What do you think?
Rate this book
Before the Tracks Were Laid: Beneath the Clay: A Southern Gothic Trilogy of Legacy, Loss, and the Land
This is where the story begins—but not where it ends.
Before the house was inherited.
Before the killings began.
Before the truth clawed its way to the surface.
There were the women.
Before the Tracks Were Laid is a prequel novella collection, best read before Tracks Beneath the Clay. These three interconnected, atmospheric stories introduce the land, the women, and the dangerous legacy that haunts the Cheney estate in Marietta, Georgia, but the full story unfolds in the novel that follows.
Set across generations on cursed Southern ground, this Southern Gothic collection explores inheritance, silence, and survival through the lives of women bound by blood, memory, and the land itself. These novellas reveal the unspoken history beneath the estate and the first threads of violence, resistance, and reckoning that shape what comes next.
This collection is intentionally intimate and incomplete by design.
It lays the foundation, raises the questions, and awakens the land, but resolution comes in Tracks Beneath the Clay.
Readers drawn to Southern Gothic stories of generational secrets, women’s resilience, and land that remembers will find this prequel an atmospheric introduction to the world of Tracks Beneath the Clay.
Perfect for readers who
Southern Gothic atmosphere
Generational secrets
Women-centered historical suspense
Slow-burn dread and buried truths
Continue the story in Tracks Beneath the Clay, the full-length novel.
Before the house was inherited.
Before the killings began.
Before the truth clawed its way to the surface.
There were the women.
Before the Tracks Were Laid is a prequel novella collection, best read before Tracks Beneath the Clay. These three interconnected, atmospheric stories introduce the land, the women, and the dangerous legacy that haunts the Cheney estate in Marietta, Georgia, but the full story unfolds in the novel that follows.
Set across generations on cursed Southern ground, this Southern Gothic collection explores inheritance, silence, and survival through the lives of women bound by blood, memory, and the land itself. These novellas reveal the unspoken history beneath the estate and the first threads of violence, resistance, and reckoning that shape what comes next.
This collection is intentionally intimate and incomplete by design.
It lays the foundation, raises the questions, and awakens the land, but resolution comes in Tracks Beneath the Clay.
Readers drawn to Southern Gothic stories of generational secrets, women’s resilience, and land that remembers will find this prequel an atmospheric introduction to the world of Tracks Beneath the Clay.
Perfect for readers who
Southern Gothic atmosphere
Generational secrets
Women-centered historical suspense
Slow-burn dread and buried truths
Continue the story in Tracks Beneath the Clay, the full-length novel.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 16, 2025
29 people are currently reading
823 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 19, 2025
received this book from the author through Book Funnel
a very short story introducing the book
should be a good one, based on the strength of the characters who were introduced
a very short story introducing the book
should be a good one, based on the strength of the characters who were introduced
July 31, 2025
A Masterpiece of Southern Gothic Horror!
The Southern Gothic Trilogy: Before the Tracks Were Laid is a chilling, captivating, and utterly brilliant descent into the darkest corners of cursed land and bloodlines. This trilogy isn't just a series of stories; it's an immersive experience that will leave you feeling eerily soothed, yet desperately craving more.
"He Inherits It All" immediately pulls you into its haunted embrace. The premise of land so deeply cursed it claims the lives of every family who dares to settle upon it is truly unsettling. The author masterfully details the land's odd behaviors and the pervasive presence of a mystic force, even though it's never explicitly shown. Its influence is profoundly felt, weaving an ever-tightening net around the unsuspecting. Sibella, an enslaved woman, serves as the tragic Cassandra, her ignored warnings echoing through the generations as the Cheney family falls prey to the land's relentless destruction. I was completely drawn in by the evocative writing style, finding myself easily lost in the story's grim beauty.
"What Lucy Carried" continues the saga ten years later, focusing on the next generation of the cursed Cheney family. William Jr., the "cursed child" from the first story, now grown, mirrors his father's naive recklessness despite being warned of his own inherited doom. The introduction of Lucy, an orphan adopted by William Jr.'s wife Alice, brings a new dynamic. Alice, having endured immense loss and raising a "wicked" son named Billy, struggles within the curse's grip. Lucy steps into the role of protector, much like Sibella before her, and you're left on tenterhooks, wondering if her efforts will be enough to break the cycle.
Finally, "Before the Tracks Were Laid" elevates Lucy's role as protector. Billy's return, even more cruel after his banishment in the second story, intensifies the curse's manifestation on both the house and the land. Lucy's fight to shield Alice and her last blood child, Abby, is a desperate race against time. The arrival of Natalie from the north introduces fresh challenges, further complicating the already dire situation. While the ending is abrupt, it's a testament to the author's skill, leaving a powerful impression and sparking the imagination to run wild with possibilities.
This trilogy is a triumph of Southern Gothic storytelling. The character development, the palpable sense of dread, and the seamless flow between generations of a cursed family are simply superb. If you're a fan of atmospheric horror that lingers long after you've turned the last page, do yourself a favor and pick up Before the Tracks Were Laid. You won't regret it.
The Southern Gothic Trilogy: Before the Tracks Were Laid is a chilling, captivating, and utterly brilliant descent into the darkest corners of cursed land and bloodlines. This trilogy isn't just a series of stories; it's an immersive experience that will leave you feeling eerily soothed, yet desperately craving more.
"He Inherits It All" immediately pulls you into its haunted embrace. The premise of land so deeply cursed it claims the lives of every family who dares to settle upon it is truly unsettling. The author masterfully details the land's odd behaviors and the pervasive presence of a mystic force, even though it's never explicitly shown. Its influence is profoundly felt, weaving an ever-tightening net around the unsuspecting. Sibella, an enslaved woman, serves as the tragic Cassandra, her ignored warnings echoing through the generations as the Cheney family falls prey to the land's relentless destruction. I was completely drawn in by the evocative writing style, finding myself easily lost in the story's grim beauty.
"What Lucy Carried" continues the saga ten years later, focusing on the next generation of the cursed Cheney family. William Jr., the "cursed child" from the first story, now grown, mirrors his father's naive recklessness despite being warned of his own inherited doom. The introduction of Lucy, an orphan adopted by William Jr.'s wife Alice, brings a new dynamic. Alice, having endured immense loss and raising a "wicked" son named Billy, struggles within the curse's grip. Lucy steps into the role of protector, much like Sibella before her, and you're left on tenterhooks, wondering if her efforts will be enough to break the cycle.
Finally, "Before the Tracks Were Laid" elevates Lucy's role as protector. Billy's return, even more cruel after his banishment in the second story, intensifies the curse's manifestation on both the house and the land. Lucy's fight to shield Alice and her last blood child, Abby, is a desperate race against time. The arrival of Natalie from the north introduces fresh challenges, further complicating the already dire situation. While the ending is abrupt, it's a testament to the author's skill, leaving a powerful impression and sparking the imagination to run wild with possibilities.
This trilogy is a triumph of Southern Gothic storytelling. The character development, the palpable sense of dread, and the seamless flow between generations of a cursed family are simply superb. If you're a fan of atmospheric horror that lingers long after you've turned the last page, do yourself a favor and pick up Before the Tracks Were Laid. You won't regret it.
November 11, 2025
Before the Tracks Were Laid is one of those rare books that lingers with you long after you close the final page not just because of its chilling atmosphere, but because of the aching humanity woven through every story. Each of the three novellas Before the Tracks Were Laid, What Lucy Carried, and He Inherits It All stands on its own as a powerful tale, yet together they create a haunting tapestry of generational trauma, buried secrets, and the ghosts that live within both memory and land.
The writing is lush and lyrical, the kind that makes you pause just to savor a line. The atmosphere is thick with Southern humidity, superstition, and sorrow, perfectly capturing the eerie quiet of a plantation house where the past never truly dies. The author has an incredible gift for making the land itself feel alive breathing, whispering, watching.
What moved me most, though, were the women. Each one carries a quiet defiance and strength that feels both timeless and deeply tragic. From Natalie’s uneasy arrival to Lucy’s powerful rituals and the unnamed bride’s doomed inheritance, their stories intertwine in ways that left me both heartbroken and awed.
This book isn’t just Gothic fiction it’s a reckoning. A story of survival, silence, and the weight of inheritance told through voices that refuse to be forgotten.
If you loved Beloved, The Color Purple, or The House of the Spirits, you’ll find the same depth and resonance here. Before the Tracks Were Laid is haunting, poetic, and unforgettable easily one of the best books I’ve read this year.
The writing is lush and lyrical, the kind that makes you pause just to savor a line. The atmosphere is thick with Southern humidity, superstition, and sorrow, perfectly capturing the eerie quiet of a plantation house where the past never truly dies. The author has an incredible gift for making the land itself feel alive breathing, whispering, watching.
What moved me most, though, were the women. Each one carries a quiet defiance and strength that feels both timeless and deeply tragic. From Natalie’s uneasy arrival to Lucy’s powerful rituals and the unnamed bride’s doomed inheritance, their stories intertwine in ways that left me both heartbroken and awed.
This book isn’t just Gothic fiction it’s a reckoning. A story of survival, silence, and the weight of inheritance told through voices that refuse to be forgotten.
If you loved Beloved, The Color Purple, or The House of the Spirits, you’ll find the same depth and resonance here. Before the Tracks Were Laid is haunting, poetic, and unforgettable easily one of the best books I’ve read this year.
October 4, 2025
Definitely the best AI-narrated audiobook I've listened to. That wasn't only because it actually seemed to be proofed with no major errors, but the slight, appropriate Southern accent was a nice touch. While I wish the author had bothered to find an actual voice actor, who could have done a lot more with this, I could forget I was listening to a simulation.
Most of all, the writing is outstanding. This is dripping with atmosphere and place. It's genuinely creepy and perfect for October listening. It feels incomplete, but then it's a prequel. Kay is a very talented writer!
Most of all, the writing is outstanding. This is dripping with atmosphere and place. It's genuinely creepy and perfect for October listening. It feels incomplete, but then it's a prequel. Kay is a very talented writer!
October 1, 2025
This book is a masterclass in Southern Gothic storytelling. The land itself becomes a character, and the family’s history unfolds like a dark, poetic tapestry. I was captivated from start to finish.
July 26, 2025
Tracks Beneath the Clay by Leia Kay is a dark, beautifully written Southern Gothic that lingers long after the last page. Each novella reveals a different generation of women tied to the cursed Cheney estate, blending history, folklore, and haunting suspense. The atmosphere is rich, the tension slow and steady, and the characters especially the women feel achingly real. Fans of layered family sagas and eerie, poetic storytelling will find this unforgettable.
August 8, 2025
Haunting, Atmospheric, and Rich with Southern Gothic Tension
Before The Tracks Were Laid pulls the reader deep into the shadowed corners of Peachtree, Georgia, where secrets seep into the soil and the past refuses to stay buried. The interconnected novellas weave together generations of women—each with their own quiet defiance—against a backdrop of superstition, cruelty, and survival.
The first story, Before the Tracks Were Laid, simmers with unease as Natalie’s Northern sensibilities clash with her cousin’s unsettling charm. What Lucy Carried is both lyrical and heartbreaking, offering one of the most memorable characters in the collection—a young enslaved girl whose quiet rituals become an act of rebellion. He Inherits It All ties the threads together with eerie inevitability, letting the land itself become a silent narrator.
The prose is vivid and immersive, heavy with atmosphere and rich with sensory detail. At times the pacing lingers, dwelling in description when the tension begs to push forward, but the slow burn ultimately works in its favor, building to an ending that resonates long after the final page.
A beautifully written, unsettling portrait of generational trauma and the women who carry it—perfect for fans of Southern Gothic tales that blend history with the supernatural.
Before The Tracks Were Laid pulls the reader deep into the shadowed corners of Peachtree, Georgia, where secrets seep into the soil and the past refuses to stay buried. The interconnected novellas weave together generations of women—each with their own quiet defiance—against a backdrop of superstition, cruelty, and survival.
The first story, Before the Tracks Were Laid, simmers with unease as Natalie’s Northern sensibilities clash with her cousin’s unsettling charm. What Lucy Carried is both lyrical and heartbreaking, offering one of the most memorable characters in the collection—a young enslaved girl whose quiet rituals become an act of rebellion. He Inherits It All ties the threads together with eerie inevitability, letting the land itself become a silent narrator.
The prose is vivid and immersive, heavy with atmosphere and rich with sensory detail. At times the pacing lingers, dwelling in description when the tension begs to push forward, but the slow burn ultimately works in its favor, building to an ending that resonates long after the final page.
A beautifully written, unsettling portrait of generational trauma and the women who carry it—perfect for fans of Southern Gothic tales that blend history with the supernatural.
September 10, 2025
This is a prequel to book 2 and you must not miss out, it lays the groundwork and character I feel.
This is a southern fiction that will make you question land ancestors and gothic like themes.
It’s so beautifully written and compelling I read this in one day.
What I expected and what I got were two different things, all good though.
It’s eerie the land calling back its blood .
It’s kind of seems demonic in some respects, the trees having eyes, the curses of the past , a newborn, firstborn needing to be taken actions that are very weird in him indeed,.
The customs of the women drawing white lines with chalk to keep “ them’ away had me on tenderhooks, the sewing of things into hems of skirts, trying to keep the ground the red clay from capturing more in death. Strange things happened that were unexplainable and not very nice.
I’m finding it all very fascinating and I’m glad I have the advanced copy of book 2 which I will be starting in a day or two. And I can’t wait.
It’s so well written and expertley formatted and characters well rounded.
This is a southern fiction that will make you question land ancestors and gothic like themes.
It’s so beautifully written and compelling I read this in one day.
What I expected and what I got were two different things, all good though.
It’s eerie the land calling back its blood .
It’s kind of seems demonic in some respects, the trees having eyes, the curses of the past , a newborn, firstborn needing to be taken actions that are very weird in him indeed,.
The customs of the women drawing white lines with chalk to keep “ them’ away had me on tenderhooks, the sewing of things into hems of skirts, trying to keep the ground the red clay from capturing more in death. Strange things happened that were unexplainable and not very nice.
I’m finding it all very fascinating and I’m glad I have the advanced copy of book 2 which I will be starting in a day or two. And I can’t wait.
It’s so well written and expertley formatted and characters well rounded.
October 10, 2025
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Wow, what a haunting, beautifully written read. It’s a slow burn, steeped in atmosphere and memory, where the land feels as alive as the characters themselves. The story weaves legacy, grief, and hidden truths into something both lyrical and heavy with emotion. It takes its time getting going, but once it pulls you in, it doesn’t let go. If you love stories where the past won't stay buried, this one’s for you.
Wow, what a haunting, beautifully written read. It’s a slow burn, steeped in atmosphere and memory, where the land feels as alive as the characters themselves. The story weaves legacy, grief, and hidden truths into something both lyrical and heavy with emotion. It takes its time getting going, but once it pulls you in, it doesn’t let go. If you love stories where the past won't stay buried, this one’s for you.
September 17, 2025
These are three novellas gearing up for the novel I have already preordered. A girl needs to know what happened!! I'm some ways it feels so real the author has worked hard to make it as though you are in the story I read it in one day.
October 1, 2025
This trilogy is a haunting love letter to the South both its beauty and its brutality. The writing is lyrical, the characters unforgettable, and the story lingers like a ghost. One of the best books I’ve read this year.
August 23, 2025
You have such a unique voice, and I really admire the way you were able to make every page so engaging. Honestly, it’s one of those books that stays with you long after reading.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews