Ameri-Scares West Virginia: Lair of the Mothman

Ameri-scares #9

by Stephen Mark Rainey

In the town of Broad Run, West Virginia…

Vance Archer and Marybeth Wilkins, a pair of adventurous seventh graders, have discovered an exciting activity called geocaching—a kind of scavenger hunt using GPS technology—which leads them after hidden treasures in the woods around their community. However, on one of their outings, they encounter a frightening, half-seen creature with glowing red eyes watching them from the shadows. Soon, Vance begins to receive mysterious messages on his phone from a caller named Indrid Cold. He learns that this name is associated with the legendary Mothman, a strange, unearthly being that is said to appear when some terrible event is about to occur. Believing that they—as well as their friends and loved ones—may soon face mortal danger, Vance and Marybeth try to solve the increasingly strange clues before disaster strikes.

Each Ameri-Scares novel is based on or inspired by an historical event, folktale, legend, of myth unique to that particular state.

154 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2019

About the author

Stephen Mark Rainey is the author of numerous novels, including BALAK, THE LEBO COVEN, DARK SHADOWS: DREAMS OF THE DARK (with Elizabeth Massie), BLUE DEVIL ISLAND, THE HOUSE AT BLACK TOOTH POND, and others, including several in Elizabeth Massie's Ameri-Scares Series for Young Readers. In addition, Mark's work includes six short story collections; over 200 published works of short fiction; and the scripts for several DARK SHADOWS audio productions, which feature members of the original ABC-TV series cast. For ten years, he edited the multi-award-winning DEATHREALM magazine and, most recently, the best-selling anthology, DEATHREALM: SPIRITS (Shortwave Publishing). He has also edited anthologies for Delirium Press, Chaosium, and Arkham House. Mark lives in Martinsville, VA, with his wife, Kimberly, and a passel of precocious house cats. He is a regular panelist on the weekly Lovecraft eZine Podcast and an active member of the Horror Writers Association.

Reviews

[Andrew “The Weirdling” Glos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent, creepy short book relating to the West Virginia Mothman sightings.

It is not the most creative book you could hope for. It seems to have three basic objectives: (1) write a story based upon West Virginia local lore and mythology. It is part of a series of books striving to write one story for each state. (2) Write a story which educates people regarding the Mothman legend and it’s many theories. At times the book seemed to be contriving situations in order to educate the reader. This can be annoying if it isn’t done well and it wasn’t always done well. Luckily, the Mothman is such a great topic it didn’t matter much. (3) Write a story which celebrates geocaching in all it’s many splendors. I get it. Geocaching is awesome. It’s really awesome. Kids who do it are awesome. Really awesome. I could have maybe done with a little less celebrating, to be honest.

That said, the book does alright. It hits all the marks and is enjoyable. I read through it in a single day, so it’s not a huge commitment. It’s like popcorn. Enjoyable, filling, and you’ll come back for more in the future- even if it won’t be remembered as one of the greatest meals of your life.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vance Archer is a 13-year old living in West Virginia, where he enjoys geocaching with his friend Marybeth and big brother Zack. As he and Marybeth investigate geocaches out in the woods, they start noticing something with glowing red eyes, apparently watching them. Then strange glowing orbs start appearing in the sky, weird voices chant a series of numbers, and Vance receives an eerie phone call from someone calling themself "Indrid Cold." When Vance learns of how the Mothman and other happenings very similar occurred before the Silver Bridge collapse in Point Pleasant decades before, he wonders if the Mothman has set its sights on him, and if these are signs of some disaster looming in his town.
I picked this book up at AuthorCon because I'm a sucker for a good Mothman story. Though it's intended as YA fare, the story doesn't talk down to kids, and the language is adult enough to not put off adults. Since the author is a fan of geocaching, thus why his characters are too, there is a good deal of it in the story, but it's woven in organically and fairly integral to the plot. Overall, I was very satisfied with the use of my favorite cryptid and enjoyed this book.