The Red Church

Sheriff Frank Littlefield #1

by Scott Nicholson

The church was constructed in the 1860s under the guidance
of Reverend Wendell McFall. His sermons declared the existence of God s Second Son- whose mission is to undo all of Jesus work on Earth. McFall had the church painted red to summon the First Son to defeat the Second. But when he sacrificed a child to support his rantings, his congregation hung him from the rafters of his own sanctuary...

For twenty years, the red church has stood empty. Crumbling to ruin, it has become a site for Halloween pranks and the setting for ghost stories- including one about the thing that lives in the bell tower, a creature being blamed for a brutal murder that occurred in the church s graveyard...

Now, Archer McFall has purchased the church to house his Temple of the Two Sons, whose zealous worshippers will stop at nothing to see the Second Son return to his rightful glory...

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

352 pages, ebook

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

With more than 800,000 books sold worldwide, Scott Nicholson is an international bestselling thriller writer. He won the Writers of the Future Award in 1999 and was a Stoker Award finalist in 2003. His Fear series was published by Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint and 47North released the supernatural thriller McFALL.

He's also published a number of supernatural, paranormal, and fantasy books and stories, including the AFTER, NEXT, and ARIZE post-apocalyptic series, as well as children's books, comics, and screenplays. His 2006 novel The Home is in development as a feature film.

Reviews

[Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was different, but to me yummy different! I enjoyed the entire story, and recommend it to horror lovers who like creature features etc. Non-stop
action and suspense. It was fun and the characters came to life for me which is what makes a great read! This book may not be for everyone, but I say Why Not Try It!!!

[Misty Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to start this blog with a disclaimer: When you are about 5% from finishing this book, park yourself next to a church, and finish it in the parking lot. Just trust me on this, I have never finished a book and then felt an immediate need for prayer and repentance as I did when I finished “The Red Church.”

Back in 1993 the world was introduced to the cult world by a fairly psychotic man named David Koresh. (For those of you reading this that were born in the late 80′s just google him.) Civilization as a whole was aware of cult society, but I think this was the turning point for recognition and condemnation.

I’ll admit… that fiery day in Waco rarely crosses my mind (I live 50 miles from there) but every once and a while something sparks that particular train of thought, and off my wild brain goes.

“The Red Church” was (in short form) a look at cult life from the inside.

Whispering Pines is a quaint little mountain town, or at least it is according to tourist. According to its inhabitants, its a town haunted by it’s past. Literally. A dead preacher, an evil cult leader, and a monster with “eyes like kidneys.” While half of the town is sucked in by Archer (Cult leader and self-proclaimed 2nd son of God) the other half (the sane half) is struggling to do little more than stay alive. Each night a new “sinner” is turning up dead, and the police have no hard evidence to put the killer away. What do you do when you think the killer is a ghost? What do you do when the whole town is against you? What do you do when your “GOD” asks you to sacrifice your own child.

“Nicholson” impressed me a few weeks ago with his latest novel “The Skull Ring” but I still remained skeptical of “The Red Church” for 2 reasons. 1. I was afraid that the writing would be lacking seeing as how THIS novel was actually an earlier work (you know… the whole growth with time and experience thing) and 2. After a few chapters I was afraid the book was going to turn into a sermon instead of the monster thriller I expected. I was…as usual…wrong on both accounts, and I’m actually quite happy to admit to being so. “Nicholson’s” writing was not only fluid and amazingly imaginative, but for some reason I think it was actually better than in “The Skull Ring.” The narration was multi-perspective which is not only difficult to write but sometimes (not in this case) difficult to read. The multitude of perspectives combined with the flawless character development made the book an easy read, and to top off the pot, his expected (at least by me) glimpse into a mentally unbalanced mind was perfectly executed.

This was a horror book that spouted details with the best of them.

