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.

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]

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

[Phyllis H. Pajka]

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]

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]

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

[bookhaven__]

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]

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]

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]

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

[Jim Hardison]

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.

[Christy Aldridge]

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.

[Kathleen]

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

[Leona]

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]

~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.

[Pamela Jo Mason]

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 😊

[Paul Pope]

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.

[Jamie]

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.

[Stefanie Duncan]

The idea behind the story is good. But the execution of it fell flat. The writing was stocky. It needs to be re-edited in my opinion. The scenes do not flow and as a reader I need a flawless change of scenery, of conversations, and actions.

This story is about cannibals in the woods. A corrupt sheriff that enters the woods with a few helpers to find them. I swear, Dustin, the war veteran, was the only likable character in this book.

[Trina]

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

[Lacey]

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

[Lynne Krichbaum]

This is a gruesome, gory, far-fetched tale with characters I never connected with. It started out promising , but fizzled as it went on and left me a bit confused with the ending.