They shall take up serpents That’s what the Book of Mark tells us. These may be the sacred verses of the Bible to most, but dreadful words to me that I have come to know all too well. When an old run-down house in a rural East Tennessee town becomes available, Becky and I jump at the opportunity. All she wanted was to go home and I gave up everything I knew to make her happy. The American dream of a family, a career, and owning a home surrounded by a stunning landscape finally became a reality for us. Then, that dream turns into a nightmare when I discovered that the neighboring church is a congregation that displayed snakes during worship service… And my wife may be more familiar with taking up serpents than I ever wanted to know. My life becomes a story of mystery, deceit, kidnapping, and murder; all of which surrounds the elusive leader of the church - Father Noah Brown. My fate now lies in the hands of a lowly public defender to unveil the truth behind my tragedy. As well as finding State Police Agent Bell, before it’s too late. Because Bell knew about the dark past the church had to offer and he also knew that Father Noah would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Religious tradition under the guise of a true faith may borderline an evil in its purest form. Thus, bringing any to question the darkest temptation of all time; would you risk eternal damnation for one you love… - Based on a multitude of true events from the Appalachia region, comes a new mystery thriller like no other. With the release of his second novel, it becomes clear that Corey is just getting warmed up -
Corey Phillips was born and raised in Newport, TN, and graduated from Cosby High School in 2007. After 7 ½ years of active duty service in the U.S. Army, with two combat tours to Afghanistan, he moved on to study screenwriting at Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ. He then transferred and studied creative writing to graduate with a Bachelors of the Arts from Southern New Hampshire University, NH, in 2021. LEEDS serves as Corey’s debut novel.
Good lord, where do I begin. The man can paint a picture, like no other. I was not a fan of how it ended but, I see why it ended the way it did. The story is amazing and hits home for those of us in the Appalachian Mountains.