Haint: An Appalachian Vampire Horror Novel

by Samuel Brower

After a tragic mine collapse rocks the town of Haint's Hollow, Kentucky, the townsfolk are given no time to grieve. Following the tragedy, blood-drained corpses begin cropping up all over the holler. Sheriff Hunter Gallogly works tirelessly to solve the apparent murders, but can find no motive, no physical evidence, and no connection between the victims. As the death toll rises, Sheriff Gallogly begins to fear the carnage in Haint's Hollow is being perpetrated by none other than the legendary monster that gave the town its name.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Fiction, Adult, Thriller

197 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2026

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

[Tracy P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

This would have been a solid four star rating if not for the extra corny ending. So good right up till the last chapter.

[Terry and dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just what I needed. A town with some issues. A straightforward horror that starts off with a creepy and horrifying encounter, it had a great setting, some interesting and solid characters of all kinds, a monster with a bit of history thrown in, and victims. Super easy to get into and then you're hooked. I read this very quickly and it was hard to put down. Delightful. I hope there are more stories to come.

[Mike Prewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, this is a vampire story. This was brutal, and the narrative was straightforward. It's definitely a new favorite vampire story.

[Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

The real vampires are the generational traumas we made along the way.

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh good but simple. It could have been so much more violent.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It was a fast paced horror story set in the Appalachians. It definitely brought the setting to life and the uniqueness of a vampire in that setting was one of the highlights of this read.

I thought it was rather straight forward but it did a good job of tying all of the characters into the plot and bringing all the loose ends together so that the plot wraps up.

And the characters really came alive, for such a short book it did a good job of fleshing out all the characters. Even the ones with one or two scenes managed to give the impression of being fully alive. Spoilers for the end: In fact, I guessed that Brandi was doomed once she began to turn despite Bob's hopes but Brandi and Bob drew enough sympathy I was really rooting for them. Shame how things turned out for them. Then again, if the book had relied on the 'killing the lead vampire cures the other vampires' thing I would've considered that as rather corny on its own.

I can't say the plot had any great surprises for me but for a fast paced action-horror read I quite enjoyed it.

[Kortni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Solid 4.

Starts off with a bang with an intense and horrifying encounter then keeps the dread coming as the body count rises. Mix in a fucked up town, interesting characters, and a monster with well thought our lore and a lust for blood and you got yourself a pretty decent book in my opinion. 😌

Didn’t expect a horror vampire novel to punch me in the feels as hard as this one did though.

This was an easy read that I couldn’t put down.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was better than I expected. It was a good book to escape from reality for a while.

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

fucked up vampire slayyy

[Benedikt Nass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ja, das Buch erfüllt die Erwartungen von einer Jagd auf einen Vampir und wie dieser auch brutal seine Opfer überfällt. Aber die zwischenmenschlichen Probleme der Bewohner und die Szenen aus der Sicht des Vampirs selber, waren für mich mit Abstand die Besten. Ich hatte nicht erwartet, dass ich so emotional werden würde bei einer Nacht auf dem rooftop, die nicht direkt etwas mit der Jagd oder dem Vampir zu tun hatte.
Außerdem wird der Vampir hier mehr als ein tragisches Wesen vorgestellt, als einem berechnenden Adligen wie in Dracula. Das passt auch definitiv besser zu der Geschichte die hier erzählt wird.
Zuletzt fand ich es gut, dass die meisten Einwohner nicht zu eindimensional dargestellt wurden- Im Gegensatz zu den Besuchern aus der Stadt. Ich weiß nicht wirklich warum die Besucher Tiktoks aufnehmen mussten bei einer Rettungsmission, aber sie wurden danach auch nie wieder genannt. Wirkte etwas random für mich, aber was solls. Sind nur ein paar Seiten und fallen daher nicht ins Gewicht.

[James McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaky

Enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Actually bought it due to the artwork on the cover. Silly me! Took me a bit to warm up to to this one but then it got interesting. No pretty vampires here and no small holes in the neck either. Really wish the proof readers would have caught all the typos(not that there were a tremendous amount) but it does make reading challenging if you're trying to make out words. At first I got a tad too wrapped up in all the southern innuendos and almost put this one to rest. Not all from the South are imbeciles and guess I became a bit too pissy about the descriptive side of things. Glad I got over myself because I did enjoy this book. If you're looking for the Hollywood version of vampires we!!...this isn't it

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAINT is a novel that I am very biased toward because I grew up in Ashland, Ky and still live there. This novel is set in-between Ashland and Lexington, KY as well as mentions both. Much like the TV show JUSTIFIED, there's not enough Appalachian fiction for me to be pretty choosy about what I consume. In this case, it's also a vampire novel so I'm going to give it massive credit. In this case, a local sheriff and his friends in a dying coal mining community have to deal with a vampire that escapes where it's been buried for centuries. It's a simple enough premise but works well. There's a few stereotype uses about rural people but I can't say there's not some truth to them. Overall, I highly recommend it.

[CDWB · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Holler Haint

I was absorbed by this story from the first paragraph. I'm knowledgeable concerning hollers since I live in one in Tennessee. This book captures perfectly the closeness of mountain folk; add in a haint and you've got yourself a story. I could posit all day on hollers and the people that live there but, I say read this book instead. It was masterfully written and gave a real twist on Vampire lore. I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Dale Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super vampire read. Well written, so it's easy to fall into the story. The characters are good, so you can connect with them. I did feel quite emotionally attached to a couple of them, which is unusual for me. The lore of the vampire, the setting where the story is told, just everything about this book I really liked. Book 2 is out in August so I'm looking forward to that.

There's also a newer book cover on Amazon, which I think is much better.

[Deb Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary creature, fantastic storyline

This is one amazing story! I was unable to put it down from the first page on. The characters were great, and the creature, well, it was scary. There was just the perfect amount of gore, and I loved the way the storyline developed. I do hope there are more books out there from this author.

[Pauly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I've never read much growing up and getting into it this year, im glad this is one of the ones that I picked up reading. Very well written to where I can picture what I'm reading. I love the darkness to it and I love that it spares no details. Defintley should give it a read!

[Robby Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was decent, but much more light than I thought it would be. It had some criminals/police team up cliches, along with a character in the audiobook who sounded like a dumb Elvis. I liked the new wrinkle that smoking meth is a great repellent against vampires. Garlic is totally overrated anyways.

[Katie Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

The book is a wonderful mix of old tropes and old settings, the setting feels lived in and is well constructed. The old family being split between the law, the faith, and the underworld mirrored in the three cousins, without being only about that, but rather using those elements to enrich the story

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've read this year. If you're up for a campy old-school vampire horror set in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, this book is for you. And the ending... perfect. Very exciting climax. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I raced through it. Highly recommended.

[John Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Horror Story

I don't think you can give enough praise to this vivid portrayal of Appalachian back woods society in the grip of a horror they must come to understand and cope with The novel is non stop and non put downable. Characters are vivid and loveable. The horror is viceral. Don't miss this one!

[Allison Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must Read

As someone from Eastern Kentucky (Johnson Co.) I love how the book is based on the culture of this area. The book is beautifully written and leaves no loose ends within the story. As I read the book I grew to love each character especially Brandi, and Hunter. Haint is truly a book you won’t want to put down, and will stick with you for a while.

[Shellye Dade · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a suspenful and adrenaline rush

Everyone should read this story if you like supernatural mysteries. It was a can't put it down wild ride. Some characters were flawed but worked together to save the town. There was also a love story that ended tragically for the two characters, but their sacrifice saved the day.

[kevin powell sr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read

I'm gonna look for more from this author. This book was really good and kept me Interested. Not a bunch of wasted chapters or fancy big words that most authors throw in just to remind you of how smart they are.

[scot ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

fast read

A fun, action packed easy to read thriller. It took me a little while to get used to the “hillbilly “ dialogue, but it was good! Not totally predictable, it keeps you on the edge until a great ending.

[Chris Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, from beginning to end.
I'm hopeful the author will continue with this type of novels, maybe even cone up with something else similar as a series.

[Melanie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story telling

Loved this book. Well written characters and engrossing storyline made this book hard to put down. I enjoyed his take on vampires. I will be reading anything this author puts out.

[Deeds · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW just WOW☺️

This was a great, Fantastic story!!!. I do love me a great vamp story and this was DEFINITELY one!!!. Samuel is a FANTASTIC storyteller and is a PHENOMENAL writer!!!.

[Scott Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly Silk written and plotted

Well done. FreeTime characters written with feeling. Not one stereotypical trope. Far better written than a horror novel in this genre could expect. I enjoyed reading it.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, had fun with this one.

[Mallory Lovings · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars