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Blackwater Val #1
Blackwater Val
Something isn’t quite right in the Val.
Richard Franklin has left his Midwestern roots behind to live on the coast of Maine with his family. But in the autumn of the year 2000, he must return to his Illinois birthplace on a sorrowful journey. His wife Michelle has been killed in New England by a hit-and-run driver who is never found, so back home he comes with her cremated remains, to fulfil a final wish and on her birthday scatter her ashes in the park along the river in Blackwater Valley - simply Blackwater Val to locals - the small town where they both grew up and fell in love.
With him he brings his six-year-old daughter, Katie, who still grieves for her lost mother: Katie, who can sometimes guess who’s going to be on the phone before it rings. Who can stop all the clocks in the house, and break up clouds in the sky with her mind, and heal sicknesses, and who sometimes sees things that aren’t there... people who are no longer alive. All gifts she inherited from her mother.
Only something isn’t quite right in the Val.
Sinkholes are opening up, revealing the plague pits the sleepy hamlet was built over in the 1830s, when malaria and cholera outbreaks ran riot. Mysterious bird and fish die-offs begin to occur, and Katie can see ghosts of the dead gathering all around. But what she can’t see is the charred, centuries-old malevolence which has been waiting for her, and wants her for its very own. Or the pale Sallow Man who haunts the town’s night-time streets... or the river witch - another Blackwater Val, of sorts - each of whom will be drawn one by one into the nightmarish bloodletting about to take place.
Richard Franklin has left his Midwestern roots behind to live on the coast of Maine with his family. But in the autumn of the year 2000, he must return to his Illinois birthplace on a sorrowful journey. His wife Michelle has been killed in New England by a hit-and-run driver who is never found, so back home he comes with her cremated remains, to fulfil a final wish and on her birthday scatter her ashes in the park along the river in Blackwater Valley - simply Blackwater Val to locals - the small town where they both grew up and fell in love.
With him he brings his six-year-old daughter, Katie, who still grieves for her lost mother: Katie, who can sometimes guess who’s going to be on the phone before it rings. Who can stop all the clocks in the house, and break up clouds in the sky with her mind, and heal sicknesses, and who sometimes sees things that aren’t there... people who are no longer alive. All gifts she inherited from her mother.
Only something isn’t quite right in the Val.
Sinkholes are opening up, revealing the plague pits the sleepy hamlet was built over in the 1830s, when malaria and cholera outbreaks ran riot. Mysterious bird and fish die-offs begin to occur, and Katie can see ghosts of the dead gathering all around. But what she can’t see is the charred, centuries-old malevolence which has been waiting for her, and wants her for its very own. Or the pale Sallow Man who haunts the town’s night-time streets... or the river witch - another Blackwater Val, of sorts - each of whom will be drawn one by one into the nightmarish bloodletting about to take place.
488 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2016
29 people are currently reading
672 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 6, 2016
Review copy
Blackwater Val is a debut novel worthy of your attention. William Gorman has concocted a wonderfully entertaining story combining ancient curses, ghosts, witches, and evil incarnate, with an endearing six-year-old girl, who is lovingly called Katie-Smatie, as the catalyst for it all.
Following the hit-and-run death of his wife, Richard returns to the town he grew up in to spread her ashes as stipulated in her will. It doesn't take long before the reader realizes there is something off about Blackwater Val.
Young Katie is a very special little girl.
There are touches of Ray Bradbury in William Gorman's writing, but truthfully he has his own distinct voice, deftly weaving a number of seemingly disparate story-lines into a gritty and compelling tale. There is a huge twist I should have seen coming, but I was totally blindsided. I love it when that happens.
Certainly recommended.
Blackwater Val is published by Crystal Lake Publishing and is available both in paperback and e-book formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
William Gorman grew up listening to macabre stories and dark fantastical yarns from his grandfather, a magician and former 'mentalist' during the last great, fading days of vaudeville. Blackwater Val is his debut novel. In his spare time Bill hangs around German shepherds and listens to classic rock.
Blackwater Val is a debut novel worthy of your attention. William Gorman has concocted a wonderfully entertaining story combining ancient curses, ghosts, witches, and evil incarnate, with an endearing six-year-old girl, who is lovingly called Katie-Smatie, as the catalyst for it all.
Following the hit-and-run death of his wife, Richard returns to the town he grew up in to spread her ashes as stipulated in her will. It doesn't take long before the reader realizes there is something off about Blackwater Val.
Young Katie is a very special little girl.
There are touches of Ray Bradbury in William Gorman's writing, but truthfully he has his own distinct voice, deftly weaving a number of seemingly disparate story-lines into a gritty and compelling tale. There is a huge twist I should have seen coming, but I was totally blindsided. I love it when that happens.
Certainly recommended.
Blackwater Val is published by Crystal Lake Publishing and is available both in paperback and e-book formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
William Gorman grew up listening to macabre stories and dark fantastical yarns from his grandfather, a magician and former 'mentalist' during the last great, fading days of vaudeville. Blackwater Val is his debut novel. In his spare time Bill hangs around German shepherds and listens to classic rock.
May 2, 2016
This is a very traditional story of people-arriving-in-an-new-town-and-weird-stuff-happens, but it's really well crafted and written with an honesty and an intensity few other novels of that acumen can brag to have. Part of what makes BLACKWATER VAL is how subtle it was, despite the fact that William Gorman never really hides there's an evil gnawing away at the small town. Lots of it is filtrered through the protagonist Richard'd grief for his dead wife and the onslaught of memories tumbling down on him upon his return to his hometown.
BLACKWATER VAL is built with what I like to call the Sandcastle structure. Lots of thrillers use it. It means half of the book is spent building a mystery and the other is spent tearing it down and like many, I feel like BLACKWATER VAL built a mystery it couldn't possibly live up to, but the horrifying, nameless visions of another world is what is going to stay with me in the long run and not the subsequent explanations. Think Stephen King meets William Peter Blatty with Gothic influences.
BLACKWATER VAL is built with what I like to call the Sandcastle structure. Lots of thrillers use it. It means half of the book is spent building a mystery and the other is spent tearing it down and like many, I feel like BLACKWATER VAL built a mystery it couldn't possibly live up to, but the horrifying, nameless visions of another world is what is going to stay with me in the long run and not the subsequent explanations. Think Stephen King meets William Peter Blatty with Gothic influences.
July 6, 2016
Very creepy and enjoyable, but perhaps a bit overdone. There was just a little too much going on near the end. Clearly a nod to early Stephen King. I'll be looking for more by this author.
April 29, 2016
Set in the year 2000 with occasional glimpses into the past, Blackwater Val is an
absolutely captivating supernatural thriller; the kind of book you would read more
than once. When Richard Franklin returns to Blackwater Val with his six year old
daughter Katie to scatter the ashes of his deceased wife Michelle, they get much
more than just the expected grief of saying goodbye to a beloved wife and mother.
Any book that starts with a scene that includes Hitler, his dog and a hint at sorcery
that might kill millions is bound to grab my attention. From that point on the book
is an exciting, often scary, journey of discovering the truth behind the strange
and mostly horrifying occurrences in and around the town of Blackwater Val.
The well fleshed out and imaginative characters in this novel contribute to the realism
and believability of the story. All the characters, even the main ones like Richard
and Katie, are realistically flawed. At first I was amazed that so much nastiness
could be going on in one little town; that is until I discovered the magnitude of
evil that lurked in the midst of said town.
The story develops at a comfortable pace; keeping the reader in suspense while moving forward fast enough to keep you turning the pages. Here I must commend the author for the amount of research he must have done to write this book.
Thrilling, suspenseful and very often frightening, Blackwater Val is most certainly a book that you should read if you are at all a fan of anything supernatural or horror related. (Ellen Fritz)
absolutely captivating supernatural thriller; the kind of book you would read more
than once. When Richard Franklin returns to Blackwater Val with his six year old
daughter Katie to scatter the ashes of his deceased wife Michelle, they get much
more than just the expected grief of saying goodbye to a beloved wife and mother.
Any book that starts with a scene that includes Hitler, his dog and a hint at sorcery
that might kill millions is bound to grab my attention. From that point on the book
is an exciting, often scary, journey of discovering the truth behind the strange
and mostly horrifying occurrences in and around the town of Blackwater Val.
