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The Goode People 1: The Shadow Man
Peter Goode is a normal man who wants to shed his abnormal life. He wants to find a few friends and share experiences with people who aren’t put off by his physical appearance, which is why he’s decided to take a trip from his home in New York City to the expanses of Acadia National Park in Maine.
It’s in Acadia that Peter hopes to see a different way of life and people who don’t see him as ugly.
On his bus trip north, though, Peter is warned of the things in Acadia that haunt the forest and seeks to lure unsuspecting people from the trails deeper into the woods.
As an old woman on the bus tells
My advice is not to leave that path. In the forest, off the path, and even on Mount Desert Island, there are terrible, dangerous things that are hard to explain.
Peter understands her warning because he’s seen the supernatural in action before, and in those instances, he and his anger caused devastating circumstances. He knows the spine-tingling thrill of opening the portal to another, much darker place and he hopes to never see that other place again.
It is with this hope that Peter arrives in Bar Harbor, Maine. He goes alone into the deep woods, sticking to the trails as advised, until the storm of the century rolls in with devastating winds and snowfall. As the storm builds, Peter sees a woman wandering alone through the thick vegetation. The idea of leaving her to freeze to death is no consideration for him, and against the old woman’s advice, he leaves the trail to give aid to the lost woman.
A fall down a ravine, and a subsequent knock on his head, cause him to lose track of the woman but find an old man who leads him to an isolated cabin. It is there that Peter finds sanctuary from the storm, but a much deeper level of the supernatural than he believed possible.
Under intense conditions, Peter finds there is much more to the mysterious old man than he initially suspected, and there is a much deeper level of evil roaming the woods than he knew.
For Peter to survive the storm and determine who he can trust, he will need to separate himself from his devastating past and find the Goode People.
From award-winning novelist, Charles Welch, comes this intense supernatural thriller mystery.
It’s in Acadia that Peter hopes to see a different way of life and people who don’t see him as ugly.
On his bus trip north, though, Peter is warned of the things in Acadia that haunt the forest and seeks to lure unsuspecting people from the trails deeper into the woods.
As an old woman on the bus tells
My advice is not to leave that path. In the forest, off the path, and even on Mount Desert Island, there are terrible, dangerous things that are hard to explain.
Peter understands her warning because he’s seen the supernatural in action before, and in those instances, he and his anger caused devastating circumstances. He knows the spine-tingling thrill of opening the portal to another, much darker place and he hopes to never see that other place again.
It is with this hope that Peter arrives in Bar Harbor, Maine. He goes alone into the deep woods, sticking to the trails as advised, until the storm of the century rolls in with devastating winds and snowfall. As the storm builds, Peter sees a woman wandering alone through the thick vegetation. The idea of leaving her to freeze to death is no consideration for him, and against the old woman’s advice, he leaves the trail to give aid to the lost woman.
A fall down a ravine, and a subsequent knock on his head, cause him to lose track of the woman but find an old man who leads him to an isolated cabin. It is there that Peter finds sanctuary from the storm, but a much deeper level of the supernatural than he believed possible.
Under intense conditions, Peter finds there is much more to the mysterious old man than he initially suspected, and there is a much deeper level of evil roaming the woods than he knew.
For Peter to survive the storm and determine who he can trust, he will need to separate himself from his devastating past and find the Goode People.
From award-winning novelist, Charles Welch, comes this intense supernatural thriller mystery.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
About the author
Charles Welch
98 books51 followersCharles Welch has been a home designer and builder, a middle school and high school teacher, education administrator, corporate learning and development professional and writer, previously publishing the spiritual book Walking Softly. His formal education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science Teaching, a Master of Education in Learning and Technology, and an Educational Doctorate in eLearning.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 28, 2025
It took a long time before I started to relate to main character. At the end of the book I started to like him.
This didn't feel like horror, well maybe the last part with some thrilling scenes. But the beginning & middle part were a bit slow.
I liked the story but only after I had finished the book: during the reading this felt pretty slow and it was hard to see where the things were going. The ending was good but this was clearly the first book in the series.
This didn't feel like horror, well maybe the last part with some thrilling scenes. But the beginning & middle part were a bit slow.
I liked the story but only after I had finished the book: during the reading this felt pretty slow and it was hard to see where the things were going. The ending was good but this was clearly the first book in the series.
July 28, 2026
This is the first book in the supernatural horror series The Goode People. It follows Peter Goode, an ordinary man self-conscious about his unusual physical appearance, who leaves New York City for Acadia National Park in Maine hoping to find acceptance among people who won't judge him. On the bus north, he's warned by an old woman not to stray from the trail because of the terrible, hard-to-explain things that lurk in the forest and caves off the path. When Peter encounters a woman lost and freezing, he can't bring himself to leave her, and abandons the trail to help her, but eventually finding an old man who leads him to an isolated cabin. There, Peter finds shelter from the storm but discovers a much deeper level of the supernatural than he ever believed possible, and must confront his past and decide who he can trust in order to uncover the truth behind the Goode People before the forest claims him forever.
This is genuinely an excellent start to Charles Welch's Goode People series, pulling readers into the snowbound woods of Acadia National Park with a sense of dread that builds steadily from the very first chapter. Peter Goode is an easy protagonist to root for, his vulnerability and quiet resilience make his descent into the supernatural feel personal rather than just spooky for spooky's sake. Welch has a knack for folklore-tinged horror, layering isolation and creeping unease until the pages practically turn themselves. A satisfying, chilling read for fans of supernatural thrillers who like their scares wrapped in strong character work.
This is genuinely an excellent start to Charles Welch's Goode People series, pulling readers into the snowbound woods of Acadia National Park with a sense of dread that builds steadily from the very first chapter. Peter Goode is an easy protagonist to root for, his vulnerability and quiet resilience make his descent into the supernatural feel personal rather than just spooky for spooky's sake. Welch has a knack for folklore-tinged horror, layering isolation and creeping unease until the pages practically turn themselves. A satisfying, chilling read for fans of supernatural thrillers who like their scares wrapped in strong character work.
July 9, 2026
Pleasantly surprised
I think I downloaded this book from a free book site promotion. The cover seemed a little home-baked so I was not expecting much. However, this story was really good and pleasantly a very engaging read. It was one of those rare occasions where the cover didn't actually reflect bad story telling. Rather, it was the opposite!
I think trigger warnings for the child abuse scenes maybe should have been mentioned. They were a little difficult to read. But you can't go into horror without stumbling on such tragedies on occasion.
The one thing I found incredibly interesting was Peter's voice. Most authors who write from first person, don't seem to know how to give their characters a very unique voice. I found Peter to be extremely unique and that was a breath of fresh air.
I liked the story a lot and I will definitely be reading the next book.
I think I downloaded this book from a free book site promotion. The cover seemed a little home-baked so I was not expecting much. However, this story was really good and pleasantly a very engaging read. It was one of those rare occasions where the cover didn't actually reflect bad story telling. Rather, it was the opposite!
I think trigger warnings for the child abuse scenes maybe should have been mentioned. They were a little difficult to read. But you can't go into horror without stumbling on such tragedies on occasion.
The one thing I found incredibly interesting was Peter's voice. Most authors who write from first person, don't seem to know how to give their characters a very unique voice. I found Peter to be extremely unique and that was a breath of fresh air.
I liked the story a lot and I will definitely be reading the next book.
November 16, 2024
So unbelievably spooky!
Reading this book had me biting my fingernails waiting to see what would happen next. Was it real? Was it imaginary? One minute you are convinced everything is on the up and up but how can that be? You won’t find out until you are caught up in the middle and are forced to pick a side and even then you may be surprised. Definitely worth the read!
Reading this book had me biting my fingernails waiting to see what would happen next. Was it real? Was it imaginary? One minute you are convinced everything is on the up and up but how can that be? You won’t find out until you are caught up in the middle and are forced to pick a side and even then you may be surprised. Definitely worth the read!
February 27, 2025
What I've come to expect from Charles Welch
I loved this book; it's probably my favorite book by this author (so far). And he is one of my favorite authors. It reminded me of something Dean Koontz would write.
I loved this book; it's probably my favorite book by this author (so far). And he is one of my favorite authors. It reminded me of something Dean Koontz would write.
March 2, 2025
Thrilling
Five stars isn't enough for this book ANF its authour. The book is scary all the way through.but also enlightening g
Five stars isn't enough for this book ANF its authour. The book is scary all the way through.but also enlightening g
March 5, 2026
Not my genre, but it was free, so I read it.
March 31, 2025
This was a great read. Pretty scary! I truly wondered if Petey was crazy or what was going on with him. Brain tumor maybe?
I loved his growth arc and journey. Nicely written and easy to picture.
I loved his growth arc and journey. Nicely written and easy to picture.
February 10, 2025
Ok. WOW! This book was amazing! I don’t usually read supernatural stories but I’ve already downloaded book 2 of the series!
Lots of times I know what’s going to happen in books. Not this one! Petey, Dan, Lola, Carrie, Walter, the Shadow Man, Adam - every character worked together in this story. Each had their part to play and when I got to the end, I was like WAIT! WHAT??!! I never saw it coming. Any of it!
I really like Lola and was so glad to see her at the end of the book again and also glad to know she’ll be in the next book. Everybody needs friends and I think between Dan and Lola, Petey will be ok.
Lots of times I know what’s going to happen in books. Not this one! Petey, Dan, Lola, Carrie, Walter, the Shadow Man, Adam - every character worked together in this story. Each had their part to play and when I got to the end, I was like WAIT! WHAT??!! I never saw it coming. Any of it!
I really like Lola and was so glad to see her at the end of the book again and also glad to know she’ll be in the next book. Everybody needs friends and I think between Dan and Lola, Petey will be ok.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews