What Happened at Sisters Creek

by Lee Anderson

"I squirmed, I cringed, I gritted my teeth and held my breath. And that ending…WHAT?!" Jessica Scurlock, author of Pretty Lies

“A page-turner from start to finish.” Gary J. Rose, author of TimeGame

A Horrifying Odyssey into the Unknown

In the heart of a small, tight-knit town, Sheriff Charlie Sparks stumbles upon the gruesome scene of a butchered family. The incident ignites a fierce determination to salvage his tarnished reputation. Gathering an eclectic search party, Sparks relentlessly pursues his prime suspects: a notorious pair of escaped felons.

As the sheriff and his team plunge deeper into the wilderness, they are thrust into a harrowing encounter with the inconceivable and monstrous. What starts as a manhunt turns rapidly into a waking nightmare, where each second becomes a savage and desperate struggle for survival.

Genres: Horror

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2023

About the author

Lee Anderson is an American novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His literary work is deeply shaped by the stark social, cultural, and economic contrasts between his early life in Florida and his later experiences in New York City. Anderson's writing spans a wide array of genres, including the abstract, fantastic, lurid, absurd, and even the horrific. In 2020, he realized his lifelong ambition of founding his own publishing company, Palm Circle Press.

Since the early 1990s, Anderson has been a prolific contributor to both small literary magazines and major commercial presses. His work has appeared in "The New Times – Broward/Palm Beach," "Broadkill Review," "Remington Review," "Citron Review," "Fictional Café," "Fiction International," and "The Miami Herald." A collection of his more popular short stories was published in 2023 under the title "Dark Lords of the Trailer Park."

Anderson's novel "What Happened at Sisters Creek" (2023) made an indelible mark on the horror genre, while his acclaimed dark fantasy series, "The Lost Books of Jyn, Book One: The Atrocity Bells" (2021) and "Book Two: The Apocalypse Wedding" (2024), has been hailed as "an enduring work of literature" and "a testament to the world of imagination."

His plays "Supper's Ready" (2002) and "Little America" (2005) were both successfully staged off-Broadway in New York City.

Reviews

[Daniel Damiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chilling foray into the horror-in-the-woods genre, blending humor with unrelenting tension.

[Phyllis H. Pajka · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness what a good book. It's been a long time since I actually wanted to stay up all night to finish a book, but this was one time I wanted to. Loved the story and the characters. You have got to read it.

[Christina Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee Anderson delivers a brutal and unrelenting horror experience in What Happened at Sisters Creek. From the first page, the novel grips you with a chilling crime scene—a murdered family, bodies left in a grotesque display. Sheriff Charlie Sparks sets out with a team to track down escaped convicts, believing them responsible. But as they venture into the wilderness, the real nightmare begins.

Anderson masterfully builds tension, layering the story with paranoia, desperation, and gut-wrenching horror. The atmosphere is oppressive, the violence shocking but never gratuitou, It all serves to heighten the sense of dread. The book doesn’t just rely on gore; it plays with fear on multiple levels, from the terror of being hunted to the psychological unraveling of its characters.

What really stands out is the pacing. Anderson keeps the story moving at a relentless speed, yet still allows for quiet, uneasy moments that make the horror hit even harder when it does arrive. And the ending? It’s the kind that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished with a "What the f*ck moment."

If you love horror that doesn’t hold back—think The Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets The Ritual—this book is for you. Just be warned: it’s not for the faint of heart.

[Amanda Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book was a page turner! So much gore and craziness going on! I loved it 😍

[bookhaven__ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Happened At Sisters Creek
By
Lee Anderson

"What Happened At Sisters Creek" by Lee Anderson is a fantastic novel set in Florida. Protagonist of the story is a Sheriff Charlie Sparks. He has got a case where Saucer family was brutally murdered by unusual giant man. Two convicts Nash brothers has escaped recently and they have threatened the Sheriff that they will take revenge from him. This made sheriff to believe that may be Nash brothers are the murderers. When a search party was sent, they vanished. Even a helicopter couldn't find them. When Charlie Sparks formed his makeshift search party, they entered the woods.