The well fleshed out and imaginative characters in this novel contribute to the realism
and believability of the story. All the characters, even the main ones like Richard
and Katie, are realistically flawed. At first I was amazed that so much nastiness
could be going on in one little town; that is until I discovered the magnitude of
evil that lurked in the midst of said town.
The story develops at a comfortable pace; keeping the reader in suspense while moving forward fast enough to keep you turning the pages. Here I must commend the author for the amount of research he must have done to write this book.
Thrilling, suspenseful and very often frightening, Blackwater Val is most certainly a book that you should read if you are at all a fan of anything supernatural or horror related. (Ellen Fritz)
May 3, 2017
I am a horror nerd. Since I started reading I have always leaned towards the scary stuff. That being said I can say I have read a lot of horror and this is the first time I've left a review. Not only did I love this book that much but I really want to support authors like this who aren't cranking out cookie cutter stories. When Blackwater Val starts you think it's going to be a typical small town horror tale, but it turns into so much more. There's vintage horror, historical background on the characters (which I personally love), gore, humor and a villain who will stay in your mind long after you've finished this book. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a fresh story that also includes the elements of horror we all love.
July 15, 2017
I read an essay by this guy, "William Gorman" in a book called, "Writers on Writing." He told how he'd spent five years writing, editing, and finally getting his first novel published. I guess the moral of the story had something to do with perseverance... I forget. Anyway, I thought, "WTF is William Gorman anyway?"
So I Googled his name. And there it was: "Blackwater Val, a first novel by William Gorman." "Stupid title for a book," I thought (not to mention the cover art). Then I clicked the "Send a free sample to my Kindle device" button. I figured he'd spent five years creating it, the least I could do is read the first couple of sentences.
So I did. And I was hooked! This Gorman fellow has some serious writing chops, and his debut novel is a real page turner. I raced through all 480 pages of it in 2 days. And now I want more.
I hope it doesn't take another five years to birth the next one.
So I Googled his name. And there it was: "Blackwater Val, a first novel by William Gorman." "Stupid title for a book," I thought (not to mention the cover art). Then I clicked the "Send a free sample to my Kindle device" button. I figured he'd spent five years creating it, the least I could do is read the first couple of sentences.
So I did. And I was hooked! This Gorman fellow has some serious writing chops, and his debut novel is a real page turner. I raced through all 480 pages of it in 2 days. And now I want more.
I hope it doesn't take another five years to birth the next one.
April 29, 2016
I had the pleasure of being a beta reader for this one and I must say that it truly was a great trip to a small town . loved the history, the deep dark secrets . exceedingly well written and a joy of the darkness that lurks!
October 14, 2018
The story starts with a slow burn but ramps up and I could not stop reading it. To anyone looking for their next page turner I'd highly recommend checking this one out.
October 23, 2019
Unfortunately, I gave up on this one too. A quarter of the way through the book and nothing has happened besides ruminating on the same handful of story points.
There's too many books to read to force myself through things I can't get into, even if I really, really want to.
There's too many books to read to force myself through things I can't get into, even if I really, really want to.
November 26, 2020
William Gorman’s debut novel Blackwater Val introduces us to Richard Franklin and his daughter Katie under some rather unfortunate circumstances. After the hit-and-run death of his wife, Rich is returning to his long forgotten hometown of Blackwater Valley to scatter her ashes per her wishes. As things start to get weird and worse, Rich realises that something truly evil is troubling the sleepy Midwestern town. We learn relatively early on that Katie has some sort of supernatural gift, which puts her at the center of a chain of terrible events.
The first thing that I noticed about Gorman’s writing is that it is remarkably reminiscent of Stephen King. Now, I hate comparing authors to King, and I especially hate when reviewers call someone “The next Stephen King!” but hear me out. There is something about the writing style here that just feels familiar. Gorman has the King-like tendency to introduce small side characters and go quite deep into their backstory for a chapter only to have them play a minor role. He fleshes out the entire small town so well that it feels like one of the novel’s characters. He spices up his character’s inner dialogues with unusual, off-the-wall phrases. And to round off the similarities, Gorman seems to throw unexpected but very sexual scenes here and there. Yes, all of these little traits add together to make Gorman’s writing style quite familiar. However, it does not come off as derivative or imitative. Gorman has his personal style which definitely stands on its own.
