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Devil's Wood
Antiques dealer Peter Brightly encounters an unusual walking stick at a mysterious estate sale where strangers come to bid on the remnants of a life. He sees its multi-colored wood, lovingly carved as if by the gods. It’s not just any walking stick. It has a sense of history and mystery to its beauty. He desires it at any price, knowing he must possess it. What he doesn’t know is that it must possess him, too.
Something changes when he brings it home. His health declines as his life unravels. Determined to understand what’s happening to him, Peter traces the object’s history through the lives of those who’ve owned it before, each trail leading further into darkness. A tree, an ancient people, a man and a curse. A woman he joins forces with to find the truth. Will the walking stick claim him as a debt to pay? Or will he bury it along with the forces that gave it life? Enter the Devil’s Wood for the answers. You may never come out.
INCLUDES BONUS THE DEVIL’S WOOD JOURNAL, AND THE CARETAKER OF BLACKCHERRY HOUSE.
Something changes when he brings it home. His health declines as his life unravels. Determined to understand what’s happening to him, Peter traces the object’s history through the lives of those who’ve owned it before, each trail leading further into darkness. A tree, an ancient people, a man and a curse. A woman he joins forces with to find the truth. Will the walking stick claim him as a debt to pay? Or will he bury it along with the forces that gave it life? Enter the Devil’s Wood for the answers. You may never come out.
INCLUDES BONUS THE DEVIL’S WOOD JOURNAL, AND THE CARETAKER OF BLACKCHERRY HOUSE.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2026
About the author
Mark McNease
52 books123 followersI've just released 'Devil's Wood,' and I'm serializing The Devil's Wood Journal (see TheDevilsWood.com). I'm also working on my next novel, 'The Caretaker of Blackcherry House.'
I recently released 'Blank Page to Bookshelf: From First Sentence to First Sale,' condensing two years of my workshops into one easy to read guide on fiction writing, character creation, and self-publishing.
I'm the author of the Kyle Callahan Mysteries, two of which have been best sellers on Kindle. In 2022 I released the second Maggie Dahl Mystery, 'Open Secrets,' with Maggie pursuing another killer in sleepy Lambertville, NJ.
My Detective Linda mystery, 'Last Room at the Cliff's Edge', was released in September, 2016, and called a winner by Publishers Weekly. I released the first Marshall James thriller, 'Murder at the Paisley Parrot', in 2017, followed by 'Beautiful Corpse,' 'Final Audition,' and most recently 'Night Flight to Murder Town' in 2025.
'Black Cat White Paws: A Maggie Dahl Mystery' was released in 2018, followed by 'Open Secrets.'
I have 10 audiobooks currently available (Audible, Amazon, various retailers). My short story 'Stop the Car' was selected as a Kindle Single and is now an audiobook narrated by the amazing Braden Wright. It was selected twice to be included in the Amazon Prime reading library.
For old time's sake I also have two Emmys for Outstanding Children's Program for 'Into the Outdoors', a television show I co-created and wrote for two years that is now in its 17th year.
I live in the New Jersey woods with my husband, Frank, and our two cats, Wilma and James.
You can find me at my website, MarkMcNease.com.
I recently released 'Blank Page to Bookshelf: From First Sentence to First Sale,' condensing two years of my workshops into one easy to read guide on fiction writing, character creation, and self-publishing.
I'm the author of the Kyle Callahan Mysteries, two of which have been best sellers on Kindle. In 2022 I released the second Maggie Dahl Mystery, 'Open Secrets,' with Maggie pursuing another killer in sleepy Lambertville, NJ.
My Detective Linda mystery, 'Last Room at the Cliff's Edge', was released in September, 2016, and called a winner by Publishers Weekly. I released the first Marshall James thriller, 'Murder at the Paisley Parrot', in 2017, followed by 'Beautiful Corpse,' 'Final Audition,' and most recently 'Night Flight to Murder Town' in 2025.
'Black Cat White Paws: A Maggie Dahl Mystery' was released in 2018, followed by 'Open Secrets.'