Lee has written this novel with a great thought. The story is spooky enough to scare the readers especially if they are reading it at night. The sequence of events are in order and I was able to follow the story smoothly. I am enthralled to read this story and I highly recommend this novel to my fellow readers. If you are into horror novels, I would suggest not to miss this one.

Rating 4.5/5

[Sneha Sood · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW: What Happened At Sisters Creek

Qotd: Which was the last horror novel that you have read?

I read 'What Happened At Sisters Creek', a horror novel on my friend's recommendation. This is a captivating story that is written well. There are very few novels that hook my attention from the first page. It is one of them. Storyline is clear and there is no confusion anywhere. Character development is done well. Story is set in North Florida. People are getting scared or killed in Sisters Creek. The suspects are the convicts who has recently escaped the prison or it could be an animal attack. Who the real killer is?

Sheriff makes his own search party as the earlier one that they sent is missing. Even though I don't read horror novels much but this one is gripping. I binge read it and couldn't put it down. Lee's writing style is impressive enough to attract readers of horror genre. Keep a dictionary handy while reading this novel as you may need it. Overall, a wonderful story.

Rating 4/5

[_sassy_39 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Happened At Sisters Creek is a horror novel written by the author Lee Anderson. The story is set in Florida. Sheriff Charlie Sparks was called immediately to the crime scene as a family was brutally murdered. They were ripped and their body pieces were lying around. Only a little boy Ronnie Saucer survived.

According to him, his family was attacked by a giant man with long black hair and he was naked. Nash brothers who escaped from the prison recently are the suspects behind this murder. When a search party was sent after the Nash brothers, the search party went missing. Charlie made his own search party to identify the criminals. Grab a copy of this book to find out what they will discover?

Language of the book is simple. Cover photo looks spooky. Storyline is quite interesting and it caught my attention from the very first page. Lee's writing style is impressive. He has done a great job in building an interesting storyline. I am looking forward to read more horror novels by Lee.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What a ride!

When I read the reviews, I thought, "Come on! If can't be that good!" But, I was wrong! It absolutely is! It started out a bit slow, but once it got moving, it didn't stop. My dogs were looking at me like "Mom! It's bedtime! Turn off the darn light, let us out to pee & tuck us into your bed already!"

But... I'd make then wait just five more minutes! Then just five more. Then when they started crossing their legs, I felt bad so took the book to bed and read under the blanket so I didn't disturb them!

This book does get a bit gruesome in parts (like blood, guts and gore), so if you don't like that kind of thing, steer clear of this one. It's very visceral!

But WOW! What a PHENOMENAL ending that I sure didn't see coming! I had several ideas, but that was certainly NOT one of them! If you like "extreme horror" you'll like this one. Definitely NOT for the faint of heart!

Minus one star for several typos and plot errors

[Earendil Star · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Happened at Sisters Creek was PURGATORIAL!

I was on guard & bewildered, unsure what's going to happen next and which character will meet his/her demise - unsettling & creepy

The cannibals are totally grotesque and revolting.

What almost happened to the women and Dustin - MY GOD!!!

There are inconspicuous clues scattered throughout the novel, and I really appreciate that - Makes the reading experience all the more thrilling and suspenseful.

The number "three" is a constant motif - clever :)

I identified with Tim Murphy the most - Disoriented & scared shitless! LOL

Thank you for gifting the ebook in exchange for an honest review. GRATEFUL.

[Jim Hardison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, scary and gruesome

People start getting brutally murdered in a small, rural town. Is a pair of escaped convicts to blame, or something worse? Corrupt but well-meaning sherif Sparks leads a search team into the woods and smack into the territory of savage, cannibalistic monsters. Will the members of the team survive or be eaten alive?

There’s plenty of action, violence and gore in this fast-paced horror thriller. It’s a fun read if you’re into that kind of thing. My only complaints were a few places where the internal reality of the story seemed to break down a bit and I had a hard time suspending my disbelief. That aside, this was a good and scary page-turner.

[Jonathan Strecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his novel, What Happened at Sisters Creek, Lee Anderson takes readers on a terrifying and suspenseful adventure. I enjoyed the book from the beginning story, which later revealed its horrifying nature later in the book. I enjoyed imagining what Anderson would conjure out of the woods, yet I was never quite able to put it together until he described the beasts. Don’t ruin it by reading ahead. Imaginary language, believable relationships, entertaining storyline, and terrifying gore. Highly recommend!

[Christy Aldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gruesomely Fast-Paced Novel

4.5 stars.

This was a very easy read and right from the beginning you know Anderson isn't going to hold back. The very opening chapter is disturbing and a precursor of things to come. It doesn't stop from there. In fact, it never stops. The horror comes at you full force and keeps you at the edge of your seat. All in all, a fun little read and I look forward to more from Anderson.

[Jessica Scurlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing read!
If you're not really one for gore and violence, this may not be for you, but that's definitely my kind of thing and I was not disappointed!
Fast paced, full of plot twists (that ending?!?!?), and kept me reading. If I didn't have two little ones, I could've devoured this story in one sitting.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 men, 2 are monsters

It was really good for a horror story. It really did scare me. It was definitely the best thing since Steven King

[Heather Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was disgusting, disturbing, and made sleeping difficult after I read it. I loved it! Very well-written page turner...

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic horror novella

This was a seriously creepy read that will without a doubt make you think twice about going off into the woods!

[Ellie Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

~About

Set in Loring, Sister’s Creek Park plays host to a series of horrific events, such as a family’s brutal murder at the hands of an unknown assailant, leaving only a little boy alive. Now, a search is on to uncover the strange being responsible for such a horrendous act. When an initial search party fails to report back, Clay-County Sheriff, Charlie Sparks decides to lead his own group investigation. However, the truth the sheriff’s group uncovers is beyond disturbing.


~Characters

Of the characters involved, two lead characters took centre-stage, alongside the primary antagonists of the story.

Clay-County Sheriff, Charlie Sparks isn’t an entirely law-abiding sheriff, selling drugs from the evidence room and cheating on his wife. My first impression was of a man who is not to be trusted, a man whose moral compass is somewhat skewed. In addition, he proved himself to be stubborn, determined, and an excellent negotiator when put under pressure. Furthermore, there was a hardness to his character which made it difficult to see into his heart; his intentions were not always clear and there seemed to be a wall surrounding his entire being, preventing him from fully opening up to others.

The Deputy Sheriff, Sandra is at one point described as ‘a fluffy pillow surrounding a stone centre.’ While she was compassionate and empathetic, she was also a tough woman, having endured a difficult childhood. She proved herself to be a no-nonsense kind of individual who is not at all like she first appears. I really came to admire her over the course of the story, for the sheer force of her bravery and perseverance.

Meanwhile, the antagonists of the story are unique in their own way and were a complete mystery to begin with. I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to spoil the ending, however, I will say that I wouldn’t want to encounter these antagonists, no matter the circumstances.


~Positive Aspects

There were many interesting features to this horror novel, some of which I have detailed below.

-Firstly, the story opens with a wonderful Mary Shelley quote-
‘No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.’

In hindsight, I feel that this quote does a wonderful job at foreshadowing a core issue explored in the book.


-Secondly, the author paints a vivid picture of each core event, using specific word choices to evoke the five main senses.

-Thirdly, the tension builds up gradually until it reaches a satisfying peak. The author included lots of close shaves and surprises which kept me on my toes throughout.

-Finally, the story ended with a surprise twist which I did not see coming.


~Overview

Overall, What Happened at Sister’s Creek was a tense and gripping horror tale, which follows the dark secrets of one very unusual family.

Themes included death, deception, family secrets, and survival.

My Rating: 4 stars.
Recommended to: horror lovers, who like a lot of gore and suspense.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to give this book some stars because the authors request to leave reviews on Amazon leads me to believe that they’re a new author, but I really barely got through this one.