One thing that really shines here is the antagonistic evil force. While the overall concept of this particular evil is nothing new, Gorman has certainly made it his own. Never one to spoil a book in a review, I won’t go into the specifics. Suffice it to say that Gorman has found an interesting way to present an age-old evil. The antagonist is terrifying, vast and pure evil. We are forced to wonder if our heroes might be in over their heads; if there’s anything they can do to prevail.
Perhaps the aspect of Blackwater Val that worked best for me was how well Gorman set the stage. As I’ve mentioned, he expertly devised this small town; told us of the history, the people, the relationships. Blackwater Valley feels like a real place with real people. Good characters are important, but having a living, breathing world adds a whole new depth to any story. Gorman spends a lot of pages working on making the town come alive. Adding further to the mix is successful mingling of action and intrigue. It isn’t until right around the penultimate act that you even find out what the evil is. There is a lot of buildup and suspense before the big reveal. In some books, the plot is laid out clearly pretty early on. The stage is set, a problem identified, and a course of action decided upon. This makes for a rather predictable read. Blackwater Val is nothing like that. While I wouldn’t say that the plot meanders along, it certainly takes its time getting to the goods. Gorman sets the stage and builds the world, all while giving mere glimpses of what’s in store. After all the teasing, when the action kicks off it’s that much more effective.
Blackwater Val is a well-executed classic tale of evil in a sleepy small town. While Gorman’s style is surprisingly reminiscent of Stephen King, he goes his own way in his own voice. With top-notch scenery and a kick-ass antagonist, you’re sure to get sucked in. If you love world-building, you’ll certainly enjoy the journey. If more concise, action packed tales are what you prefer, Blackwater Val might be a bit verbose for you. Despite the slow-burn initial acts, the final act is as action packed and heart-racing as can be. So give Gorman a try, and let me know what you think!
The first thing that I noticed about Gorman’s writing is that it is remarkably reminiscent of Stephen King. Now, I hate comparing authors to King, and I especially hate when reviewers call someone “The next Stephen King!” but hear me out. There is something about the writing style here that just feels familiar. Gorman has the King-like tendency to introduce small side characters and go quite deep into their backstory for a chapter only to have them play a minor role. He fleshes out the entire small town so well that it feels like one of the novel’s characters. He spices up his character’s inner dialogues with unusual, off-the-wall phrases. And to round off the similarities, Gorman seems to throw unexpected but very sexual scenes here and there. Yes, all of these little traits add together to make Gorman’s writing style quite familiar. However, it does not come off as derivative or imitative. Gorman has his personal style which definitely stands on its own.
One thing that really shines here is the antagonistic evil force. While the overall concept of this particular evil is nothing new, Gorman has certainly made it his own. Never one to spoil a book in a review, I won’t go into the specifics. Suffice it to say that Gorman has found an interesting way to present an age-old evil. The antagonist is terrifying, vast and pure evil. We are forced to wonder if our heroes might be in over their heads; if there’s anything they can do to prevail.
Perhaps the aspect of Blackwater Val that worked best for me was how well Gorman set the stage. As I’ve mentioned, he expertly devised this small town; told us of the history, the people, the relationships. Blackwater Valley feels like a real place with real people. Good characters are important, but having a living, breathing world adds a whole new depth to any story. Gorman spends a lot of pages working on making the town come alive. Adding further to the mix is successful mingling of action and intrigue. It isn’t until right around the penultimate act that you even find out what the evil is. There is a lot of buildup and suspense before the big reveal. In some books, the plot is laid out clearly pretty early on. The stage is set, a problem identified, and a course of action decided upon. This makes for a rather predictable read. Blackwater Val is nothing like that. While I wouldn’t say that the plot meanders along, it certainly takes its time getting to the goods. Gorman sets the stage and builds the world, all while giving mere glimpses of what’s in store. After all the teasing, when the action kicks off it’s that much more effective.
Blackwater Val is a well-executed classic tale of evil in a sleepy small town. While Gorman’s style is surprisingly reminiscent of Stephen King, he goes his own way in his own voice. With top-notch scenery and a kick-ass antagonist, you’re sure to get sucked in. If you love world-building, you’ll certainly enjoy the journey. If more concise, action packed tales are what you prefer, Blackwater Val might be a bit verbose for you. Despite the slow-burn initial acts, the final act is as action packed and heart-racing as can be. So give Gorman a try, and let me know what you think!
June 10, 2016
Blackwater Val by William Gorman (Crystal Lake Publishing, April 23, 2016) is Gorman’s first published novel, and it’s a hum-dinger! Filled with graphic sex and violence, the author has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into 467 fast-paced pages. There’s a little girl, a dog, a scalp-taking Native American, a white buffalo, a sadistic cop, a plague, a fallen angel, an ex-con, a woman politician, a lesbian, prostitutes, ghosts, haunted houses (hell, the whole Val is haunted), psychic phenomena, a real live witch, Nazis, a reluctant hero, and a whole lot more. There’s even a history lesson or two thrown in for good measure. Blackwater Val is an ambitious first novel.
The story is primarily set in the Rock River Valley of north-central Illinois, which just happens to be where I live. I can recognize many of the landmarks, although the author used poetic license and renamed a few. But I know this haunted place, just as Bill Gorman knows this haunted place. Gorman once called this place home. I still do.
Richard Franklin and his six-year-old daughter Katie return to the Val to scatter Katie’s mother’s ashes in accordance with her last wishes. Michelle Deadmond Franklin had suffered from terminal cancer, but it wasn’t cancer that killed her. She died as a result of a hit-and-run accident in eastern Maine where Richard and Michelle had moved after they married. Eyewitnesses said the dark-colored car that killed Michelle looked dirty, and someone had written “Wash me” on the dirty car. The car and driver were never found. Until now, that is, when Richard sees, parked outside Nain Lutheran Church, a dark-colored car with “Wash me’ still written in the dirt.
Rich Franklin can smell the evil that infests the Val, but he’s blind to how close the evil is to his own family. In fact, Rich is blind to a lot of things until his daughter is kidnapped by the evil and Rich is forced to act. Michelle and Katie are the seers in this tale. Rich sees nothing until Katie shows him.
I can envision this novel as an epic motion picture with a cast of thousands and multimedia special effects. The movie would need an “R” rating, of course, for the violence and the sex and the foul language.
If you like extreme horror with a strong, almost blasphemous, supernatural theme, you’ll love Blackwater Val.
And, if you happen to live in the Val like I do, you’ll find it impossible to sleep nights after reading Gorman’s gruesome tale.
The story is primarily set in the Rock River Valley of north-central Illinois, which just happens to be where I live. I can recognize many of the landmarks, although the author used poetic license and renamed a few. But I know this haunted place, just as Bill Gorman knows this haunted place. Gorman once called this place home. I still do.
Richard Franklin and his six-year-old daughter Katie return to the Val to scatter Katie’s mother’s ashes in accordance with her last wishes. Michelle Deadmond Franklin had suffered from terminal cancer, but it wasn’t cancer that killed her. She died as a result of a hit-and-run accident in eastern Maine where Richard and Michelle had moved after they married. Eyewitnesses said the dark-colored car that killed Michelle looked dirty, and someone had written “Wash me” on the dirty car. The car and driver were never found. Until now, that is, when Richard sees, parked outside Nain Lutheran Church, a dark-colored car with “Wash me’ still written in the dirt.
Rich Franklin can smell the evil that infests the Val, but he’s blind to how close the evil is to his own family. In fact, Rich is blind to a lot of things until his daughter is kidnapped by the evil and Rich is forced to act. Michelle and Katie are the seers in this tale. Rich sees nothing until Katie shows him.
I can envision this novel as an epic motion picture with a cast of thousands and multimedia special effects. The movie would need an “R” rating, of course, for the violence and the sex and the foul language.
If you like extreme horror with a strong, almost blasphemous, supernatural theme, you’ll love Blackwater Val.
And, if you happen to live in the Val like I do, you’ll find it impossible to sleep nights after reading Gorman’s gruesome tale.
April 29, 2016
A widower returns to his hometown along with his daughter to scatter his late wife's ashes. But all is not as it seems in the cozy town of Blackwater Val. Something more sinister is happening among the community.
Blackwater Val starts off by developing it's characters and creating the rich small town atmosphere and also establishing a sense of foreboding. But after a while it will suddenly thrust you into a dark and disturbing tale with twists and turns that will shock you with an ending that is the best I've read in horror fiction.
A stunning debut from William Gorman which is highly recommended. Looking forward to his future releases.
Blackwater Val starts off by developing it's characters and creating the rich small town atmosphere and also establishing a sense of foreboding. But after a while it will suddenly thrust you into a dark and disturbing tale with twists and turns that will shock you with an ending that is the best I've read in horror fiction.
A stunning debut from William Gorman which is highly recommended. Looking forward to his future releases.
May 5, 2019
This was a very well written book with lots of surprising twists in it. A multi layered horror story. This book shows a man recently widowed brings his gifted daughter back to his home town. But the town he grew up in is not the same now dark forces work to get a hold of his daughter this book has everything from suicide to murder, ritual killings and sacrifices to body mutilations. Resurrections and Even the fallen angels are involved that there is a secret involving his wife and their daughters heritage as to why she has the power to sense illness, to heal and the power to see spirits this was a very enjoyable read.
January 25, 2017
Lyric and phantasmagorical
To be honest, I was really not expecting a great deal, and was pleasantly surprised. There was a prologue that left me about half-baffled for quite some time despite the fact that it drew me in quite deftly. The plot was original despite the timeless good versus evil, and there is a lyric quality to Gorman's prose that I don't often see in the genre. Is it perfect? Probably not, but I recommend it nonetheless.
To be honest, I was really not expecting a great deal, and was pleasantly surprised. There was a prologue that left me about half-baffled for quite some time despite the fact that it drew me in quite deftly. The plot was original despite the timeless good versus evil, and there is a lyric quality to Gorman's prose that I don't often see in the genre. Is it perfect? Probably not, but I recommend it nonetheless.
June 19, 2017
Decent read. Hard to avoid the Stephen King comparisons, particularly Needful Things, where a small town begins to unravel under the influence of an ancient evil. Some great characters and it rolls along at a good pace without dragging. Felt like there was a little too much crammed in at times - demons, ghosts, witches, psychics - and the ending fell flat for me, but nevertheless, it's worth taking the time to check it out.
April 29, 2016
Nothing is ever what it seems
The val is a great visit to the darkness within the heart of man. The secrets of history, the things we humans will do to live, to die and to move up in the world, some times we are better off where we were. Excellent read. Canterbury wait to go back!
The val is a great visit to the darkness within the heart of man. The secrets of history, the things we humans will do to live, to die and to move up in the world, some times we are better off where we were. Excellent read. Canterbury wait to go back!
June 30, 2016
Blackwater Val
This would be a 5 star book, I took 1 star away because as an avid horror reader,, I was put off by the sexual gore, the words were too descriptive. I don't believe this story needed that. Without the gore it would have been close to five stars.
This would be a 5 star book, I took 1 star away because as an avid horror reader,, I was put off by the sexual gore, the words were too descriptive. I don't believe this story needed that. Without the gore it would have been close to five stars.
September 29, 2018
One of the best horrors I’ve ever read ... juicy fiction, scary as you like with the many plot threads perfectly interwoven .. It also put me off finishing my tea one night , thanks for that !!!! A must read for horror fans just eat first🤢
November 2, 2019
I could not put this book down. Horror, suspense, and supernatural activity abounds on the Val! This is edge of your seat, keep the lights on reading!!!!
January 25, 2018
It was a nice change of pace to what I'm used to reading. I got so immersed into the story that I honestly forgot that I was reading a horror novel until certain occurrences suddenly occurred.
June 11, 2018
This novel is eerie and unsettling. It will leave you with goosebumps, but keep you asking why. I dare not say anything else due to spoilers.
September 30, 2024
When balance is thrown off in the world; the world tries to figure out how to reset. When Michelle, Richard’s wife and mother to Katie, dies in a hit and run accident the world seems to be falling apart. Katie is gifted with extraordinary powers and Julian (fake priest) decides he needs the powers to take over the world. He had begun the transition before anyone knew what was to come. I am a firm believer in spirits so of course I believe spirits are either evil or benevolent. I was blown away at what Julian had done to get the world going the way he wanted. It was even more disturbing to know that Julian was able to set in motion his plan without anyone being the wiser. As I read along, I really felt Richard had been dealt a rough hand. His beloved wife was taken from her family without any care to the consequences the action would cause. And poor Katie, to have lost her mom at such a young age not knowing she would have to fight the biggest fight of her life. She would have to be brave because of her gifts and had to decide things way beyond her level of developmental comprehension. I was really concerned if she would be able to handle the situation that was so dire. Could she handle what would be required to keep our world from turning evil. Excellent characters, very well written plot and could definitely be a movie adaptation. 💀💀💀💀💀.
February 28, 2024
It's quite a good small town horror, fast paced and full of action sequences. I did knock a star off though as I felt the number of characters to be slightly too much to keep track off and felt the scene setting and descriptions and depth suffered because of this.
Having said all that though it's certainly a great read!
Having said all that though it's certainly a great read!
May 27, 2016
This tale is labeled mystery/thriller/ suspense, which it is all of those things, but it also, has a least a touch or more of horror if you ask me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I always love finding ‘new to me’ authors also so this was a double treat.
We start this book with a hint of darkness and destruction in Germany in 1945 as we get a glimpse of a deal, for a curse between from what I understand to be Hitler and someone described as a sorcerer/alchemist/occultist.
Then we move onto some of the main characters, including poor recently widowed Richard and his only child, a little girl named Katie whom I think is around the age of 6. The father and child are on a road trip to Richard and his deceased wife’s old stomping grounds to deliver and spread the ashes of Richard’s dead wife…This is a journey to Blackwater Val where Richard and Michelle grew up, where Michelle’s parents still live. Strange things start to occur before the pair of travelers even reach Blackwater: there are police and ambulances and more all-around what can only be described as a sinkhole in the road. If you are able to go back through the story after you’ve read the whole thing-Katie’s reaction to the sinkhole situation will creep you out and make a lot more sense. HOWEVER, the pair just continues on towards their somber destination.
We peek into a church and a large Indian man (whose name you learn later is William Salt, but the pastor sometimes calls him PRARSHEEN) and a pastor named Simon Julian who simply tells the Indian that ‘they have arrived.’ In the context of the story, the pastor could only be speaking of Richard and Katie…which, gets us readers instantly wondering why the pastor feels the need to know or worry about this innocent father and child.
We get some history of Blackwater Val off and on throughout the tale as we meet new characters and gain some interesting info from flashbacks from Richard growing up there, and insights from the each new character we meet as well. This really helps explain the town itself and the residents, which will all be necessary information as the story continues, so pay attention. Personally, this is when I love my kindle’s highlight feature.
Richard finally visits and introduces us to Michelle’s parents the Deadmonds; the dad is George, seems like a sweet good old guy who loved his daughter and is pushed around and maybe even bullied by his wife. Loyal dog Blondie too, who plays a large and heroic role, which used to belong to Michelle but she left him with her parents when her and Richard moved away to start their own lives.
The mom is Glee and she runs a televised controversial talk show right out of the local church with the support of the good pastor.
Also entering the story is Richards’s old school bestie, Tommy, who has had his fair share of loss, trouble with the law and small town drama. However, once they reconnect their relationship becomes as close as it ever was.
Since this is a mystery I won’t give away too much about the struggles, odd things that occur, or plot twists-which there are many and they are all wonderful!
There is pure supernatural evil, there are humans that are evil, there is SO much suspense, heartache, drama, and infinite amounts of interesting and curious things going on, not only in the town and its’ residents but also with little Katie. There were moments I was on the edge of my seat, moments I felt utter hatred from certain characters, and a couple times towards the end where I actually cried.
The only thing I have left to say is, things are not always as they seem for better or worse.
I cannot recommend Blackwater Val enough, this is one of those stories at would get more than 5 stars from this horror lover. So, of course, I most highly recommend to all fans of modern horror, but also to mystery and thriller lovers!
We start this book with a hint of darkness and destruction in Germany in 1945 as we get a glimpse of a deal, for a curse between from what I understand to be Hitler and someone described as a sorcerer/alchemist/occultist.
Then we move onto some of the main characters, including poor recently widowed Richard and his only child, a little girl named Katie whom I think is around the age of 6. The father and child are on a road trip to Richard and his deceased wife’s old stomping grounds to deliver and spread the ashes of Richard’s dead wife…This is a journey to Blackwater Val where Richard and Michelle grew up, where Michelle’s parents still live. Strange things start to occur before the pair of travelers even reach Blackwater: there are police and ambulances and more all-around what can only be described as a sinkhole in the road. If you are able to go back through the story after you’ve read the whole thing-Katie’s reaction to the sinkhole situation will creep you out and make a lot more sense. HOWEVER, the pair just continues on towards their somber destination.
We peek into a church and a large Indian man (whose name you learn later is William Salt, but the pastor sometimes calls him PRARSHEEN) and a pastor named Simon Julian who simply tells the Indian that ‘they have arrived.’ In the context of the story, the pastor could only be speaking of Richard and Katie…which, gets us readers instantly wondering why the pastor feels the need to know or worry about this innocent father and child.
We get some history of Blackwater Val off and on throughout the tale as we meet new characters and gain some interesting info from flashbacks from Richard growing up there, and insights from the each new character we meet as well. This really helps explain the town itself and the residents, which will all be necessary information as the story continues, so pay attention. Personally, this is when I love my kindle’s highlight feature.
Richard finally visits and introduces us to Michelle’s parents the Deadmonds; the dad is George, seems like a sweet good old guy who loved his daughter and is pushed around and maybe even bullied by his wife. Loyal dog Blondie too, who plays a large and heroic role, which used to belong to Michelle but she left him with her parents when her and Richard moved away to start their own lives.
The mom is Glee and she runs a televised controversial talk show right out of the local church with the support of the good pastor.
Also entering the story is Richards’s old school bestie, Tommy, who has had his fair share of loss, trouble with the law and small town drama. However, once they reconnect their relationship becomes as close as it ever was.
Since this is a mystery I won’t give away too much about the struggles, odd things that occur, or plot twists-which there are many and they are all wonderful!
There is pure supernatural evil, there are humans that are evil, there is SO much suspense, heartache, drama, and infinite amounts of interesting and curious things going on, not only in the town and its’ residents but also with little Katie. There were moments I was on the edge of my seat, moments I felt utter hatred from certain characters, and a couple times towards the end where I actually cried.
The only thing I have left to say is, things are not always as they seem for better or worse.
I cannot recommend Blackwater Val enough, this is one of those stories at would get more than 5 stars from this horror lover. So, of course, I most highly recommend to all fans of modern horror, but also to mystery and thriller lovers!
May 20, 2016
Blackwater Val was a very good read. Surprisingly so. It had a wonderful feel to it, with layers on layers of development. I had to ask about the author 'Where has this guy been?' I mean, his writing was at such a high quality, this could have been his tenth novel. I found myself enjoying the first half of the book more than the second half, and a few parts derailed just slightly, but not enough to affect the overall story. Really good stuff. I will be keeping a close on eye on William Gorman from now on!
March 26, 2017
J'ai malheureusement pris peu de plaisir à cette lecture. Fidèle à la tradition de certains romans de King, où de terribles évènements menacent une ville entière, il y a énormément de personnages, la plupart trop peu définis pour que je me souvienne d'eux et me soucie de leur destin. L'auteur n'a pas non plus réussi à me convaincre de la grande menace représentée par son "méchant". Dépend trop des dialogues pour partager de l'information sur le passé, souvent de manière peu naturelle : " Te souviens-tu de la fois où...?" Enfin, même si elles ne font pas légion, j'étais agacée par les scènes de sexe pas rapport. Aussi, triste représentation de l'unique personnage amérindien, un pédophile supposément assoiffé de vengeance qui se laisse facilement manipuler (et tuer, en bout de ligne).
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