I have 10 audiobooks currently available (Audible, Amazon, various retailers). My short story 'Stop the Car' was selected as a Kindle Single and is now an audiobook narrated by the amazing Braden Wright. It was selected twice to be included in the Amazon Prime reading library.
For old time's sake I also have two Emmys for Outstanding Children's Program for 'Into the Outdoors', a television show I co-created and wrote for two years that is now in its 17th year.
I live in the New Jersey woods with my husband, Frank, and our two cats, Wilma and James.
You can find me at my website, MarkMcNease.com.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 27, 2026
J.D. McNease delivers a gripping, atmospheric supernatural thriller in Devil’s Wood that hooks you from the first page and pulls you right into the nightmare.
Antiques dealer Peter Brightly encounters an unusual walking stick at a mysterious estate sale, captivated by its multi-colored wood and undeniable sense of history.
Determined to possess it at any cost, he soon discovers the artifact has plans of its own. As his health declines and his life unravels, Peter joins forces with a woman to trace the object’s dark lineage through ancient people, a cursed tree, and previous owners who paid a heavy price.
Reading this, you feel like you are the one holding that walking stick, experiencing every chilling consequence alongside the protagonist.
It is an absolute standout for anyone who loves weird, horrifying mysteries with high stakes. Definitely add this one to your TBR list.
Antiques dealer Peter Brightly encounters an unusual walking stick at a mysterious estate sale, captivated by its multi-colored wood and undeniable sense of history.
Determined to possess it at any cost, he soon discovers the artifact has plans of its own. As his health declines and his life unravels, Peter joins forces with a woman to trace the object’s dark lineage through ancient people, a cursed tree, and previous owners who paid a heavy price.
Reading this, you feel like you are the one holding that walking stick, experiencing every chilling consequence alongside the protagonist.
It is an absolute standout for anyone who loves weird, horrifying mysteries with high stakes. Definitely add this one to your TBR list.
September 9, 2026
New genre for me
I still don't know how I stumbled upon Mark McNease, but I did. Probably from following one author leading to another author, & so on. For some reason, the Devil's Wood journal entries caught my attention in my emails one day, & I began getting invested in them. I was definitely curious about the book, which turns out to be one story, a more recent one, out of a long line of them that have occurred with, or because of, what seems to be a simple walking stick. There's lots of mystery, a few bits of old lore, creepy almost-dreams (visions, possibly), & everyday, scarred characters picked out & drawn into solving whatever this turns out to be. I had no idea where this story would take me, nor how it would end...and it's still not really over, is it? This was definitely something new for me, & I enjoyed it very much. No romance, so-to-speak, but there is a brief interlude, for those wondering.
I still don't know how I stumbled upon Mark McNease, but I did. Probably from following one author leading to another author, & so on. For some reason, the Devil's Wood journal entries caught my attention in my emails one day, & I began getting invested in them. I was definitely curious about the book, which turns out to be one story, a more recent one, out of a long line of them that have occurred with, or because of, what seems to be a simple walking stick. There's lots of mystery, a few bits of old lore, creepy almost-dreams (visions, possibly), & everyday, scarred characters picked out & drawn into solving whatever this turns out to be. I had no idea where this story would take me, nor how it would end...and it's still not really over, is it? This was definitely something new for me, & I enjoyed it very much. No romance, so-to-speak, but there is a brief interlude, for those wondering.
September 19, 2026
This was generally an enjoyable read, with an original concept. The main character was fleshed out and the dialogue was believable, not always an easy achievement so hat's off to Mr. McNease for that! My reason for giving it 3 stars is that the last quarter of the story began to become predictable, the characters made choices that didn't seem in keeping with what we knew of them, and it felt rather rushed. I would love to have spent more time with Derek Rollins or to hear more about what happened immediately after the showdown in the woods. Despite those criticisms, the author's voice is distinct and strong and I wouldn't hesitate to read his other works.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. The opinions presented are my own.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. The opinions presented are my own.
October 12, 2026
Enjoyable book, original story, good writing, good character development. I just wasn’t a fan of the final 10% of the book. It kind of lost me and I lost interest. Thanks to Goodreads for the giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews