Bajo los árboles, donde nadie te ve 2. La consagración de la primavera

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1-6

by Patrick Horvath (Writer), Santiago García (Translator)

The Eisner-nominated cozy-horror comic series returns in this sequel to the critically acclaimed first volume!

It’s been eight long years since a bloodlusting brown bear drove into the city, kidnapped a kind young duck, dissected his body, and buried the pieces in the woods. The duck’s family painstakingly sought justice…but this brown bear was smart…she covered her tracks…and in the ’80s, there simply wasn’t a way for the duck’s family to find answers.

But it’s not the ’80s anymore. Almost a decade after cuddly brown bear Samantha Strong solidified herself as the sole serial killer in Woodbrook, the world is entering a new era. As Samantha will soon find out, there are no secrets in the age of the internet. And those who lost loved ones to her massacre haven’t given up the flame of justice.

A reckoning is coming to Woodbrook. Join visionary writer and artist Patrick Horvath as he returns to the hit series that has taken the comic world by storm!

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Crime

152 pages, Hardcover

First published July 21, 2026

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a dark ride!



Our favorite fuzzy serial killer is back and bloodier than ever.
This time around, she's playing a dangerous game with Monica, the sister of the duck she killed in the first volume.



Monica has been at loose ends since her brother disappeared years ago. Her life has virtually stopped, and all of her focus has been on finding out the truth of what happened to him.
When she gets an invitation from a helpful bear to come check out her town and look into an old serial killer, she packs her bags and heads out.
What's the worst that can happen, after all? She's already lost everything.
Right?
Right?!



If you're a horror fan and for some reason you're not reading these, you need to remedy that.
Highly Recommended.

I originally read this as single issues, so here are the links to the longer reviews of each.
issue #1
issue #2
issue #3
issue #4
issue #5
issue #6

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s been a few years since the events of the first book. Now it’s the ‘90s and the internet is becoming a thing. Monica, the sister of one of Sam Strong’s victims from the ‘80s, has never given up the search for her missing brother. One day a mysterious message on an online board points her in the direction of a small Vermont town called Woodbrook - and who’s there to help Monica but the town’s friendly DIY store owner, Sam…

The second book in the Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees series, Rite of Spring, is not very good - it’s essentially a rehash of the first book’s story (Sam trying to maintain her secret from someone who threatens to reveal it) without developing Sam’s character any further.

I don’t think Patrick Horvath is a bad writer or illustrator - he’s clearly adept at both - just that the story was very weak in Rite of Spring. Monica’s story is fine but overly drawn-out to get to the inevitable and obvious realisation of who Sam is and what she did to her brother. The subplots of Bertie the turtle discovering the internet and being a hero for the nearby nursing home, and Pauline, the widow of one of Sam’s victims, battling drug addiction, were pointless and felt like filler.

I never “liked” Sam in the first book, but that doesn’t bother me - so long as a character is interesting, they can be good, evil, or a mix of both - but it seems like Horvath is trying to turn the reader against Sam in this book. She does some crazy things, even by her standards, and we find out her origin story, which also does nothing to endear her to the audience.

Which leads to an unsatisfying finale - Horvath wants to continue this series with Sam as the star, so she gets plot armour where, no matter how insane her actions, she always gets away unscathed. I’m unconvinced this should even be a series, given how poor and largely static this second book was - is the only potential/development going to be “Sam keeps killing until she doesn’t” over and over? And especially since the author has essentially turned the audience against the main character - does anybody want to read more about this scumbag?

More needed to happen to have made Rite of Spring a better follow-up to the first book. As it is, it’s an underwhelming sequel that does little to build upon the series concept/premise and, despite occasional bursts of excitement, has too much wheel-spinning that keeps the pacing leaden.

When you want to make a series with a character who is effectively invincible regardless of their extreme actions, you lose any dramatic tension in a narrative, which is what’s going on in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees. Overly contrived whose concept is already beginning to feel formulaic and played-out in only its second book, Rite of Spring is an unimpressive read.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute woodland animal characters & twisty grisly horror is truly an incomparable combination! one might not expect these disparate elements to work together so well, but horvath balances them brilliantly. it's right up my alley, and i adore it.

this sequel revisits our serial killer bear samantha, still off the hook eight years after the events of beneath the trees where nobody sees. she's a little older, and the townsfolk are a little more jaded as modern developments threaten to touch their old-school small town.

we also learn some dark new elements of samantha's backstory. this series only gets better as it becomes more layered.

impeccable aesthetic, especially the 90s fashions and vintage computer details. there's a touch of nostalgia for the early days of the internet, which is so charming. (A/S/L as age/species/location made me CACKLE!!)

this volume also gives us more context about the distinction between the anthropomorphized animal characters and their non-anthropomorphized counterparts. apparently the latter are considerd "wild animals," and now some of them are encroaching on the city due to habitat destruction. this adds interesting texture to the lore of the universe.

something about the cozy x murder juxtaposition in this series tickles my brain in a wonderful way. i'm hoping for more future installments - and the very end does seem to tease the possibility of a new angle of samantha's story.

oh, and the cover art between issues are bloody samantha-themed reimaginings of classic children's books! such fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dexter x Winnie the Pooh and it's so bloody good!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monica Brewer is obsessed with finding some trace of her missing brother and confronting whoever may have caused his disappearance eight years ago. One day in 1994, she gets an online tip to search in Woodbrook, Vermont, and soon finds herself unknowingly falling into a spiral that can only lead to serial killer Samantha Strong.

The storybook animal art (especially the homage covers provided by variant cover guest artists) allows a fairly mundane serial killer story to stand out just enough in an already overpopulated genre. Honestly, if this were drawn with regular people, I'd probably give it two stars, as Strong, shed of her fur, is not particularly interesting as far as psycho killers go. Sure, she's a woman, which is less common, but she's doing the same sort of revelling in death, toying with prey, and making contingency plans that we've seen before in Dexter Morgan, Hannibal Lecter, and too many others.


FOR REFERENCE:

Originally published as Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring issues #1-6.

Contents: Chapters 1-6 / Patrick Horvath -- [Cover Gallery] / Patrick Horvath, Riley Rossmo, Elizabeth Beals, Tony Fleecs, and Jared Cullum, illustrators

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Scarry if he drew a Dexter comic. You think you know where this is headed, then there's a record scratch during issue #5 and it heads in a completely different direction. The juxtaposition between the cozy storybook art and then a butchered body is jarring, yet works so well. Horvath is on my shortlist of creators at this point to buy anything he's involved with.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

PT Depois do tremendo sucesso do primeiro volume, a nossa assassina em série favorita, Samantha, está de volta.

Desta vez, a narrativa centra-se em Monica, irmã de uma das vítimas de Samantha. Determinada a descobrir o que aconteceu ao irmão, começa a investigar o seu desaparecimento.

Esta série impressionou desde o início, sobretudo pelo contraste entre a arte fofinha e os assassinatos que vão acontecendo ao longo da história, e aqui não é diferente.

Confesso que, desta vez, a história não me empolgou tanto. Há várias personagens que recebem bastante destaque, dando a sensação de que terão um papel relevante na história, mas que acabam por não ter grande impacto. Senti que este volume funciona sobretudo como preparação para aquilo que virá mais à frente.

Ainda assim, continua a ser uma leitura divertida e uma série que vale a pena acompanhar.

--

EN After the tremendous success of the first volume, our favourite serial killer, Samantha, is back.

This time, the story focuses on Monica, the sister of one of Samantha’s victims. Determined to find out what happened to her brother, she sets out to uncover the truth.

This series has stood out from the beginning, especially because of the contrast between its cute artwork and the murders that unfold throughout the story, and this volume is no different.

I have to admit that, this time, the story didn’t engage me quite as much. Several characters get a lot of attention, making it seem like they are going to play an important role in the story, only for that not to really be the case. I felt that this volume serves mostly as setup for what is to come.

