Madwood

by Elias D. Thorn

When a suspicious life insurance claim leads a burned-out investigator to a care facility run by a woman who deliberately disguises herself as elderly—yet remains hauntingly beautiful—he uncovers a trail of perfectly timed deaths, vanished tenants, and a sentient tree that demands human sacrifice in exchange for resurrection.

Madwood is a supernatural suspense novel blending psychological horror and insurance fraud that spirals toward a deeper truth about identity, belief and the price of survival.A dark new religion is coming—and it has roots.


It started as a whisper, a promise of health. It ended as humanity’s last mistake.
When a growing tree that seems to be helping people with injuries begins rewriting the rules of civilization, people welcome its help … until they realize it is re-growing them.
What begins with healed injuries spirals into obsession and mental hypnosis. Freedom is redefined. Desires are categorized. And those who resist – quiet scientist, forgotten churches and the desperate aware few – begin to vanish. But not everyone is willing to be rewritten and re-formed. In a world where compliance feels like comfort and rebellion feels like madness, one question echoes louder than all the
What if the thing saving you …. Is just saving you for later?

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2025

Reviews

[ChanaReadsHorror · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a beautifully done thriller. The imagery within made it feel all the more haunting and a had a supernatural feel for it. When something seemingly simple as investigating a potential fraud case turns into something more, that is when the roots of Madwood hold on and don't let go. This is one that will stick with you while you are reading it and after.

I was given an ARC copy of the book to leave an honest review

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a strong start to the Madwood Universe world, it was everything that I was hoping for from the description and enjoyed the blend of psychological horror and supernatural elements to this storyline. The characters were so well written and enjoyed the feel of this from beginning to end. Elias D. Thorn was able to create something that I was hoping for and was glad I got to read this and am excited for more.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anna Whaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well written and interesting book. Definitely outside my norm, but made me think. I really enjoyed the imagery of the tree weaving itself into the house and souls of the people living there. It really seemed to have a mind hold on the FMC. The book did slow down for me about 2/3 of the way in, but I really enjoyed the ending.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Madwood is one of those stories that creeps under your skin and lingers long after you’ve closed the book. Elias D. Thorn blends supernatural suspense with psychological horror in a way that feels both unsettling and strangely mesmerizing.

At the heart of the novel is a burned-out investigator who stumbles into a care facility run by a woman hiding behind a gray wig—hauntingly beautiful, yet deeply mysterious. What he uncovers is far more than suspicious insurance claims: perfectly timed deaths, vanished tenants, and a sentient tree that demands sacrifice in exchange for resurrection.

The concept is chilling—a tree that begins by healing injuries, only to slowly rewrite the rules of civilization. What starts as salvation spirals into obsession, compliance, and a dark new religion with roots that reach into identity and belief. Thorn’s prose captures that eerie balance between comfort and menace, making you question whether the thing saving you is simply saving you for later.

It’s ambitious, strange, and deeply thought-provoking—a novel that pushes the boundaries of horror while weaving in themes of survival, faith, and control. Fans of psychological horror with a touch of the surreal will find Madwood both gripping and unforgettable.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bookish Burnished Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best kind of disturbing.

The beginning is was a little difficult for me to get into, but once Lilith grows up I was easily drawn in.

I don’t have anything to compare this to; it tastes like Catriona Ward, with hints of the very best epics from creepypasta or r/nosleep. There’s so much stark reality that you forget Madwood for lengths of time before it makes its presence known again.

This story is clearly woven with precision yet somehow feels like an organic tangle - like fates that are already written, roots that are naturally growing into a predetermined knot.

It’s not a scary story. There’s a strange lack of intensity - a coldness, a distance that permeates most every scene. The horror is my own: that I can feel so warmly towards such a ‘bad’ character.

“And she - she was just cleaning, a gardener pruning the unworthy from her sacred plot.”

——

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jess Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy of this horror book. This book took me through all the emotions like any good horror book should.

In the beginning this toes the line of erotic horror (not in extremely detailed scenes though) making you extremely uncomfortable. While the author creates all of these grotesque horror filled scenes to distract you, he is busy weaving an elaborate web. By the time you realize what this book is actually about, you are shocked and blind sided, but in a good way.

The author tackles relevant and meaningful themes including the effects AI and social media have on society, and what happens when there is a general lack of empathy within that society. He shows us what the results of these situations look like in an extremely unique way that I ended up really enjoying.

I definitely think you should give this one a try.

[Magpiebookreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madwood was an absolute wild ride. It gave me strong The Host vibes — that eerie, layered feeling where you’re never quite sure what’s real — but with a sharper, darker edge.

This isn’t a book you can skim. It demands your full attention. I found myself slowing down, rereading sections, and constantly trying to piece everything together. At times it was completely bonkers, but that unpredictability is what kept me hooked.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a thriller that made me think this much while still feeling compulsively readable. If you like twisty, slightly chaotic, mind-bending stories that don’t spell everything out for you, this one delivers.

[Blue Ant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Blue Ant Literary, Madwood earns its horror through patience. Thorn constructs the dread incrementally, insurance fraud to psychological manipulation to something genuinely theological, and the sentient tree never becomes absurd because the logic beneath it is airtight. The central question the novel poses is the kind that stays with you well after the final page. Supernatural suspense with real philosophical nerve.

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chilling, imaginative thriller that blends horror, mystery, and dark psychology in the best way. The sentient tree, the eerie deaths, and the creeping sense of control create a gripping, unsettling atmosphere. Bold, original, and haunting this story stays under your skin. 🌲✨

[Gemma Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this yeah was weird and spooky and murdery but all in a super great way checker triggers but I personally thought was original and extremely brilliant xx

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Thank you for creating a world that I was able to get lost in reading it!