the magic system. I missed our hero’s journey to developing her skills!✨

Overall, if you’re looking for a indie horror book to read, I highly recommend Black Fox and prepare yourself for a wild ride. 🎢

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[Bithiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book had a really good set up. And of course, I’m always a sucker for the crawling creature in the dark. Nothing tickles the human fear response like that imagery. I also appreciated how the author set out lots of “who done it” hints…for a moment we doubted Leah’s sanity, then we wondered why the nice general store couple had the ominous book? The suspense was well paced. My attention began to wane with the introduction of the fox gods and especially her magical powers. I was so invested in the creepy creature theory, that it was almost too much of a shift when the reader found out that it was a scary pyramid scheme instead. I think I would have preferred Leah just had to battle the witch zombie plot line. Especially since the witch zombie was powerful enough in their own right to pose a viable enemy. Also, the cult mob scene just felt forced. The sheer numbers of the cult members felt a little too convenient, and unlikely, considering it was supposedly an elusive group. Personally, I wanted closure on several of the people involved in the attack, although that’s more of a preference as opposed to a critical analysis. Also personally, I really am not a fan of telekinesis and such, so I kind of cringed with that reveal.
Overall good plot, good suspense…the reveal just wasn’t really my cup of tea.

[Adrian F · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried my best to power through the awful writing in this book, but unfortunately I just couldn’t. This writer uses simile after simile and describes the most arbitrary things in excruciating detail. (I do not need to know every single thing that is in a character’s work office, especially if it has zero impact on the actual story!)
Originally, I bought this book because it is rare to have Native American main characters, and I think the concept of a horror book that incorporates Native American folklore could be quite interesting. Unfortunately, the author himself does not seem to be Native, and completely made up most of the lore in this book — which makes portraying this book as a ‘Native American horror story’ just feel like the ethnicity is being used as a buzzword.
The pacing in this book was also quite unclear. I could never tell if days, weeks, or no time had passed until it was explicitly stated.
Overall, I was excited about this book and ended up being completely let down by it. I will not be finishing it.

[Kelsey Yongue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely had some OMG scary moments where I couldn't believe what I was reading. The story got crazier and crazier and I couldn't believe what was happening. It was definitely a wild ride of WTF.

One thing I loved about this book is he DIDN'T do a miscommunication trope that's famous in horror and mystery books. The characters were honest with each other EVERY TIME and it was beyond satisfying. That so rarely happens and he still kept the story interesting while the characters were transparent.

I do think the indigenous aspect of this book wasn't really needed. It didn't add to the story and we didn't learn anything real about the Cherokee. It could have just been an Appalachian witch and fit in with the old mountain stories. As an Appalachian I rarely see the true Appalachian witches stories told , so it was a missed opportunity. I think indigenous stories are best left to be told by indigenous people, so they can be told well.

[Angie Carlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I liked the story. It was easy to read and pretty fast paced throughout the whole book. I would have given this a better rating, but I felt that the story lacked character and setting development. The climax felt rushed and I found a pretty glaring hole in part of the storyline towards the end. I would have expected more from a book with 425 pages.

If you like fast-paced horror movies, this book would probably fill your cup. I can tell the author comes from a movie writing background.

[Jill Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this book. But I was not a fan of the style of writing. The dialogue was cringey and sometimes awkward. I've never read a book where the author used the words "juxtaposed" and "plethora" over and over throughout the story. It just wasn't necessary, and the descriptions of things were overdone. The ending was a bit over the top, and there were some things that were left unanswered.

[AGilden · Rating 3 out of 5]

A supernatural fox god, a religious cult that follows it, and lots of murders, mysteries, and suspense along the way. It perhaps started a bit slowly, but the characters were well enough developed so it didn't matter too much. I'm also not sure I bought the main character's relatively sudden powers that came to light at the end, but the speed of the final few chapters was so much fun that I was almost willing to overlook it. 3.5 stars.

[James Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fox

Okay this is a good book. I will give it a 4/5. Leah and her daughter Hannah move to Benton to start new lives. But something is not quite right with their new house. There is a tunnel that starts in the basement and goes to the other side of the lake. Plus someone chases Leah through the in the tunnel. Then strange things start happening. Leah needs to find out what is going on or she and her daughter will perish.

[Karen Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and Eerie

I loved this book. It was exciting and kept you wondering who the bad guys were. I loved when the mom and daughter combined their unknown powers to defeat the evil.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALWAYS check the basement closely when buying a house is rule number one. This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. battle of good and evil with a twist or two. Excellent read!!!

[James McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing Read

Loved it! Full of heart stopping horror and great small time folks. Always love when an author writes a story that leads you to Native American folklore..This one would be great on screen. Once this one takes off you're not going to be able to put it down.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not much here I didn't like. The story was wild and creepy and a damned good time. We love a cult around here. (please note that when I say I love cults I mean I love watching their downfall and seeing them get their comeuppance.

[Jessica Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good start to the book, it kind of loses steam and gets chaotic at the end but overall spooky and fun to read.

[Merry Jayned · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one! Great story telling with folk horror vibes.

[Michelle Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome! Love me some culty horror with bad ass female leads ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Joanne Bandfield-Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing

This was an amazing book. The depth of the characters was perfect. It was so spooky and suspenseful. Definitely recommend.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good book but not scary at all for a horror book

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good, but it felt like the story was a little discombobulated at points. Describing one thing but meaning another, sometimes it was confusing.

[Durn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut novel, Jack Moffet did a really good job. The horror is fantastic for a standalone book, the romance isn’t obnoxious but it also doesn’t *really* contribute to the story in my opinion.

The pacing is good and the writing is great at creating an atmosphere, though sometimes it felt a little repetitive with conversations between characters, but all in all it read very well.

If you like Supernatural horror with a more modern and “real-life” feel I recommend you give it a try