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Inheritance: A Novel
Small towns don't keep secrets, they bury them.
When the mangled body of a local teenager is found in the forest, the small Ontario town spirals into fear. Parents warn their children to stay out of the woods. Police insist it was a tragic but ordinary wildlife attack.
But Mike Shenton and his friends know they’re lying.
The adults of Walkerton are nervous. Too nervous. They watch the treeline like they’re waiting for something. Or remembering something. As strange clues and whispered stories surface, Mike begins to suspect the truth isn’t just frightening… it’s connected to a decade-old secret the town buried deep.
Something is out there.
Something hungry.
And now it’s waking up.
A horror novel set against the dark edges of small-town Ontario
When the mangled body of a local teenager is found in the forest, the small Ontario town spirals into fear. Parents warn their children to stay out of the woods. Police insist it was a tragic but ordinary wildlife attack.
But Mike Shenton and his friends know they’re lying.
The adults of Walkerton are nervous. Too nervous. They watch the treeline like they’re waiting for something. Or remembering something. As strange clues and whispered stories surface, Mike begins to suspect the truth isn’t just frightening… it’s connected to a decade-old secret the town buried deep.
Something is out there.
Something hungry.
And now it’s waking up.
A horror novel set against the dark edges of small-town Ontario
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2025
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Tyler Newell
1 bookTyler Newell is a horror writer from small-town Ontario, now based in Hamilton, Ontario with his wife, Becca. He’s fascinated by the strange beauty of the Canadian landscape and the secrets hidden beneath its surface. His fiction blends small-town drama with the supernatural, drawing inspiration from the places and people that linger in memory long after the lights go out.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 9, 2025
A thriller that hits you with small town Ontario nostalgia. Like a story that “happened to a friend of a friend of mine” you would tell over a campfire on a cool summer night. Warm up with this wonderful first edition from a new local writer! Support Canadian and dive on in to this instant classic!
January 14, 2026
Inheritance brings us the kind of small-town horror that starts with a so-called “normal” tragedy. A teen is found dead in the woods, the community seeks closure with a simple explanation, and a few kids begin to feel the story is missing something. The story has side glances, unspoken truths, and a handful of adults who fidget the moment the woods are mentioned. The story transitions into a comprehensive folk horror and mystery. The woods are alive with secrets and the town’s history is a loaded spring, ready to snap. The biggest fear is not what is in the woods, the big fear is what the people Living there are willing, or unwilling, to do to protect their fragile lives. And yes, I also like Chuck. I get that many people might hate him for his many bad choices. He’s not a good guy, but I like that he is the only one who really acts and keeps the story moving when everyone is politically paralyzed or just plain in denial. Chuck embodies the “do the ugly thing to fix the bigger problem” type. Frustrating, messy, and impossible to ignore. The book is really well written, and it kept me hooked - I had to keep reading to see what would happen next.
The goods
- The small-town secrecy feels real, and it makes everything more tense
- The woods atmosphere is creepy without needing nonstop shocks
- The mystery pulls you through - you keep reading because the town clearly knows more than it’s saying
- Chuck is a great “love-to-hate” character who actually moves the story
The bads
- If you want clear heroes and clean choices, this book is not that
- A few moments lean hard into mood and buildup instead of quick answers
- The town’s silence and denial can be frustrating (even when it makes sense)
- The aftermath/ending might feel a little different from the pure horror rush earlier
Why I’d recommend it
I’d recommend Inheritance if you enjoy horror that revolves around people and feelings as opposed to just surface level horror. It has that “there's something wrong here and everyone's ignoring it” vibe, with a slow build to bigger and darker realities. It is tense, super creepy, and very easy to get hooked to. Even if characters frustrate you (like Chuck), it makes the story that much better because people don’t do the right thing, they do what they think is right.
Every book hits differently for every reader.
Thanks for reading my review.
- Corey
The goods
- The small-town secrecy feels real, and it makes everything more tense
- The woods atmosphere is creepy without needing nonstop shocks
- The mystery pulls you through - you keep reading because the town clearly knows more than it’s saying
- Chuck is a great “love-to-hate” character who actually moves the story
The bads
- If you want clear heroes and clean choices, this book is not that
- A few moments lean hard into mood and buildup instead of quick answers
- The town’s silence and denial can be frustrating (even when it makes sense)
- The aftermath/ending might feel a little different from the pure horror rush earlier
Why I’d recommend it
I’d recommend Inheritance if you enjoy horror that revolves around people and feelings as opposed to just surface level horror. It has that “there's something wrong here and everyone's ignoring it” vibe, with a slow build to bigger and darker realities. It is tense, super creepy, and very easy to get hooked to. Even if characters frustrate you (like Chuck), it makes the story that much better because people don’t do the right thing, they do what they think is right.
Every book hits differently for every reader.
Thanks for reading my review.
- Corey
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is an epic supernatural horror with folk horror vibes and plenty of twisted secrets in a small Canadian town.
Seventeen years ago, a group of people did the unthinkable in order to prosper. Those sins will come back to haunt and hunt them as a supernatural creature is unleashed and leaves a bloody path.
In this well written thrilling novel, we'll see how those past events have affected those involved and what it means for their own families in the present. And absolutely no one is safe as the pages blur by in a sea of bloodshed and destruction.
Several characters have major parts to play as this story rips its way through you. A group of teens, the town doctor, the sheriff, a deputy left in the dark, and a real estate agent all have parts to play here.
And while the horrific events from the past are absolutely dreadful, some will try to find redemption while others are willing to sacrifice anyone who gets close to the truth. Things will get insanely tense as we don't know who, if any, will live.
The creature is chillingly terrifying and will definitely raise a few goosebumps along the way. Overall, this is a fantastic, blood curdling, thrilling novel and I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Seventeen years ago, a group of people did the unthinkable in order to prosper. Those sins will come back to haunt and hunt them as a supernatural creature is unleashed and leaves a bloody path.
In this well written thrilling novel, we'll see how those past events have affected those involved and what it means for their own families in the present. And absolutely no one is safe as the pages blur by in a sea of bloodshed and destruction.
Several characters have major parts to play as this story rips its way through you. A group of teens, the town doctor, the sheriff, a deputy left in the dark, and a real estate agent all have parts to play here.
And while the horrific events from the past are absolutely dreadful, some will try to find redemption while others are willing to sacrifice anyone who gets close to the truth. Things will get insanely tense as we don't know who, if any, will live.
The creature is chillingly terrifying and will definitely raise a few goosebumps along the way. Overall, this is a fantastic, blood curdling, thrilling novel and I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews