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Wellspring
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Expected 26 Oct 26In 1973, at the peak of their stratospheric fame, the members of the classic rock band Bad Mother posed for an iconic photo gathered around an old stone well in the woods. That indelible image became the cover of their magnum opus, Wellspring, and the subject of a thousand fan theories concerning what the lead singer found in the well that drove him to new heights of artistic genius and depraved depths of violent madness culminating in the gruesome murder of a fan.
Forty years later, four lifelong friends and former bandmates brought together by their shared love of the classic Bad Mother album are drawn into the dark mystery of its origin when one of them goes missing on an unholy pilgrimage to find the legendary well. For Brian Parker, the prospect of dropping everything to go looking for a friend who never let go of their youthful obsession is an inconvenient obligation but one he can’t turn away from after watching Adam’s last unsettling video message from the dark forest where the well is rumored to be.
When they arrive at Adam’s last known location, Brian and his old bandmates are confronted by secretive and unfriendly locals who declare the forest off limits until the festival of the Hunter’s Moon. Defying the taboo and embarking on a treacherous trail, the would-be rescuers soon find themselves wounded, lost, and confronted with all manner of strange occurrences. Adam has left cryptic clues to his whereabouts, but nature itself seems to conspire against them. And while they hunt for their lost friend, Brian can’t shake the feeling that something ancient is hunting them.
Forty years later, four lifelong friends and former bandmates brought together by their shared love of the classic Bad Mother album are drawn into the dark mystery of its origin when one of them goes missing on an unholy pilgrimage to find the legendary well. For Brian Parker, the prospect of dropping everything to go looking for a friend who never let go of their youthful obsession is an inconvenient obligation but one he can’t turn away from after watching Adam’s last unsettling video message from the dark forest where the well is rumored to be.
When they arrive at Adam’s last known location, Brian and his old bandmates are confronted by secretive and unfriendly locals who declare the forest off limits until the festival of the Hunter’s Moon. Defying the taboo and embarking on a treacherous trail, the would-be rescuers soon find themselves wounded, lost, and confronted with all manner of strange occurrences. Adam has left cryptic clues to his whereabouts, but nature itself seems to conspire against them. And while they hunt for their lost friend, Brian can’t shake the feeling that something ancient is hunting them.
- GenresHorror
336 pages, ebook
Expected publication October 26, 2026
About the author
Douglas Wynne
29 books148 followersDouglas Wynne is the author the horror thrillers The Devil of Echo Lake, His Own Devices, and the SPECTRA Files trilogy. His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and his writing workshops have been featured at genre conventions and schools throughout New England. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and son and a houseful of animals.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Note: This review was originally published at FanFiAddict.
If I’ve learned anything in my almost-five decades as a horror fan, it’s to stay the fuck out of the woods. Don’t go camping, glamping, or hiking, and for sure don’t ever stay at some random, run-down cabin off the beaten path. There’s predators in those woods, or aliens, or aliens fighting predators. There’s killers, cannibal hillbillies, meth heads, monsters, mutants, mutant cannibal hillbillies on meth, cocaine bears, and cults. So many goddamn cults. Going into the woods? As a Jordan Peele protagonist might argue, that’s some stupid white people shit.
So, as soon Joe tells Brian that he’s worried their best bud and former bandmate, Adam, is lost in the New York Appalachian, you just know things are headed south. Nearly sixty years ago, the band that inspired them to form their own group went into the woods to photograph the iconic cover art for their album, Wellspring. The band, Bad Mother, was cagey about where that well was and its location was a mystery that kept defying fans and internet sleuths searching for it. Bad Mother obsessive Adam think he’s found it, and his sudden disappearance portends certain doom. You see, shortly after discovering the well, the members of Bad Mother and their photographer were hit with a spate of bad luck that one could only call a curse, forcing their devotees to wonder what, exactly, they found out there.
Loyalty and urgency wins out over better judgement, and Brian and Joe head into the New York woods surrounding the aptly named town of Kilkradle, where Adam was last seen. An innkeeper warns them away, and soon the sheriff is threatening to arrest them for violating an obscure local law, while the townspeople look ready to break out the torches and pitchforks.
Naturally, our protagonists disobey and sneak away into the woods, where they rile up something far worse than clannish townsfolk with a distaste for them there city boys. Their search for Adam starts off bad and progressively gets worse as author Douglas Wynne layers in creepy folklore, ancient creatures, the troubling history surrounding Bad Mother and Adam’s fanboyish obsession over them, and – of course – death, drugs and rock and roll.
Wellspring is a love letter to the magic of music, as filtered through a cult horror book. Music, particularly their shared affinity for Bad Mother, binds our central leads together and has the power to save them, or even transform the world, if it doesn’t destroy them first. It’s as primordial a force as the entity stalking the forests around, and worshipped by the people of, Kilkradle. A former songwriter and rock band frontman, Wynne writes what he knows in Wellspring, grounding the horrors with a measure of authenticity. One scene involves some psychedelic sound engineering across multiple tape decks to play one song backward while another runs simultaneously forward, and the resulting effect is a chilling sequence of slow-burn dread that gave me goosebumps. Wynne takes this scene that is ostensibly little more than a group of stoners and their dates getting high and entertaining themselves with a classic conspiracy theory, and transforms it into something akin to a black magic séance with cosmic horror overtones. It’s superbly, deftly done.
Which basically describes Wellspring as a whole. Wynne plants a number of little seeds throughout the narrative and then pays them off one by one as things heat up. We know from the second that innkeeper warns Brian and Joe to be sure they’re out of the woods before the full moon that obviously isn’t going to happen, and Wynne does a fine job of keeping us in suspense over what the big deal is. We know the Kilkradle townsfolk are bad news, but not the scale of their threat, or that of what they worship. Wynne slowly reveals it all, though, playing with the strings of both his characters and readers alike as he builds toward a magnificent crescendo.
Wellspring is a terrific one-and-done horror read, but I still found myself shouting “Encore!” after I hit that last page. Douglas Wynne, man. He puts on one hell of a show.
Wellspring is available to pre-order as a Kickstarter-exclusive signed, limited edition hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.
If I’ve learned anything in my almost-five decades as a horror fan, it’s to stay the fuck out of the woods. Don’t go camping, glamping, or hiking, and for sure don’t ever stay at some random, run-down cabin off the beaten path. There’s predators in those woods, or aliens, or aliens fighting predators. There’s killers, cannibal hillbillies, meth heads, monsters, mutants, mutant cannibal hillbillies on meth, cocaine bears, and cults. So many goddamn cults. Going into the woods? As a Jordan Peele protagonist might argue, that’s some stupid white people shit.
So, as soon Joe tells Brian that he’s worried their best bud and former bandmate, Adam, is lost in the New York Appalachian, you just know things are headed south. Nearly sixty years ago, the band that inspired them to form their own group went into the woods to photograph the iconic cover art for their album, Wellspring. The band, Bad Mother, was cagey about where that well was and its location was a mystery that kept defying fans and internet sleuths searching for it. Bad Mother obsessive Adam think he’s found it, and his sudden disappearance portends certain doom. You see, shortly after discovering the well, the members of Bad Mother and their photographer were hit with a spate of bad luck that one could only call a curse, forcing their devotees to wonder what, exactly, they found out there.
Loyalty and urgency wins out over better judgement, and Brian and Joe head into the New York woods surrounding the aptly named town of Kilkradle, where Adam was last seen. An innkeeper warns them away, and soon the sheriff is threatening to arrest them for violating an obscure local law, while the townspeople look ready to break out the torches and pitchforks.
Naturally, our protagonists disobey and sneak away into the woods, where they rile up something far worse than clannish townsfolk with a distaste for them there city boys. Their search for Adam starts off bad and progressively gets worse as author Douglas Wynne layers in creepy folklore, ancient creatures, the troubling history surrounding Bad Mother and Adam’s fanboyish obsession over them, and – of course – death, drugs and rock and roll.