I didn’t find myself caring about any of the characters at all. There wasn’t enough character development for me to care whether they lived or died and there seemed to be random pieces of their personalities thrown in there for no reason- like Murphy’s wife or the soldiers bomb. Point isn’t lost on me that we all have demons but it felt rushed and insignificant.

Ok more plot holes- the sheriff wanted to bring jay with him to redeem his public image yet handcuffed his wife to the bed for a few days without access to a bathroom? Instead of just telling her- I don’t know- “no!”. How does this make sense?

And even before that why would a sheriff invite a drunk to a search? The whole scene at the bar didn’t make much sense to me. He invited the drunk to his questioning? Huh? And Murphy didn’t care a bar patron was sitting in his interview?

He found Jay and just decided “eh I won’t tell anyone”???? WHAT? A man has been ripped to shreds. You don’t call anyone? No crime scene people? Even if you keep going on that you’re trying to find the escaped convicts - I would imagine you would stop the search if you found another victim.. Al

The old ladies brothers seemed completely irrelevant. Where were they when she was alone in the cabin with her husband? I can suspend my belief to believe siblings will cover for their sister but they’re isn’t any info on their relationship or history so just seemed like random characters? And then Murphy and sondra meet them they just run away?

Also the husbanss saw was in chemo yet no one knew where they lived or to check on them with the flood? How did he get chemo?

Why were two brothers creatures and the third just a normal man?

They suddenly “developed a taste of human flesh” after 20 years?

Did Murphy give the old lady his arm to snack on in the end? I read it twice and was still confused.

Why was there a random bald woman birthing and then eating her babies? What????

So sondra was a double agent. Ok, fine. But she then discovers her boyfriend is from a family of cannibals and just is chill? WHAT WHAT WHAT? Also still confused why he ended up killing his brothers. If that was a thing he was open to doing, why didn’t he just do it.

Why was the mom unconscious in the end? She loved her kids enough to murder but seemed to barely recognize that they died or her one kid killed the others.

If it’s going to be horror- I’m in. I read horror. But each person died the same way. Head ripped off. Need better death scenes if they’re going to be major plot points.

I read it on a plane where my tv was broken and then promptly left it at the airport for another unfortunate traveler to find.

Sorry Lee, I appreciate what you were trying to do but I would spend more time developing the story rather than just gore points.

[Pamela Jo Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small town Sheriff caught up in some scandal thinks he can win over his town by capturing two fugitives who have committed intensely horrific and brutal murders. As you read the aftermath of the killings, heads completely ripped from bodies, you as a reader instantly know the Sheriff and his small rag tag posse are way out of their league. Making their way through a park forest, they encounter some seriously grotesque and murderous men(?) and the group realizes there is no help coming and they need to get out before one of them becomes a meal. … This story was tense, creepy, horrifically descriptive, and a GREAT READ!!! I liked it 😊

[Ciella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good but sadly short thriller that keeps you intrigued until the last few pages. I would have liked to know more. It seemed to end abruptly. The opening for the book started on such a great 'what kind of monster did that' way. I enjoyed reading it.

[Mc Chanster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn, this was a great read! Scary, gory, and full of action, I couldn’t stop reading once I started! I loved the intensity of the novel and I appreciated how Anderson was able to keep this up all throughout the book. The plot twists were well laid out and I did not predict that ending! Anderson is a fantastic storyteller and I very much enjoyed the ‘murder turn horror movie’ plot. Also, I love the cover author's chosen - very Blair Witch-esque and definitely suits the mood of the novel.

Thank you Voracious Readers and Lee Anderson for my copy! I will definitely be looking for more!

[Jessica Welch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author. To be honest I wanted to love it but I just couldn't. The descriptions of the characters seemed very shallow and all of the characters were just so horribly unlikable that it made it hard to keep going. Once the action really started going it was okay for a bit but overall I was not impressed. The story had potential but it just didn't seem to live up to what it could have and I was not a fan of the ending either.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I can't really put into words how jaw dropping this story was from chapter to chapter. I was certain throughout I had an idea of what was really going on but nope. I hadn't a clue. And that's awesome. The pacing is fantastic, the characters are not all prim and proper, so their spots show in crystal clarity. The whole story is just a well written piece of horror. Kudos.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Definitely a page-turner! I want to read more books by this author.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, unfortunately it became predictable towards the end for me.

[Paul Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are no multi-threaded plots, challenging vocabulary, or a drab retelling of usual cryptid lore. This is horror fiction for the masses.

This book was imaginative, quick/easy to read, and left me agog at times. Yes I said agog, and I don’t use that word lightly. (Or ever, actually.)

The controversial sheriff assembles a make-shift search team to find missing persons in the huge, heavily wooded multi-thousand acre state park. This quickly becomes a survival type story that morphs into something … different. This is the freakiness that of course happens in Florida.

Can highly recommend.

[Sarah Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy ride! Pretty gruesome and gory, kind of in line with Wrong Turn (movie). Fast read. I had to know how it shook out for everyone.

[Wayne Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to fair with this review

Personally in my opinion 2 and a half stars in saying that though there is so much steak here but it's muddied down with unrealistic character reactions and bad sentence phrasing that tends to make the story very jerky and confusing at times. Being new to reading short stories I've started understanding that there's a pattern to them. I understand short stories don't give much room for character development etc but this novella needed to be a novel for two reason's it's a good enough story that the author needs to add at least in the least a good 75 more pages even 50 would have been enough to flesh it out better. 2nd it's the character development, I wonder how new the author is at writing because there's a lot of talent here but this story had the feel of a first or second timer and the reactions of the characters I'm sorry no one would ever react realistically to the situations going on in this book like these characters did and I am not one for realism I love reading for the escapism but character's reactions in this book had me cussing lol. I will say this too the ending was spot on and blew my mind I remember slut whore and twat got screamed out of my mouth when I got to the big twist I was just stunned and loved every second of it. I wish the author would write a prequel and give us some more back story on that crazy family but anyway to the author if you read this I mean no disrespect at all it's just those little things that just needs some tweaking because this story deserves a good 5 stars.

[Readers Choice · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: What Happened At Sisters Creek
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Lee Anderson

𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
I love reading horror novels. Recently I picked "What Happened At Sisters Creek" by Lee Anderson. It is a nicely written story. There is a cabin village inside Sisters Creek. Larry and Natalie Saucer came with their kids to spend some time at two-story log cabin. When their kids Ronnie and Polly entered the cabin's above floor, they came down screaming because they have seen a monster inside their family cabin. The next moment Larry, Natalie and Polly were ripped by the monster. Only Ronnie could save himself by hiding under the car. Sheriff Charlie Sparks arrived at the cabin. After looking at the crime scene, everyone was shocked as they haven't come across anything like this in their career till now. A search party vanished while looking for the two criminals who have been in prison for several years. Will the new makeshift party be successful in tracking the criminals? What I liked the most about this book is the plot. It is unique and intense. Cover photo is mind blowing. Title of the story is according to the storyline. Length of the novel is appropriate and the characters are nicely penned down. Pace of the story is fine and I didn't felt bored anytime while reading it.

𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 4.5

[C.J. Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read touching on many of life's rough realities. We are initially introduced to the main character, Peggy; as she moves back to where she grew up with her family. A good job, a husband with a better job, and beautiful children. It seems all is well, yet there is a looming darkness from the beginning that comes through a conversation over a local woman who ended her life.

As the main characters life seems as it couldn't get any better everything changes in the blink of an eye. The author takes us on plot twist after plot twist as Peggy and her children go through many hard times. After ending up a homeless, single parent judged by society; then it becomes evident the story has just began.

One of my favorite things about this book is the dark humor. There are so many struggles intertwined into the main character. Mysteries of her past and a journey into her mind, the reader is taken on a ride that shows the deterioration and rebuilding of her life.

A wonderful and realistic novel that keeps you wanting more. The author has done a miraculous job of telling Peggy's story and her far from perfect road to rediscovery. The chances are you won't want to put this one down until you get to the end.