Red Heather

by Aly Noble

In the heart of rural Grendling, Michigan, an attempt to hit the "restart" button takes a sinister turn.

Miri James, a devil-may-care freelance illustrator with teal hair and a chip on her shoulder, sees the small, homey town as a new start and a far cry from the city life she led with her now ex-fiance.

And she's right—to an extent.

1 Red Heather Road is a polished Victorian with a tainted history all its own. The more than fair lease agreement is all the validation Miri needs to know she's making the right choice for the next step toward her rewritten future. Little does she know she's just signed on the dotted line to inhabit what's rumored to be Grendling's own Most Haunted house.

In what begins as a series of easily rationalized coincidences and escalates into a fight for her life, Miri is forced to come to terms with the horrific truth of her new beginning and decide how she will allow it to end.

Red Heather is a humanist horror story for the modern age. It is a fresh exploration of classic tropes and mythology as much as it is an illustration of the human mind, the relationships we forge, and what choices ultimately have the power to make us who we are.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2018

About the author

Aly is based in the United States and works full-time as a software quality analyst. When she's not working, she's in a state of hobby-hopping between art, writing, and streaming on Twitch. She has a cat named Mickey and an adoration for film, particularly of the animated variety, as she finds the process fascinating.

Horror used to be the bane of her entertainment existence, but she's since come around to the genre as it's a very emotional, visceral way to explore the psyche and experience trauma through a lens someone may not otherwise experience. In her opinion, the best horror is highly emotional and encourages you to invest in the characters, so you have as much stake in the story as they do. "Make me care, and then I'm all in."

Some of her favorite picks inside and outside the genre are The Haunting of Hill House Netflix adaptation, some of the classics like Halloween and Scream, and a few in the video game category, including Oxenfree, Until Dawn, and both of The Last of Us games.

Following the release of her second horror novel, she's unsure what the future holds in her writing interests. The next release will either be another supernatural thriller like Red Heather and Temple Woods, or will be something vastly different in the fantasy genre. Stay tuned!

Author photo credit to Danielle Doepke Photography.

Reviews

[Marlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every moment of this book!

Loved this book from start to finish. Aly Noble shows pure cleverness and an understanding of good horror. I was so pleased when the main character Miri got past the typical “it’s just the wind” phase of every haunted house book/film ever. She dove right into the “let’s get this s*** done” attitude while simultaneously battling anxiety due to the terrifying thing’s happening around her. Can’t wait to read more by this author!

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased but this is my baby (I did everything except bind the print copies) and I'm still very proud of it. Thanks for your interest and happy reading! x

[Ashlee Hoos · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often a horror story makes me quit reading at night, but then I picked up Red Heather.

Maybe it's because I grew up in a 100+ year old house that reminds me of 1 Red Heather Road or maybe it's because of my own supernatural experiences, but this book freaked me out in the best way.

By the second chapter, I was so wrapped up in Miri's story I had to keep going. By chapter 7 I was letting my mind scare me enough about all the things that go bump in the night I had to stop reading until morning.

The character development is fantastic - when reading I was able so easily to relate to characters, even thinking a few we're people I know.

Every horror heroine needs friends like Estelle and Jonah. And the innocence and lack of fear of Bethaline.

From start to finish, the thrills that happen in Red Heather will keep you reading, that is until it's late and the house goes bump around you. Just when you think it's done, something else happens to keep you on your toes right along with Miri and crew. I look forward to future books by Aly Noble.

[Carrie Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are quite a few things I loved about this book's main charcter: 1) This novel begins with the introduction of a likeable character who is outside the norm in that she removes herself from a horrible relationship 2) Miri is a flawed character, in that she isn't a cookie-cutter Hallmark woman; she has dyed hair, which she changes often, is smart and snarky, and curses beautifully 3) Miri recognizes she's about to get into some shit and refuses to fall into the cute, petite female trope and handles her own shit (even if she makes a few mistakes. Like I said she's flawed). There were times I couldn't read the book (I hate/love suspense and mindfucks) because I couldn't continue when I was alone in the dark. I was immersed in the story, loved the characters and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen when I continued the next day with daylight. Things seem so much safer than when in the dark. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a strong woman handling her own shit.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An expertly balanced combination of sharp humor and surprisingly gruesome, Miri’s wit and “take-no-shit” attitude will have you rooting for her all the way to the end. The kind of book that inspires a need to double-check the back seat of your car while driving late at night, with a climax that will leave you wishing you could experience it for the first time over and over again.