There was immaculate conception, a mysterious half eaten man in a graveyard, a suicidal priest, creepy ambient laughter, finger filled puke, a wacko mommy, little boys with worms in their mouth, a REALLY smelly offering plate (that actually made me a little queasy), and 1 very epic “Come To God” moment in the front of the church.

This book is (of course) not for everyone, if you are looking for mushy make a direct left and choose a different isle, but if you are a fan of horror…saddle up. This one is a must read.

Happy reading my fellow followers and remember: always carry an emergency kit in your car… you never know when you are going to end up in the bottom lake and need to bust a window.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tightly-plotted horror novel involves lots of religious facets, including the idea of a second son of God in addition to Jesus Christ. Nothing is controversial or offensive. This is just a vivid tale of the North Carolina mountains and its inhabitants spooked by "the red church." The intrepid sheriff is perhaps the most interesting of the cast of characters. Enjoyable read to kick off my summer with.

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

cults? haunted churches? yes please!! I love the idea of this book but somehow it was just ok. it did get pretty religious in some parts and I guess I should've expected that but I was there for the scarier things. I will read more by this author, though. most of his books sound great.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Nicholson's The Red Church is fast paced, scary, and damn good fun... everything a good horror novel should be. It's also more than that. It's insightful, thoughtful and sometimes downright poetic. The tale of a search for meaning, and the meaning of faith resonated with this lapsed Church of Scotland reader, and got me thinking about things I hadn't considered since my own teenage years. Scott's skillful use of several viewpoint characters, each with their own take on what is happening, only tightens the tension. I read this on the Kindle version, but I need to seek out a hard copy. This one's a keeper

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally rated this 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.

his is one of those generational tales where the family in the present has to pay for the sins of the family in the past. The character development was excellent, I thought. The plot was engaging and there is no doubt Mr. Nicholson has an excellent imagination.

The only thing that bothered me about this one is the fact that I think it got a little "churchy" at the end. A little more "churchy" and Christian themed than I normally would enjoy. But hey, what else did I expect from a book with the title of The Red Church, right?

All in all, I did enjoy this novel and I have found that I've been thinking on it and turning it over in my mind since I finished and that's the reason I revised my original rating up to 4 stars. Recommended!

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great haunted church/coming of age/crisis of faith novel. What if there was a modern day immaculate conception resulting in a second messiah who was the antithesis of Jesus? Plenty of suspense and creepiness. Highly recommended

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Red Church is everything a scary story should be! The characters believe with conviction what they see is real and never waver despite the implausibility. Their trust is contagious and because of this, the reader can rely on the accounts. The 'good' vs. 'evil' element is at the forefront, but what makes this theme unique is how it is presented. Is Jesus really the bad guy? Seems ridiculous to consider given America's deeply rooted Christian culture, but Nicholson is able to craft a story that inspires doubt. This in turn illuminates the fragileness of belief, or does it?

This is more than just good vs. evil, but also ventures into the psychology behind influencing groups of people. Most people when they learn of a cult or occult group wonder how people become followers. It seems illogical and for the most part, crazy. The Red Church presents just how confusing recognizing right from wrong and good from bad really can be. When doubt creeps in, alternative answers are sought and honestly, an idea that might seem ridiculous suddenly becomes convincing. There were points in the story where I thought, "Huh, what if that guy is really right?" The nonsensical made sense and I realized how a person could choose an alternative.

Coincidentally, I happened to watch the ID special on the American Occult and came across an episode that featured Jeffrey Don Lundgren, a man who claimed to be a prophet. Eerily, The Red Church cast are similar to the real life happenings that occurred in Ohio.

To read more about Jeffrey Don Lundgren click here: A Prophet Born .

Recommend to those who are interested in psychological horror and the American occult.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not exactly a "thriller" or "horror" fan, so when I came across The Red Church by Scott Nicholson I hesitated at first, thinking I probably wouldn't like it. After the first few pages into the book, I realized how limiting and inaccurate such labels really are. To be sure, there is plenty of blood-curdling and scary stuff in the novel. However, there is much more to the book than "blood and gore."