Still, it’s an entertaining read and a series I’ll definitely keep following.

[Chr*s Browning]

Samantha Strong is one of the most evil characters to ever grace the pages of a comic book, and, as in the previous series, the dichotomy between the cute storybook designs and the graphic violence only heightens this. If you thought what came before was sickening, wait till you get to the back half of this one. Don't love the sequel tease at the end, but that's mostly because I just want Samantha to die already. Can't fault IDW for not wanting their most compelling "ongoing series", both narratively and artistically, to end so soon. .

[Steph ✨ · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This series is for real very f*cked up.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow this sequel is maintaining the cozy-horror tension that made the first volume a breakout hit. While the narrative naturally lacks the initial shock feature that defined the first trip to Woodlore, it more than makes up for it by deepening the lore and the psychological stakes. Horvath proves that the success of the debut wasn't a fluke, delivering a sequel that feels almost as sharp and twice as confident, cementing this series as a modern dark-fable classic.

The highlights of this volume remain its strongest pillars: the excellent pacing and the amazing art. Horvath’s ability to juxtapose storybook aesthetics with stomach turning dread is perfect. Sam remains an excellent main lead, her cold survival instincts make her one of the most compelling and unconventional protagonists in comics today. It's hard to like someone so evil but I do. The story moves with a relentless energy, never lingering too long on fluff, and for that, it should win a fucking award.

As the story reaches its climax, things truly go balls to the walls. The final act is an explosive, chaotic descent that reframes the town's safety and leaves the reader breathless. Even without the element of surprise from the first book, the intensity here is top-notch. I know this can’t be the last of it. The ending practically demands a continuation of Sam's dark journey. This is a visceral, beautifully rendered nightmare that easily earns a 4 out of 5. Give me more!

[Tabitha (Reading Tabby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the advanced copy.

4.5*

The sequel to Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (which I gave 5 stars and liked just a liiiittle bit more than Rite of Spring), this book picks up several years after the first and follows the sister of one of Samantha's victims from the first series... in fact, we only really get to Samantha about halfway through, which I thought would bother me but I think we really get just enough, and the addition of the new character was an interesting twist to the storytelling.

I'm surprised by how much Horvath fits into his story, which is like Richard Scarry's Busy Town if they had all the issues we experience here. The main setting is a small town in Vermont, quaint, friendly, idyllic, but it's also the hometown of a prolific serial killer. The first book covers the bulk of that story but we get more of Samantha's origins in this book, as we get to see her when she was younger and still living with her parents.

I don't quite understand Samantha's motivations in doing what she did (not the murders, she is a psychopath) that resulted in the entire second half of the book. I also wish we'd gotten more of her psychology and inner thoughts and a little less of the victim's sister. I do like the townspeople snippets we get though, of these decent folks just trying to survive and live their own lives. They all have their own inner turmoil, which is partially how Samantha gets away with so much. She found a perfect town to hide in... which, again, makes her motivations to do what she did unclear/weird.

But overall I really liked this book. The art, as usual, is absolutely on point and the coloring is gorgeous. I love everything about the visuals. The story-telling had some plot gaps but I wouldn't say I'm unsatisfied with what I read or the ending. I love that there's an opening for another sequel, but that this still feels like an ending if not.

I will forever recommend this series to people who are looking for a decent comic thriller because I really think this is a well-done and even if Horvath hadn't gone with the anthropomorphic animals and just made the cast humans, I still would've been engaged and into this story. But the art really does take it up a notch.

I just love these books lol

[Rosh (on a medical break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A sequel to the acclaimed horror graphic comic series. Excellent plot and character development, though both might be difficult to gauge for readers who pick up this book without reading the earlier one. Even darker than the first, but thankfully, not more gory. A great continuation, but not for those looking for justifications or closure. Has potential for a sequel. Must be read in series order. Recommended!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:
Many years after the horrifying events that plagued the small town of Woodbrook, Samantha Strong, now popular as the local hero who saved the townsfolk from a serial killer, still runs her shop. In the nearby city, Monica Brewer has spent the same period looking for information about her missing brother who vanished eight years ago without a trace. When she receives an anonymous tip with his possible location, she is relieved to have finally found a lead. But this lead comes from a dark person, and bears dark consequences.

This graphic novel is a compilation of the six comics of ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring’. This edition is complete in its main plot. Though some of the subplots can be called incomplete, there is no cliffhanger as such.

Those who haven’t yet read the Eisner-nominated horror comics titled ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’ might process the above preview in a very different way from those who know Samantha Strong through the comics and are aware of what she is capable of. I shall not go into the sequel’s plot in detail as it is a proper continuation of the first book and hence needs to be read in series order without spoilers. So those who don’t know this series and want a mind-numbing dark horror story through graphics, just read both these comic compilations.

Those who have read the first set of comics either individually or through the graphic novel will find this new book a wonderful yet imperfect sequel. It offers answers, but raises many more questions. It provides some closure, but opens several other doors of possibility. You will end the book with a combined feeling of “Oh wow!” and “Oh my!” and “That’s it?”

As the story of this sequel is a continuation of the earlier plot but from eight years later, I regret not refreshing my memory by reading Book One again. While I remembered Samantha right down to her name (she is unforgettable in a creepy way), I had forgotten many of the other townspeople. It helped to go with the flow, but I would certainly recommend reading the first book before diving into this one.

The plot is much simpler this time in terms of width but makes it up in depth. The story is gripping right from the start, with a strong hook and steady pace. We see a glimpse of Samantha’s backstory and how she came to run the shop. We also get an idea of why she feels the way she does in the present time.

As indicated by the similarity in the title, the sequel echoes the first book in many ways. Most characters reprise their roles. Some have grown up, others have grown older. But their intrinsic nature hasn’t changed. (Which isn't good news for us when Samantha Strong is involved. She is so deranged!) Both books are quite dark, and the (im)morality of the main character makes the journey through the plot even darker. I was better prepared for the gore this time around, but its quantity was far less than in the first book. (Phew!) The focus is more on implied shock than visual shock.

The characters once again are anthropomorphic animals of various species. And echoing the earlier book, there are civilised animals (who function as characters for our story) and wild animals (who are just ordinary, non-verbal animals.) It is really strange to see animal-like characters judging wild animals for their appearance or behaviour when they are almost the same in physicality. It reminded me of how we humans judge ‘outsiders’ (humans of other races or religions or countries or even immigrants) even though they too are humans like us. I don’t know if the story meant to be metaphorical in this regard, but it does strike a sad chord.

The ending of this book left me feeling the same way as I did after the first book. Is it a great ending? Yes. Does it offer closure? Not really. Does it offer justice? Not at all. But keeping in mind that this is a horror story, the ending makes perfect sense. This book’s finale has a good potential for a sequel, and I hope we get one!

The art style is also reminiscent of the earlier collection, with the pastel watercolour style offering a bizarre contrast to the morbid proceedings. The only part where I struggled was in the flashbacks of Samantha’s younger years. The shift in colour tone was quite subtle when read digitally, so the sudden change in timeline was a bit confusing at times.

Overall, I wasn’t as creeped out or fascinated by this book as I was the first time around. It is still quite chilling, so it might just be that I was much, much better prepared for a reading experience involving dark deeds and missing ethics. It is a very good and absolutely bonkers book.

Definitely recommended to those who have read and enjoyed Book One: ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’. These two graphic novels ought to work well for fans of cozy horror. Better if read in series order.

4 stars.


My thanks to IDW Publishing and IDW Dark for providing the DRC of “Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||

[Chantaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first volume of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was a great surprise, a dark Dexter meets Richard Scarry vibe that I really enjoyed. Rite of Spring is a continuation of the story, taking place years after the events of the first volume. We split time between the sister of one of Samantha's victims as her depressing dedication to finding out what happened to her brother leads her to Samantha's neck of the woods.

We get to see some exploration of how characters have been dealing (or not dealing) with the events of the first volume, and also get some Samantha backstory to boot. A great follow up to an already great story, and a HELL of an ending that I really did not expect at all.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This has been my favorite graphic novel series that I have found in 2026. I have read some awesome standalones and manga, but as far as comics go, this one is my home run series. I cannot wait for volume 3. I thought this amped up the brilliance of the first volume by showing the lengths Sam will go to. She very much fits the profile of a serial killer. She grew bored and needed to up the ante, and boy, does she ever. By the end of the volume, I felt emotional whiplash, shock, and despair for some of the characters we followed and saw developed in this volume. I was a huge fan of how Patrick Horvath chose to unfold Sam's story in volume 2. I would say this one is just as solid as volume 1, which is hard to achieve, as the second-book syndrome plagues even graphic novel series. Endlessly impressed by the innovation this series is bringing to the horror comic space.

[aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

a much stronger outing than the first one and the first installment was great. am deeply looking forward/excited to see what Horvath comes up with next, considering I think Sam's arc is closed. i think maybe he could pump about 50 more pages in because the third acts are so abrupt

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m somehow rooting for Sam and praying for her demise

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam is given heavy sequel stakes, everything is BIGGER and MORE. She’s substantially more evil and clearly has major plans- I’ve always hated that villain cliche where they plan everything down so like the train crash happens exactly as the hero walks by- Sam blowing up the whole town was a fun twist but it really made this feel a little too big. I liked the small town, cute animals and gruesome murders- now it reads like a series. Not sure what will happen next but I’m engaged enough to pick it up!

[Amanda Almén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jag fullkomligt älskar de här serierna om den seriemördande brunbjörnen. I första delen hejade jag på Sam: i del två? Not so much. Jag håller alla tummar för att vi får en tredje del där Sam faktiskt får vad hon förtjänar.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic is Shady Hollow with the gore of Dexter. Patrick Horvath does a great job at making serial killing and murder cozy? cute? I wouldn't necessarily call this cozy, as the gore is pretty extreme but the setting and characters are whimsical.

I particularly had a great time with the overlaid artwork on to classic children's literature cover themes. Well done Patrick.


Disclosure: I received an e-ARC copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ratparty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this was a bit of a let down.

The first told a really interesting story, but this one is just trying to outdo it, to its own detriment. The first? an at least mildly believable/realistic story about a serial killer.
The second is just the serial killer getting away with everything to an insane degree. It really ruins the grounded feeling of the first series. And it's very disjointed as well. While the first story was more focused and "show but not tell." This series is full of walls of exposition, side characters, and an incredible waste of a new character. Seriously, what was the point of Monica? there was so much potential with her, and we got an inconclusive "no body" end for her.

Unfortunately, this seems to be making the same mistakes as Silence of the Lambs. A serial killer as a main character can be an interesting choice, but many writers seem to get lost in making the serial killer insane levels of invincible, instead of giving them a fascinating flaw that undoes them. Maybe the third series will bring this back around? I'm a little skeptical at this point.

[Nancy · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Happy Halloween! Last Halloween I read the first volume in which a village of anthropomorphized animals is terrorized by a serial killer in their midst, so today seemed a perfect time to read the sequel. The Dexter vibe + Richard Scarry animals was an interesting juxtaposition, so I was eager to see what the evil bear Samantha Strong had in store for everyone.

A few years have gone by between volumes, and the 90s have arrived with new technology enabling detectives and victims' families to search for clues online. The sister of one of Samantha's former victims starts to post on message boards, and Samantha notices, so she begins to toy with her and lures her to town. Monica is so single-minded in solving the mystery of her brother's death that she ignores all the red flags of why Samantha would have the knowledge she has. Sadly, this also leads her to make choices that hurt others, all in her quest for knowledge.

The conclusion goes a bit off the rails, as once Monica finally figures out that Samantha is the killer, Samantha decides to literally burn the town down in her escape. While in the first volume, she seemed almost reasonable, here she is out for as much violence as possible, leading to many sad deaths. Although we are given a flashback to her youth, there is no explanation as to why she is the way she is.

The author and illustrator, Patrick Hovath, created another intriguing volume, and the conclusion points to a continuation of the story in a new location. If so, I will check it out to see what new trauma she unleashes on an unsuspecting town.

[Reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad this sequel lived up to my expectations after an absolutely outstanding first outing by Patrick Horvath. It didn't flow the way I expected it to, which is a testament to Horvath's writing. A great example of this is Samantha's origin story. It doesn't exist to simply contextualise her actions but contextualise her whole existence, and it flows so seamlessly between the present and the past.

4 years since the events of the first series, and the world is moving in, that familiar slice of Americana is being torn down Walmart by Walmart and there's no space in thus world for a small town series killer anymore.

In that, I think it is the central theme of the story, Sam's first outing is defined by control, whereas this reflects her losing control. That pesky Internet is making it harder and harder for her to exist. People are collaborating stories and building an image of American Serial Killers, a common thread of the modern day as well. There is no resentment or anger. She accepts the changing natural order, like the cold killing machine she is.

She is indeed sloppy in this run. She's found out by several characters and barely escapes several scrapes with death. But there is a release in that she knows it can't go on, but she's made her peace.

My only criticism is the almost cartoonishly villainous escape she makes at the tail end of the series. Even in a small town, I have a hard time believing she had contingencies to burn an entire town to the ground. I feel like her escape could have been handled better.

All in all, it was still a brilliant second part of a story, dare I hope for a third?

[Gwendolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

We finally have our next round of stories about Samantha, the serial killer bear hiding in plain sight in Woodbrook. This is a cozy-horror comic series that follows Samatha, a cuddly brown bear who works at the local hardware store by day and kills people at night. It’s been 8 years since Samatha killed Daniel Brewer, and Daniel’s sister, Monica has been searching for him the entire time. She’s hit dead end after dead end until Samatha sees an opportunity to lure her to Woodbury under the guise of helping her. Not only do we get Monica’s investigation into the disappearance of her brother, but we get more backstory on Samantha too. We find out what the residents of Woodbury have been up to and we see the changes the town is undergoing. I’m still really enjoying the series and hope we continue to follow Samatha’s story.

[Bryan Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciate this sequel took a very different storytelling approach and didn’t rehash ideas from the first series, I didn’t prefer it.
It expanded on lore and provided additional backstory to side characters, and interweaved their plots throughout. This worked at times and there were some nice payoffs to this, but I felt it watered down the main story and split my attention far too often. I also didn’t feel the main storyline was that strong to begin with.
Without going into spoiler territory, I just want to say I really liked the Tarantino-esque final act. Caught me by surprise.
The standout aspect of this book, like the previous, was the artwork, covers, and overall book design. Loved the watercolour art style mixed with the horror tones, makes for some memorable moments.

Thanks IDW and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Heather Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sequel and the originality of plot. I appreciated the short recap of first volume and how it was weaved into the first couple pages without boring the reader. I wanted more from the ending, but the movie posters were great!

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un peu moins happant que le premier mais toujours aussi étonnant

[Grace Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first, but ugh, that cliffhanger is the reason I usually wait for series to wrap up before starting them!!

[Mox Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees kept popping up on my radar for a while, and it came highly recommended. Many friends were surprised it took me so long to finally dive in, since it felt completely up my alley: cute animals telling a story of murder.

Once I picked it up, I read it in one sitting and immediately wanted more. I wasn’t sure where the story could go next, but Rite of Spring did not disappoint. Patrick Horvath continues to balance the charming art style with unsettling horror, delivering a follow-up that feels every bit as twisted and compelling as the first book.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic follow up to the first book! I enjoyed every minute of it and I loved the way the story was structured. Great read!

[Bryan Burton · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Even better than the first... I just need more RIGHT NOW!