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Old Ghosts of the Valley: A Southern Gothic Horror Novel set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina
“I really love the way he crafts his stories. He is super talented and one of the few who can draw you so deep into the story it makes it feel like you are one of the characters. Love his style and voice. I will be reading everything this guy puts out.
Give his books a try if you like Stephen King like stories and characters.
He’s really good." — Amazon Review for Night Terrors
A town full of deadly secrets. A cult with ties to Jim Jones. A haunted forest. Rumors of a daunting beast lurking in the woods. Missing People. Who can you trust? No one!
Caleb Gore’s life didn’t go as planned. At 28, his dreams of baseball stardom have crumbled, leaving him stranded in a haze of construction work and creeping opioid addiction. But when his estranged mother, Carol, sends him a chilling voicemail before disappearing from her home in Chapel Valley, Caleb is forced back to his hometown—and the clutches of its darkest secrets.
The Abbott Cult, led by the enigmatic and dangerous Mike Abbott, has held the town in its grip for decades, their influence stretching far beyond whispers of sermons and salvation. Linked to disappearances, murders, and the ominous specter of a forest-dwelling Beast, the cult’s sinister undercurrent threatens anyone who dares to stand against it. Caleb, along with his sister Ashley and his ex-girlfriend turned deputy, Sarah Guilder, begins to unravel the threads of deception, discovering horrors far worse than they imagined.
As Caleb’s investigation digs deeper, he’s plagued by haunting visions, nightmarish encounters, and a growing paranoia that blurs the lines between reality and madness. With the shadow of his mother’s death hanging over him and the cult closing in, Caleb must confront the forces at play—both human and paranormal—before they consume him entirely.
From the cult’s chilling ties to Jim Jones and The People’s Temple to the harrowing accounts of its youngest members, Old Ghosts of the Valley takes readers on a spine-chilling journey through the dark woods of Chapel Valley. Secrets, spirits, and sacrifice collide in a story of resilience, redemption, and the power of uncovering the truth—no matter the cost.
“If you love scary stories, this is the book for you. The author, Randall Lane, is so descriptive that when the story becomes intense; you will be on the edge of your seat. Mr. Lane is in his element when he places a character in the woods on a dark night. He is a master of giving you characters you can feel their emotion, including their fear. I won't read his scary stories at night anymore. I start feeling chills that it could happen to me. It's a thrill to read this book.” — Amazon Review for Night Terrors
“I absolutely love Uncle Joe. I love the mix of witty humor blended with the creepy suspense and mystery " — Julia C Review for Trouble in Carolina
“Mr. Lane writes with the eloquence of a storyteller. Deep, profound and superbly imaginative.” — Mark M Review for Devil’s Den
“Great story. Would make a great movie.” — Cathy J Review for Omah
“This story was really good. Innovative, just enough action and suspense combined with Native American lore.” — Jean T Review for Omah
“Awesome read! Once you start it’s hard to put down! The way he tells the story keeps you captivated throughout the entire book.
A town full of deadly secrets. A cult with ties to Jim Jones. A haunted forest. Rumors of a daunting beast lurking in the woods. Missing People. Who can you trust? No one!
Caleb Gore’s life didn’t go as planned. At 28, his dreams of baseball stardom have crumbled, leaving him stranded in a haze of construction work and creeping opioid addiction. But when his estranged mother, Carol, sends him a chilling voicemail before disappearing from her home in Chapel Valley, Caleb is forced back to his hometown—and the clutches of its darkest secrets.
The Abbott Cult, led by the enigmatic and dangerous Mike Abbott, has held the town in its grip for decades, their influence stretching far beyond whispers of sermons and salvation. Linked to disappearances, murders, and the ominous specter of a forest-dwelling Beast, the cult’s sinister undercurrent threatens anyone who dares to stand against it. Caleb, along with his sister Ashley and his ex-girlfriend turned deputy, Sarah Guilder, begins to unravel the threads of deception, discovering horrors far worse than they imagined.
As Caleb’s investigation digs deeper, he’s plagued by haunting visions, nightmarish encounters, and a growing paranoia that blurs the lines between reality and madness. With the shadow of his mother’s death hanging over him and the cult closing in, Caleb must confront the forces at play—both human and paranormal—before they consume him entirely.
From the cult’s chilling ties to Jim Jones and The People’s Temple to the harrowing accounts of its youngest members, Old Ghosts of the Valley takes readers on a spine-chilling journey through the dark woods of Chapel Valley. Secrets, spirits, and sacrifice collide in a story of resilience, redemption, and the power of uncovering the truth—no matter the cost.