The heart of the story is a young boy, struggling with growing up, with his parents' estrangement, with the first tinges of romantic love, and with his own faith. We also get a very accurate depiction of the emotional and mental powers that religious fanatics or new-age gurus can yield over their trusting victims.

A tight, fast-moving plot, vivid, psychologically complex characters that jump off the page and are so real you remember them long after you finish reading make this book a truly fascinating read. I can only recommend it.

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

[Sue (sussudio1970) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a ride. This book was non-stop action from the beginning until the end. Not one boring moment for me. I will be reading more books from Mr. Nicholson.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me, so I thought I'd try it, the horror fan that I am. I couldn't put it down, a fast-paced storyline where the Reverend Archer McFall is believed to be God's Second Son and Jesus a liar, creepy! The characters were not very complex, with the exception of Ronnie Day and Sheriff Frank Littlefield, the good guys, but that is to be expected with your average horror novel. Frank is haunted with guilt over the death of his little brother, a Halloween prank gone terribly wrong, and Ronnie is terrified of the Bell Monster in the haunted red church. This novel was a Bram Stoker Award First Novel Nominee in 2003, great page-turner, scary! I look forward to reading more of Scott Nicholson's work very soon.

[The Behrg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's been on my radar for years, finally had the chance to dig into it, and glad I did. Instead of just uncovering a quick treasure that's been buried underground and has maybe lost some of it's shine, this was like unearthing a fossil only to realize that you're standing not over a single specimen but an entire burial ground that could fill museums. Reminiscent of early King, Nicholson is a master wordsmith, and his imagery is as haunting as it is poignant. At times the religious aspects of the book felt a little heavy handed, but the final picture painted is worth every stroke of the artist's brush.

Far from your run-of-the-mill supernatural horror story, this is one that will sit with you long after you've digested it. Will be looking into more of Nicholson's work for sure.

"When you have one of those waking nightmares, when you think bad things in the dark and can’t go to sleep, you think happy thoughts. Cartoon dogs, fat clowns, things like that. Except sometimes the cartoon dogs bite and the fat clowns grow sharp smiles."

[Kevin Dowson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a while since I dallied in the out and out horror genre, and this is another book that's been sitting in my library for far too long. It ticks all the boxes for a horror novel but somehow just didn't hit the spot.

Maybe I've outgrown horror stories, or maybe this was just a little too far fetched for me. Perhaps I prefer serial killers and psychological demons to ghosts and ghouls and actual demons these days. But on balance I think it's the surplus of blindly and fervently religious hillbillies that put me off this one. It turns into something resembling The Exorcist meets Huckleberry Finn and it just gets too weird for me - not in a good way.

By the end I realised I was finishing it as much out of stubbornness as enjoyment. It's well written, and so I deemed it worthy of three stars, but as a plot it just wasn't really my thing. Maybe it's yours, though, so if you like supernatural bible-belt horror stories, have at it.

[Alondra Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

When does religious fervor cross the line?? At what point is your passion an obsession beyond reasoning?? More importantly, who is to say that your belief is right and/or the belief of your fellow man is wrong??

This is a horror story, yes. So, finding deeper meanings in the conversation maybe far fetched, so you would think; but the questions above still need to be answered, monsters or no. Some of the worst people I have ever met, were "church folk." Also, some of the nicest, most giving, and honest people have been from the church. When do you know that a person (preacher/priest) can be trusted with something so valuable as your individual faith?? One of the most important and delicate relationships; is the relationship that a worshiper has with the "man of the cloth." This person is supposed to guide you righteously and keep you from going astray, but what if he is inherently evil. Remember Jim Jones??? It all sounded good until the Kool-Aid got passed around.

For those of us who consider themselves believers of Christ; some of the language and tone of the book, can rub you the wrong way; and it did for me. There were times that I was completely put off by some of the hateful speech of these believers; then I had to remember that this was fiction only. I needed to keep perspective and see the other side. For those on the opposing side, they see themselves as the righteous ones. Who is to say they are wrong??

Anyway, I enjoyed this book nonetheless and think the author did a good job of allowing the reader to see each characters view of their world and how they saw themselves in it. I wish more folks could do the same. It is not for anyone else to judge this life we are given. We must answer for our transgressions at the end of all things, whether you believe in God, Allah, Buddha, crystals and stars; or nothing at all. In the end, we will all answer to someone/something/someother.

[Deb Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride!

I nearly didn't read this book because I thought it might be boring and predictable. It was nothing like I thought. In fact, I didn't want to put it down. The storyline contained several different groups including FBI agents, a murderer and his female companion, and a group trying out newly developed rafts in the river. I was hooked from the first page. The hitch in everyone's plans are a bunch of flying creatures which want to drink their blood. The poop hits the fan in the beginning of the book and it never lets up. Each character has their own interesting agendas which make the story even more exciting. Other surprises begin to surface and keep surfacing until the end. Loved it, and would love more books like it.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very creepy horror novel that explores ideas of faith, redemption, good vs. evil and how hard it is to tell the difference, and other such thoughts. This is my first Nicholson book and I'm quite impressed not only by his mastery of language but by his character development, plot development, and clean copy editing. Fans of horror and those fascinated by the eternal struggle to understand the human condition should enjoy this novel. Please keep an eye open for my review of the sequel, "Drummer Boy."

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of people are on a white water rafting expedition in a remote area testing a new raft. Unknown to them, a pair of FBI agents are tracking a dangerous abortion clinic bomber with religious mania and his girlfriend. One thing after the other goes wrong after one of the agents trips a bomb that unleashes very dangerous and freaky creatures from a cave. Everything then because a race for survival bringing out the best and worst in people. A very suspenseful read

[Crepusculodeloslibros · Rating 4 out of 5]

4'5

[Kristin Walcott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the Red Church was forever lurking in the background of this small mountain town, this book has been lurking in my TBR pile for quite some time. Every time I finished book and was looking for my next great read, I’d always pause on this cover in my long list on Goodreads and think, “I really want to read this.” Then I’d continue perusing the rest of the list and for some reason always settle on something else. That is until now. I don’t know what I was waiting for, but its beckoning has finally been answered. And I’m glad of it.

The Red Church is a story about a boy, a church, good, evil, and faith. It’s about growing up, challenges, and choices. Ronnie Day is at the age when girls have become important, little brothers are a pain, and parents still offer a sense of security and safety. Ronnie lives with his family in a small rural mountain town steeped in religion and legend. Every day he has to walk home from school past the haunted red church. His fear is palpable and is born of generations of ghost stories surrounding the church. It is not long before the reader learns that those stories are more than just tall tales.

Nicholson weaves a haunting tale of the ultimate battle of good and evil. His ability to conjure images with descriptive text is masterful. I could easily visualize the gruesome transformations of Archer McFall and often thought this would make an awesome movie.

Throughout the book I was asking myself, who or what is Archer McFall. Is he the anti-Christ? Is he the Devil? Is he a conjurer of evil demons or ghosts? His ability to play on people’s fears and weaknesses is scary. And he has a power to overcome a person’s sensibilities and place them in some sort of hypnotic trance that renders them completely helpless against him. I was anxious to see how such a monster could be defeated. In the end, there are a few twists and although there is definitely a resolution of sorts, questions still remain.

If you like a good horror story with religious undertones, this is a book for you. I definitely recommend it.

[Eric Mesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as part of a Humble Bundle years ago. It was my first occult horror, unless you count Dean Koontz books, which - now that I think about it - seems to share at least some genre space with this book. Quick note for anyone new to my reviews - I use the Goodreads tooltips to inform how many stars I give a book. At the time I'm writing this review, 2 stars is "it was OK".

I definitely give the author credit for creativity. The occult enemy in this book was an original - not a typical creature from heaven or hell. This kept the narrative fresh and kept me guessing. At first, I thought perhaps this was going to be more akin to a thriller in which nothing supernatural was going on. But like the Robert Rodriguez movie From Dusk Til Dawn, eventually it became clear that our main antagonist did have some kind of powers and wasn't merely delusional or an amazingly powered con artist. But the mythology this book was proposing (that Archer McFall was the second son of God) was so foreign a concept that I wasn't sure throughout the entire book whether it was meant to be truth or a lie. The eventual reveal was a huge surprise, although there were hints all along.

I liked the various points of view throughout the novel, that kept it fresh and allowed the author to provide lots of points of view with different bits of information missing, especially the Ronnie's perspective. Overall, it was well put together and really kept me on my toes. So why the lower rating? Mostly the ending left me wanting and left me a little nonplussed about what exactly had happened after all that buildup. The epilogue - the final part with the antagonist - brought it up to 2 stars.

Overall, this wasn't for me. I'm not fully giving up on the genre, though. And you might like this book if occult horror is up your alley - don't let it falling flat for me keep you from what might be a great book.

[ExLibris_Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For twenty years the red church has been nothing but fodder for ghost stories and a place to store hay. No one in the small North Carolina mountain town likes to talk about its grisly past. When people start dying mysterious and horrific deaths , the Sherriff suspects that it has something to do with the return of Reverend McFall . McFall’s followers are willing to do whatever is needed, not matter how horrifying, to assure the return of the Second Son.
I don’t read a lot of books in the horror genre, and now I know why. This book was scary. Nicholson finds the perfect voice for the cast of characters in this small mountain town. Since there isn’t one main protagonist, you are able to view the story from many different perspectives. That technique is part of what makes this book so chilling. I was drawn into the story by earning about the church’s terrible past through the eyes of long time residents, and then frightened by the creature that lurks in the bell tower as told by the viewpoint of the children. The zealots who follow McFall tell their story, as well, and you get to peek inside the mind of someone who is rationalizing death and sacrifice in the name of their beliefs.
The church itself is a creepy and terrifying character in this story. From the very first scene, you feel the unease that its presence causes. As you learn its tragic history, its evil grows and becomes the setting for some of the scarier parts of the book. The fact that there is a church that’s painted red sets the tone right away and sent chills down my spine every time I thought about it. If you are looking for an entertaining, well written and scary book to read, this would be a good choice!

[Matt Schiariti · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would be easy to say The Red Church is a horror novel. I guess at its core that's as good a label as any, but it's really a mixing of genres. Part ghost story, part thriller, part mystery, part psychological drama, part crisis-of-faith story.

I think the most frightening aspect of the story isn't the supernatural aspect of the 'false prophet' type villain. It's not the gore (while there is some, Nicholson uses it for effect, not for shock value..which is nice..it doesn't come off as a cheap thrill tactic). No, what's most frightening about this book is how true it could actually be. You take out the horror and the supernatural elements and you get what can and has been very real. That being, what lengths people will go to to follow their faith no matter how twisted their interpretation of it may be. And I don't mean religion (although that does play a central part in the book). I mean in anything. It's truly scary what people will sacrifice and how they will justify just about anything if they believe in a cause or ideology enough. Even if the core of their belief is good or right, never underestimate a person's ability to twist and pervert it no matter the cost.

/Cynical..hehe

Seriously though, this is a great book that's well written and really has an unnerving aspect of suspense to it that should have you turning the pages until you hit the last one. A creepy small town setting, a supposedly haunted church with centuries of bloody history, great dialogue and fantastic characters. Nicholson is a great writer and this book is a perfect example of that.

[Jarek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The works of Scott Nicholson are often compared to those of Stephen King. His debut novel - The Red Church - is indeed written in a style resembling the most mature of King's books, and is set in a small American town, like many of King's novels. The similarities end there however, because The Red Church is much more serious than King's horror stories.

The Red Church is a book about faith. It shows that what we believe is equally shaped by dogmata of our religion, our personal experiences, heritage of our families, and by peculiar traditions of our communities. It also shows that the strength of our faith is actually only skin deep, and that it is miserably easy to manipulate us by playing on our beliefs. For me the message of the Red Church is that nobody is truly evil, but we are all wandering and easily misguided.

This book is very well written, the action flows smoothly, the characters are crisply defined. The dialogs are true masterpieces, with their language reflecting characters' backgrounds and personalities. Despite its serious or even disturbing message, it's a real pleasure to read.

[Nathan Henrion · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars...Run For The Hills!

I picked this up after following a forum link by the author and I am glad I did. The writing was excellent, and though the pace was a little slower than my personal taste leans toward, it allowed for a deeper exploration into the background and development of the characters. The opening scene sucks you in and I found myself burning a lot of the midnight oil just to see where this story was going.

Ronnie was a solid character and there were parts of his story (when he kept trying to sort out his faith and how the world worked) that reminded me of Huck Finn. You definitely end up rooting for the kid...he's tough, naive, and good.

My only complaint is that I found myself rooting for an ending that didn't happen. It is not that the ending was inadequate, I was just geared to watch something else unfold. Its just a matter of taste on my part and not reflective of the author's talent. I do not want to give away the ending by explaining any more.

Highly recommended...and I am looking forward to checking out Nicholson's other material.

[K.R. Bankston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chose this book based on the wonderful synopsis and it began as a good read. It quickly lost luster for me however as the story became very convoluted and murky. There was far too much emphasis placed on the "anti religious" theme than necessary. It would seem the author went to great lengths to offend Christians/Christianity or ridicule their customs and beliefs. I thought the premise of the story was good, the writing was excellent, though the story being told from a 10-year old's POV didn't give the depth I would have liked, it was still a pleasant read. I might be tempted to read another offering by the author at some point in the future. The most irritating part of the read was after the ending of the book. There are pages of commentary, testimonials, essays, and explanations that are unnecessary about WHY the author said what he said, did what he did, etc. There were also multiple ads for upcoming releases, that while I'm not adverse too, they became too much.

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started off creepy enough for me, but then it became pretty religious. I am not a heathen, but I do like to keep my religion and reading for entertainment seperate...I haven't figured out yet if this author is a Christian horror writer or if the religious references are just part of the story, so that is really distracting me...so therefore, the book has lost me. Now, I am just reading it to determine the "religion" question.

ETA(05/31/2011): I found out this is def. not a Christian horror writer and that the references made were part of the story..so I will def. be reading more by this author and just ordered his book, Speed Dating with the Dead, off Amazon...Fingers crossed that The Red Church was just a fluke!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angels?!

Different...but a good read. Mr. Nicholson is a prolific author and this book does not disappoint. Well written characters and a storyline that keeps going.
We have a group climbing the mountain to ride down the Gorge to promote new rafting products. We have Ace & Clara, a schizoid bomber who bombs abortion clinics and kills other people when he has too. Clara is a hitchhiker he picked up along the way. We also have two FBI agents hunting Ace. We also have something flying around in the sky that no one has ever seen before. Dangerous? Who knows?
I enjoyed this book. Lots of action, horror and the unknown. 😄

[Geoff North · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Scott Nicholson's tale of unrelenting terror set in the Appalachians reminded me so much of some of the horror novels written back in the eighties - one of the really good ones. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. Excellent!

[Matt McRoberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall The Red Church was an interesting story. I'm not big on religion stuff and this story had a lot of religious type talk (though a lot was the made up stuff for the Archer McFall character). I enjoyed the read for the most part either way.