Atrocity: The Haunting of Moravian Village

by Neil Sater

INSPIRED BY ACTUAL EVENTS, ATROCITY IS A SUSPENSEFUL, HIGH-STAKES ADVENTURE THAT WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT UNTIL THE CHILLING AND MOVING CLIMAX!
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Sixteen-year-old Sean Davidson’s party night in the rural town of Moravian Village, Ohio, takes a shocking turn, spiraling into a living nightmare with an unimaginable outcome.

Over a year later, Sean is struggling to put the pieces of his life back together when a stranger named Heather calls, and he learns that his dreadful ordeal was no isolated incident. A sinister presence threatens the village.

Sean and Heather team up to hunt down the mysterious force. But when they dredge up Moravian Village’s horrific past, they discover they’re confronting a supernatural power they alone cannot defeat.

All seems lost…until they stumble upon help from an unexpected source. Armed with newfound hope and ancient wisdom, Sean and Heather embark on a harrowing mission, fighting to bring closure to their losses and a tragedy centuries in the making.
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Poltergeist meets The Omen in this supernatural mystery that will enthrall adult and young adult readers alike!

“Rated PG-13.” Suitable for most adult and teen/young adult readers. Contains some profanity. Depicts drug usage and disturbing events.

Fans of supernatural mysteries by authors like Darcy Coates and Jennifer McMahon will relish the dark tales conjured by Neil Sater!

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2025

About the author

A fanatic of all things dark and creepy, Neil Sater lives with his wife, Mary, in the Cleveland, Ohio area. They have two grown children and two grandchildren. Having spent his career doing other things, Neil is happy to be now finding time for writing. A Horror Writers Association member, he has published four supernatural mystery novels, all set in the eerie rural countryside of the fictional Homer County, Ohio. Two of Neil’s novels earned the #1 New Release rating in YA Ghost Stories. Cleveland Magazine named his 2025 release Atrocity: The Haunting of Moravian Village one of “50 Book Releases We Loved in 2025.” Neil is currently working on his next supernatural mystery, which will be published in 2027.

Reviews

[Rachel Scoglietti]

So, I actually came across Neil at the Columbus Book Convention and I immediately loved the cover, which is funny because in the dedication, he mentions his mom not liking the cover. I bought it and he signed it (thank you!). I starting reading it last night and just finished it this morning. It was a very quick, fun read.

Pros:
-Loved that everything took place in Ohio. As someone born and raised in Columbus, it was so fun to see Buckeye Donuts shouted out and see comments about OSU culture.
-Great use of bringing Ohio history and events to the forefront, shameful and horrible as they are. I had no knowledge of this massacre so it was a horrific little trip down Ohio's past that taught me about its history along the way.
-Thought it was smart for Heather and Sean to make comments about their classes to show the passing of time.
-I loved the descriptions of the old house and how you could hear the grandpa peeing through the thin walls. I feel like it's little details like this that take writing from good to great.
-There several awesome scenes: My favorite is when he is taking Thomas from the tunnel and he touches his head-- bleh! That whole scene caused a visceral reaction. One of my greatest fears is being trapped in an underwater cave. Sean was really brave because I would have had a panic attack and died.
-The ending was a little...lackluster. I can't tell if this is a pro or a con because on one hand, Thomas killed innocent people and it felt like even though he had a horrible life, it doesn't justify murder. On the other, I ended up feeling pity for him. I was okay with Thomas getting a happy ending, but also wanted some justice. I know this is the gray area that Sean struggles with and I connected with that as a reader. This was well done.
-The author writes young adults well. They were cringey and awkward and were totally believable as teenagers (18/19). I thought that Sean's inability and overthinking the hugs was hilarious and the fact that he never knew she liked him until a literal kiss. Cute.

Cons:
-I wish the rash situation from the beginning of the book was explored more. I assume that Thomas put eggs or larva or something into the alcohol Karl drank? But it's never explored again. I know why there's earthworms, and it made for a gross scene, but I wish it would have been explained or explored more. What was in the herb bag? Thomas has no problem being physical with people, why did he just let Karl leave? Just because he knew he'd get the worms and die? Also, the killings were completely random. Thomas drowned Heather's mom one year then set a house on fire the next. Are these just convenience killings? Was he cognitively aware enough to take the firework and accelerant because it had Sean's fingerprints? Did he see the firework and think to set a random house on fire? It was just a little all over the place.
-Sean's understanding of the cultural appropriation of Chief Wahoo seems out of place at the end. Don't get me wrong, the mascot needed to go, I'm just talking about for the sake of the novel. I don't remember the hat being mentioned anywhere else. Maybe I missed it or something? It's not like he defended it in the beginning of the book and then came to understand appropriation and had a minor character arc. It was just odd.

Overall, what a fun book and I'm glad I had the chance to meet the author. :)

[Kerry Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I love historical fiction and appreciated learning the history of an actual event that occurred in my home state (Ohio) through reading. The pace was good and I enjoyed the characters. The Author’s note at the end details how Neil consulted with members of the Lenape tribe who are also experts on the massacre central to the story, one of whom also served as a sensitivity reader. This was apparent in that the Native American characters featured in the book seemed authentic rather than caricatures, and it was cool learning about some of their rituals.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a personal connection to the Day of Shame monument that inspired this story. That made it especially interesting to me to read. But even without that, I think I would have given the story 5 stars. It's a fun read with some unexpected twists. This was the first book of Neil's I've read. I liked it enough that I am going to look into Phantom realm next.

[Gregory H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creepy tale with a moral lesson that I had a hard time putting down! I loved how the story is set in the 1980s, and it really captures that era so well. I also really appreciated learning about the true event that inspired the story and the Native American cultural depictions.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original story, and I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, but it went off the boil for me around 70%. I forced myself to continue to 82% and gave up.

If it had of maintained its appeal, it would have been an easy 3 stars, hence the 2.

[Angie]

2.5 stars

[Sammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

This is my first book and wow ..its very easy to read and a brilliant but sad story ..on to the next book