Devil Woman

by Samuel Brower

In the summer of 1991, Claire Conrad, a water analyst for the Charleston Sanitary Board, is sent on assignment to the small town of Palestine, West Virginia. A string of illnesses in Palestine has the sheriff of a neighboring county worried about a water contamination problem. Soon after arriving, Claire discovers she is not welcome in Palestine. The town matriarch, a severe old woman and wife to a snake-handling preacher, believes the sickness spreading through her town has divine origins, and she views Claire’s intervention as something blasphemous. What starts as simple sabotage soon turns deadly, and Claire finds herself stuck in the backwoods town with nothing but her wits and her expertise in chemistry to protect her from the zealots who wish to harm her.

222 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2025

About the author

Bestselling author Samuel Brower crafts haunting, immersive tales that blur the line between horror, dark fantasy, and the supernatural. His breakout novel, Haint, became an Amazon bestseller in 2024, cementing his reputation as a must-read voice in modern horror fiction. To date, Brower has published ten gripping novels and dozens of chilling short stories, with his work featured in renowned magazines like Voices, Nine Tales, and Zero Flash. A professional member of both the Horror Writers Association and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, Brower brings a seasoned, masterful touch to every eerie world he creates.

Reviews

[Bill Philibin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 Stars)

This book annoyed me.. But it was because of the actions of the MC. So, when an author can have me invested enough in a story (especially a short story) to dislike a character but still care what happens, that is the sign of a good author (IMHO).

This is a horror-ish story. The characters are good, the plot is mostly plausible, and the environment is a familiar trope so you are instantly engaged. I will definitely continue reading works by this author.

I don't want this review to be about the media and not the book, so you can stop now if all you want is a book review. If you want to know about my experience/feeling about the audio portion please continue.

I read the Audible "Virtual Voice" version of this book. It is the third book I've read this way, and while I am still not loving it, I still think it beats not being able to enjoy audiobooks. Not only was this my 3rd Virtual Voice book, it is the 3rd different voice I've experienced, and by far the most lifelike. It does have a lot of problems with heteronyms and I'm not sure if there are spelling errors in the original text but sometimes it mispronounces a commonplace word that it has pronounced correctly previously.

[sherry van dyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just discovered Samuel brower

I just discovered these books on Amazon and have read one after another nonstop. Love the characters and the stories!

[Roland Deschain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read.
West Virginia is the wildest state we have left.
Appalachian mountains have a very strange atmosphere and it’s all over this story. The snake handling and archaic views on morality and religion, especially concerning sexual orientation and physical appearance, are at the forefront in this creepy offering.
A brilliant young chemist travels to West Virginia to investigate a water contamination issue. She quickly discovers the water has been intentionally poisoned and contaminated by a religious zealot hell bent on revenge. The violence and terror she’s exposed to are realistically plausible in today’s crazy world.
I really like this story. I’ll have to keep my eye on Mr Brower.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderland and freaky experience that was! I'm really glad I found Samuel Brower. I always wanted to write a book and I would like to think, having grown up in Appalachia and all that goes with an Appalachian childhood, that I too would write about the things Brower writes about. I never wrote that book and at this point probably never will. So, I'm really glad to get to live vicariously through his books like Devil Woman.

Claire, the main character, is not easy to like. However, she is a very good example of a regular person going through regular crap like regular people do. Sometimes regular people find themselves in difficult situations and have to rise to the occasion. I enjoyed seeing how Claire handled her difficult and uniquely Appalachian situations.