Wellspring is a love letter to the magic of music, as filtered through a cult horror book. Music, particularly their shared affinity for Bad Mother, binds our central leads together and has the power to save them, or even transform the world, if it doesn’t destroy them first. It’s as primordial a force as the entity stalking the forests around, and worshipped by the people of, Kilkradle. A former songwriter and rock band frontman, Wynne writes what he knows in Wellspring, grounding the horrors with a measure of authenticity. One scene involves some psychedelic sound engineering across multiple tape decks to play one song backward while another runs simultaneously forward, and the resulting effect is a chilling sequence of slow-burn dread that gave me goosebumps. Wynne takes this scene that is ostensibly little more than a group of stoners and their dates getting high and entertaining themselves with a classic conspiracy theory, and transforms it into something akin to a black magic séance with cosmic horror overtones. It’s superbly, deftly done.
Which basically describes Wellspring as a whole. Wynne plants a number of little seeds throughout the narrative and then pays them off one by one as things heat up. We know from the second that innkeeper warns Brian and Joe to be sure they’re out of the woods before the full moon that obviously isn’t going to happen, and Wynne does a fine job of keeping us in suspense over what the big deal is. We know the Kilkradle townsfolk are bad news, but not the scale of their threat, or that of what they worship. Wynne slowly reveals it all, though, playing with the strings of both his characters and readers alike as he builds toward a magnificent crescendo.
Wellspring is a terrific one-and-done horror read, but I still found myself shouting “Encore!” after I hit that last page. Douglas Wynne, man. He puts on one hell of a show.
Wellspring is available to pre-order as a Kickstarter-exclusive signed, limited edition hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Big thank you to NetGalley and Victory editing for the opportunity to read and review Wellspring by Douglas Wynne!
Wellspring is a folk horror novel about 4 former bandmates , long time friends that have grown apart over the years. Bound by memories and a love of their love of Black Mother, a rock band from the 70's steeped in myth and lore, they grew apart over the years after the band dispersed. Now grown and settled with families and careers, three friends reunite in search of their friend, Adam who disappeared when hiking in search of a well, the legendary well Black Mother shot the photo of their very last cover album. The well rumored to have cursed Black Mother., hidden deep in a forest surrounded by a town full of secretive, hostile people.
Very enjoyable book, I think I finished this within two days! Not a perfect read but a lot of fun.
What worked for me:
The characters were authentic and relatable.
Creepy atmosphere.
Engaging writing.
Not revealing anything due to potential spoilers, but the ending was great.
What didn't work:
Story dragged a bit, while I loved the ending it took bloody forever to get there!
Well worth the read, 4 stars!
Wellspring is a folk horror novel about 4 former bandmates , long time friends that have grown apart over the years. Bound by memories and a love of their love of Black Mother, a rock band from the 70's steeped in myth and lore, they grew apart over the years after the band dispersed. Now grown and settled with families and careers, three friends reunite in search of their friend, Adam who disappeared when hiking in search of a well, the legendary well Black Mother shot the photo of their very last cover album. The well rumored to have cursed Black Mother., hidden deep in a forest surrounded by a town full of secretive, hostile people.
Very enjoyable book, I think I finished this within two days! Not a perfect read but a lot of fun.
What worked for me:
The characters were authentic and relatable.
Creepy atmosphere.
Engaging writing.
Not revealing anything due to potential spoilers, but the ending was great.
What didn't work:
Story dragged a bit, while I loved the ending it took bloody forever to get there!
Well worth the read, 4 stars!
August 4, 2026
Wynne effortlessly pulls you up to the campfire, wrapping you in the warmth, laughter, and nostalgia of close friends right before dropping a twist that makes you go WTF!?!
Wellspring has got all the creepy moments, scares, and weird shit we like, but it’s also a great look at how the human mind stretches to rationalize things and how we talk ourselves out of trusting our own instincts. This is a unique story with relatable characters, I honestly didn’t want to put it down. It will make you rethink your next camping trip and leave you wondering if your friends would go to such lengths to check in on you.
Wellspring has got all the creepy moments, scares, and weird shit we like, but it’s also a great look at how the human mind stretches to rationalize things and how we talk ourselves out of trusting our own instincts. This is a unique story with relatable characters, I honestly didn’t want to put it down. It will make you rethink your next camping trip and leave you wondering if your friends would go to such lengths to check in on you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Okay… this was EXACTLY the kind of horror I love.
Wellspring takes everything I want in a creepy horror novel—an isolated forest, an old legend, strange locals, occult secrets, missing people, an ancient evil, and a mystery that keeps getting darker—and puts it all together with a killer classic-rock soundtrack running underneath it.
I loved the whole premise surrounding the legendary well and the obsession with the band Bad Mother. What starts as a search for a missing friend quickly becomes something so much darker. The deeper the characters go into the woods, the more unsettling everything becomes, and I absolutely loved that feeling of something is watching us, and we have no idea what it wants.
The atmosphere was fantastic. The forest felt oppressive and alive, and Wynne does an excellent job of slowly turning up the tension instead of throwing everything at you immediately. I kept thinking I knew where this was going, only to realize I was nowhere close.
And that horror! We get folk horror, cosmic horror, occult elements, creatures, disturbing imagery, and some seriously creepy moments. The way music and horror are woven together was especially cool and gave the story a personality all its own.
I also really appreciated the friendships at the center of the story. These aren't just people wandering into the woods because the plot needs them to. Their shared history and connection to the music give the journey an emotional weight that made me care about what happened to them.
And that ending…
WHAT. THE. HELL. 😳
I love when a horror book actually commits to its darkness, and Wellspring absolutely does.
If you love folk horror, creepy forests, occult mysteries, cosmic horror, cults, supernatural creatures, and horror with a heavy-metal/rock-and-roll soul, put this one on your TBR.
This one scared me, entertained me, and absolutely sucked me into its woods. 5 stars. 🖤🌲🎸
Okay… this was EXACTLY the kind of horror I love.
Wellspring takes everything I want in a creepy horror novel—an isolated forest, an old legend, strange locals, occult secrets, missing people, an ancient evil, and a mystery that keeps getting darker—and puts it all together with a killer classic-rock soundtrack running underneath it.
I loved the whole premise surrounding the legendary well and the obsession with the band Bad Mother. What starts as a search for a missing friend quickly becomes something so much darker. The deeper the characters go into the woods, the more unsettling everything becomes, and I absolutely loved that feeling of something is watching us, and we have no idea what it wants.
The atmosphere was fantastic. The forest felt oppressive and alive, and Wynne does an excellent job of slowly turning up the tension instead of throwing everything at you immediately. I kept thinking I knew where this was going, only to realize I was nowhere close.
And that horror! We get folk horror, cosmic horror, occult elements, creatures, disturbing imagery, and some seriously creepy moments. The way music and horror are woven together was especially cool and gave the story a personality all its own.
I also really appreciated the friendships at the center of the story. These aren't just people wandering into the woods because the plot needs them to. Their shared history and connection to the music give the journey an emotional weight that made me care about what happened to them.
And that ending…
WHAT. THE. HELL. 😳
I love when a horror book actually commits to its darkness, and Wellspring absolutely does.
If you love folk horror, creepy forests, occult mysteries, cosmic horror, cults, supernatural creatures, and horror with a heavy-metal/rock-and-roll soul, put this one on your TBR.
This one scared me, entertained me, and absolutely sucked me into its woods. 5 stars. 🖤🌲🎸
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This folk horror novel centers around rock n' roll , friendship, and small town evil. In other words it hits the mark for a fantastically creepy and horrifying folk horror novel.
Bad Mother was famous rock band in the 70s. Their crowning achievement was an album with a particular cover. It was taken at a well, deep in the woods by a small town, and featured the band members staring into the well as a photographer on a harness took the photo hanging upside down in the well. But tragedy struck everyone involved and the "curse" rumors about the cover began spreading.
Another former band, inspired heavily by Bad Mother, are now middle aged and, although they all have responsible adult lives, they remain best friends, having never quite achieved their rock stardom. But one of them, Adam, has been obsessed with this cursed album cover for decades. He decides to try and find it. (which nobody else has ever been able to do) and he succeeds. But it's not a happy celebration. He disappears and his former bandmates decide to follow his footsteps to try and find him.
Let's just say the town where he entered the trail is outwardly hostile to outsiders. They attempt to chase the group out of town, ordering them not to enter the woods. They sneak in anyway and that's where the living nightmare is about to begin. Something lives in those woods. Something ancient and evil. Something which demands blood and sacrifice. From that point, they will be thrust into a nightmare world of rituals, blood, and being stalked. As the tensions grow so does the danger as they find themselves trapped as prey to an ancient predator.
I love folk horror and this one delivers in the most terrifying way possible. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Bad Mother was famous rock band in the 70s. Their crowning achievement was an album with a particular cover. It was taken at a well, deep in the woods by a small town, and featured the band members staring into the well as a photographer on a harness took the photo hanging upside down in the well. But tragedy struck everyone involved and the "curse" rumors about the cover began spreading.
Another former band, inspired heavily by Bad Mother, are now middle aged and, although they all have responsible adult lives, they remain best friends, having never quite achieved their rock stardom. But one of them, Adam, has been obsessed with this cursed album cover for decades. He decides to try and find it. (which nobody else has ever been able to do) and he succeeds. But it's not a happy celebration. He disappears and his former bandmates decide to follow his footsteps to try and find him.
Let's just say the town where he entered the trail is outwardly hostile to outsiders. They attempt to chase the group out of town, ordering them not to enter the woods. They sneak in anyway and that's where the living nightmare is about to begin. Something lives in those woods. Something ancient and evil. Something which demands blood and sacrifice. From that point, they will be thrust into a nightmare world of rituals, blood, and being stalked. As the tensions grow so does the danger as they find themselves trapped as prey to an ancient predator.
I love folk horror and this one delivers in the most terrifying way possible. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Author
An extraordinary horror book, one I can only compare to Adam Nevill's "The Ritual"! From the creepy opening scene (in fact, an excerpt from a fictional article in Rolling Stone magazine!), to the jaw-dropping ending, the novel manages to bring together successfully so many of my favorite horror tropes and horror genres, it's hard to understate the stellar achievement it is!
There's rock music horror; Faustian bargains; folk horror; cult horror; survival horror; creature feature; and perhaps even a dash of cosmic horror! This is all packaged as a brilliant tale of three unsuspecting middle-aged friends, Brian, Joe and Chris, once bandmates, going to find Adam, their quirky fourth mate, who's gone missing during a trek deep in the aforementioned forest. A simple, yet incredibly fecund, idea serves as the book's main premise: the mystery of a well somewhere deep in the woods, made famous by a 70s rock band when they picked it for their iconic cover photo of their most influential album. The mythical well gave rise to many theories and conjectures about its location, drawing Adam himself into the rabbit hole which eventually brought him to the middle of the forest where he got lost.
The book is claustrophobic, creepy, wildly imaginative, and quite intense. Revelations come exactly when they're needed and not a moment earlier; the twists are few but major; the horror palpable throughout and grounded in a rather complex set of freaking good ideas; and the resolution chilling, shocking even, surely defying all expectations!
If you ever wondered what if The Blair Witch Project and The Ritual had a baby, check this one out. Be prepared to lose some sleep, however!
There's rock music horror; Faustian bargains; folk horror; cult horror; survival horror; creature feature; and perhaps even a dash of cosmic horror! This is all packaged as a brilliant tale of three unsuspecting middle-aged friends, Brian, Joe and Chris, once bandmates, going to find Adam, their quirky fourth mate, who's gone missing during a trek deep in the aforementioned forest. A simple, yet incredibly fecund, idea serves as the book's main premise: the mystery of a well somewhere deep in the woods, made famous by a 70s rock band when they picked it for their iconic cover photo of their most influential album. The mythical well gave rise to many theories and conjectures about its location, drawing Adam himself into the rabbit hole which eventually brought him to the middle of the forest where he got lost.
