Luciferin

by J. Peter W.

In the small town of Luciferin, there is no sun. There never has been. And the night skies are filled with thousands of fireflies.

Daniel and his girlfriend have to call off their beach vacation to travel back to Daniel’s home town of Luciferin. The live-in nurse that cares for his elderly parents has disappeared. When they arrive, they find his parents have aged rapidly and seem to have gone mad.

When Daniel spots a teenage girl standing in the yard, he makes the mistake of inviting her in. He quickly realizes the girl’s intentions are far from innocent and calls his sister for help. The siblings wonder if the teenager isn’t involved with the abandoned Lucid Light factory, the children who’ve disappeared, and why all the adults in town look much older than they really are.

Genres: Horror

92 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2020

About the author

J. Peter W. is an American author of horror, bizarro, and dark fantasy for readers of all ages.

He currently lives in Richmond, VA with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel is visiting his elderly parents as their nurse ran away. Soon he and his girlfriend Natalie are entangled in a web of strange things. What is it about the teenage girl named Lilith? What is the connection to the factory in the dying little town? What about the snake arm creatures? Can Daniel and his sister Deborah flee those creatures of the night? What is sucking the life out of the people and what is the role of the fireflies? This was a very fast paced, well written and utterly bizarre horror story. It had many uncanny elements and I simply couldn't put it down. Really recommended stuff!

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The town of Luciferin has never seen daylight. "Luciferin" is defined as "an organic substance, present in luminescent organisms such as fireflies, that produces light when oxidized by the action of the enzyme luciferase." Fireflies light up the small town in abundance, hence the town's name.

Having grown up in the small community, Daniel is obligated to return home to care for his ailing parents. Joined by his girlfriend, Daniel finds his parents aged beyond their years and acting very strangely. When an unfamiliar girl appears in the backyard of his parents home, Daniel is immediately suspicious.

Luciferin has an unpleasant background. Upon the disappearance of many of its children decades ago, the town's factory, which provided the residents their livelihood, shut down, leaving eerie abandoned structures to feed the elements.

Accompanied by his sister and his girlfriend, Daniel seeks to discover the secrets that the dark and foreboding town is hiding. Unfamiliar shapes move in the gloom, and the scant locals are hostile. Mystery and a stealthy creep factor lurk in the shadows. In Luciferin, things really do go bump in the night. Keep a flashlight handy.

[Rayne Havok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was super entertaining. Fun and original. Honestly wanted to read it because the monotone cover was super appealing for some reason. I didn't even read the description. Haha. Would recommend for sure

[Zé Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short but gripping novella took me all of one sitting to read. Well-crafted and immensely readable, the author takes a familiar trope: “a town with a secret” and reshapes it into a fresh, exciting tale that held my attention from cover to cover. Set in the town of Luciferin, Virginia, where the sun never shines, I immediately felt the thick heavy atmosphere that permeates the book. The frustration and grief Daniel (the main character) felt dealing with his strangely demented parents was palpable. It is horror, beautifully constructed and with touches of bizarro. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to be lost in a dark world, illuminated only by the heart of its denizens.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick dark read with a nice touch of bizarro. Definitely gonna check out more from this author.

[james gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, fun read. Interesting vampire tale. Will check out more of his stuff .

[a_book_and_a_bun · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up