“If you love scary stories, this is the book for you. The author, Randall Lane, is so descriptive that when the story becomes intense; you will be on the edge of your seat. Mr. Lane is in his element when he places a character in the woods on a dark night. He is a master of giving you characters you can feel their emotion, including their fear. I won't read his scary stories at night anymore. I start feeling chills that it could happen to me. It's a thrill to read this book.” — Amazon Review for Night Terrors
“I absolutely love Uncle Joe. I love the mix of witty humor blended with the creepy suspense and mystery " — Julia C Review for Trouble in Carolina
“Mr. Lane writes with the eloquence of a storyteller. Deep, profound and superbly imaginative.” — Mark M Review for Devil’s Den
“Great story. Would make a great movie.” — Cathy J Review for Omah
“This story was really good. Innovative, just enough action and suspense combined with Native American lore.” — Jean T Review for Omah
“Awesome read! Once you start it’s hard to put down! The way he tells the story keeps you captivated throughout the entire book.
- GenresHorror
373 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2025
10 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Randall Lane
73 books6 followersHey y’all, I’m Randall Lane.
I write horror, mystery, and suspense stories rooted in small towns, back roads, and the kind of places where secrets have a way of surviving longer than the people who keep them.
I grew up in South Carolina, where the woods feel closer, the nights feel longer, and stories—especially the unsettling ones—have a way of sticking with you. Like a lot of readers my age, I cut my teeth on Goosebumps, but it was a chance discovery of a novel titled “Monster” by Frank Peretti about a creature lurking in the woods that truly changed everything for me. I found it on a Walmart shelf when I was ten years old, thought the cover looked cool, and ended up reading it cover to cover more times than I can count. That was the moment I realized stories could be terrifying, mysterious, and impossible to put down all at once.
More than a decade later, I took the leap into writing fiction myself—and I’ve never looked back.
The stories I tell focus on ordinary people forced to confront the unexplained, the unseen, and the things that refuse to stay buried. I care deeply about character, atmosphere, and the slow burn of dread that creeps in when something feels off long before it turns deadly. My work is influenced by authors like Stephen King, C.J. Box, James Lee Burke, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, and Steven James—writers who understand that the most frightening stories are often grounded in familiar places and flawed, relatable people.
When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me saltwater fishing, watching Braves or Coastal Carolina baseball, or cooking up seafood or gumbo with classic rock playing in the background. I’m an old soul at heart, and that sense of nostalgia and place tends to find its way into my stories whether I plan it or not. Along the way, I continue to sharpen my craft while pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans—an experience that’s deepened both my storytelling and my love for the written word.
If you enjoy character-driven horror, Southern Gothic mystery, and suspense that lingers long after the final page, I invite you to step into my books and see where the story takes you. I’m glad you’re here—and I hope you’ll stick around for the journey.
To stay up to date with my writing journey, you can find me on Instagram by searching:
randall_lane31
Or Facebook and YouTube by searching "Randall Lane Fiction"
All the best,
Randall Lane
I write horror, mystery, and suspense stories rooted in small towns, back roads, and the kind of places where secrets have a way of surviving longer than the people who keep them.
I grew up in South Carolina, where the woods feel closer, the nights feel longer, and stories—especially the unsettling ones—have a way of sticking with you. Like a lot of readers my age, I cut my teeth on Goosebumps, but it was a chance discovery of a novel titled “Monster” by Frank Peretti about a creature lurking in the woods that truly changed everything for me. I found it on a Walmart shelf when I was ten years old, thought the cover looked cool, and ended up reading it cover to cover more times than I can count. That was the moment I realized stories could be terrifying, mysterious, and impossible to put down all at once.
More than a decade later, I took the leap into writing fiction myself—and I’ve never looked back.
The stories I tell focus on ordinary people forced to confront the unexplained, the unseen, and the things that refuse to stay buried. I care deeply about character, atmosphere, and the slow burn of dread that creeps in when something feels off long before it turns deadly. My work is influenced by authors like Stephen King, C.J. Box, James Lee Burke, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, and Steven James—writers who understand that the most frightening stories are often grounded in familiar places and flawed, relatable people.
When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me saltwater fishing, watching Braves or Coastal Carolina baseball, or cooking up seafood or gumbo with classic rock playing in the background. I’m an old soul at heart, and that sense of nostalgia and place tends to find its way into my stories whether I plan it or not. Along the way, I continue to sharpen my craft while pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans—an experience that’s deepened both my storytelling and my love for the written word.
If you enjoy character-driven horror, Southern Gothic mystery, and suspense that lingers long after the final page, I invite you to step into my books and see where the story takes you. I’m glad you’re here—and I hope you’ll stick around for the journey.
To stay up to date with my writing journey, you can find me on Instagram by searching:
randall_lane31
Or Facebook and YouTube by searching "Randall Lane Fiction"
All the best,
Randall Lane
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 8, 2025
This was such a good book. I couldn't stop reading once I started. I just had to know what happened to Caleb's mother. This was a super creepy and mysterious book. I love the way Randall builds his characters. They feel like real people and you can't help but like and pull for them. I loved the town of Chapel Valley and all the strange residents. The cult was so scary. And don't even get me started on how terrifying those woods were. Oh my gosh! This book is a great mix of mystery and suspense blended with elements of horror. Loved it!
Displaying 1 of 1 review