The book is claustrophobic, creepy, wildly imaginative, and quite intense. Revelations come exactly when they're needed and not a moment earlier; the twists are few but major; the horror palpable throughout and grounded in a rather complex set of freaking good ideas; and the resolution chilling, shocking even, surely defying all expectations!
If you ever wondered what if The Blair Witch Project and The Ritual had a baby, check this one out. Be prepared to lose some sleep, however!
September 14, 2026
I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily providing an honest review.
Premise
Old bandmates venture into a rural forest after one of them disappears in search of a legendary well popularized by their favorite band.
Liked
* Moves seamlessly between obsessive music fandom, a road trip from hell, and ancient mysticism
* Creeping dread that ratchets up the tension like a grip to the throat
* Hypnotic and disturbing imagery that conjures an acid trip in the mind
* Authentic, heartfelt friendship anchors the core of the story
* Well-constructed Bad Mother backstory sets the tone
Not for Me
* Some cliché elements like hostile townies and terrible, boneheaded decisions
Closing Comment
This novel starts off as a rescue mission between old friends and ends with a call to the darkness permeating the hidden corners of the physical and mental world. A testament to the lengths people are willing to go for loved ones.
Premise
Old bandmates venture into a rural forest after one of them disappears in search of a legendary well popularized by their favorite band.
Liked
* Moves seamlessly between obsessive music fandom, a road trip from hell, and ancient mysticism
* Creeping dread that ratchets up the tension like a grip to the throat
* Hypnotic and disturbing imagery that conjures an acid trip in the mind
* Authentic, heartfelt friendship anchors the core of the story
* Well-constructed Bad Mother backstory sets the tone
Not for Me
* Some cliché elements like hostile townies and terrible, boneheaded decisions
Closing Comment
This novel starts off as a rescue mission between old friends and ends with a call to the darkness permeating the hidden corners of the physical and mental world. A testament to the lengths people are willing to go for loved ones.
Review of advance copy received from Author
With Wellspring, Douglas Wynne weaves a classic tale of folk horror mixed with old-style rock and roll. Part Blair Witch Project, part The Wicker Man, Wellspring finds three former members of the rock band Rust going in search of their fourth missing bandmate, a man obsessed with another band, Bad Mother, whose album, Wellspring, holds an almost mythical status in rock history. The men find themselves lost in the woods, searching for their friend, and encounter an evil they never thought existed.
Wynne's writing seems almost effortless. His imagery, his use of metaphor, and his seamless dialogue draw you forward, page by page, to an shocking ending that caught me by surprise.
Douglas Wynne is a major voice in horror, and I highly recommend this book.
Wynne's writing seems almost effortless. His imagery, his use of metaphor, and his seamless dialogue draw you forward, page by page, to an shocking ending that caught me by surprise.
Douglas Wynne is a major voice in horror, and I highly recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Douglas Wynne's Wellspring leans on a couple of familiar tropes concerning both folk horror and music but does so in style and originality, morphing both together into an entirely fresh tale. Folk horror fans or those who dig music might spot familiarities, but they are packed beautifully into a story totally its own beast and a particular treat for music enthusiasts.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
September 27, 2026
Highly recommended!!
This book is a wild ride and in killer combination of folk horror, rock and roll culture and a bit of cosmic horror as well. All of these elements are deftly blended this novel that is both character driven and punctuated by adrenaline rushes of seriously terrifying situations.
This book is a wild ride and in killer combination of folk horror, rock and roll culture and a bit of cosmic horror as well. All of these elements are deftly blended this novel that is both character driven and punctuated by adrenaline rushes of seriously terrifying situations.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another fabulous book by Douglas Wynne. I found myself drawn in quickly and it was hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed the build up to the cosmic horror reveal and then the conclusion blew me away. A great read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is Douglas Wynne at his best. This story had me hooked from page one. It reminds me of his other novel, The Devil of Echo Lake, that I highly recommend. A fun read that everyone should enjoy. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I am not exaggerating when I say that the ARC of Wellspring (by Douglas Wynne) is the best book I have read in years. And I read fiction novels every day. It’s a story that makes intelligent minds feel satiated for a change. I’ll never forget this one! And what an ending! O M G !!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews