By Scott Nicholson
Pinnacle Books - June 2002
ISBN: 0786015039 - Paperback
Horror
Explict Material
Reviewed by Nancy Mehl, MyShelf.com
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a Copy
Reverend Wendall McFall built
the Red Church in the 1860's. His lynching should have ended the evil
that had come to live in the heart of an Appalachian community. But, to
this day, visions of the "hung preacher" persist - and the Red
Church is still standing…
waiting.
Now, his descendant, Archer McFall has returned to Whispering Pines. He intends to bring the Red Church back to life and welcome the return of the Second Son to the earth - to receive the glory that should have been his. The members of the Temple of the Two Sons believe that Jesus was an impostor and that the true son of God has yet to take his rightful place. A series of bizarre murders throw the townspeople into a whirlwind of fear and suspicion. Sheriff Frank Littlefield is determined to stop the murders but he has no idea who or "what" he may be facing. Is Archer McFall behind the killings? Is he the man he seems to be - or is he something much more dangerous - something inhuman?
The small community begins to unravel. Wives turn against husbands, children become afraid of the parents they once trusted, and families are torn apart as loyalties divide. One young boy, Ronnie Day, believes that people are being slaughtered by the "Bell Monster," a dark, winged creature with "teeth and claws and livers for eyes" that lives in the church's bell tower. The young boy struggles to "get Jesus into his heart" so that he'll be safe from a creature that seems to have targeted him for death.
THE RED CHURCH grabs the reader by the throat and holds on until the end. Although the ending is not the one I envisioned, or even one that agrees with my view of good and evil, it was unexpected and terrifying. Nicholson has crafted a horror masterpiece. One that I won't forget - no matter how hard I try! One warning, this book is not for the fainthearted. But if you enjoy horror and want a ride that will leave you afraid to turn out the lights, I highly recommend THE RED CHURCH. In one word….WOW!
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Nancy Mehl is the author of "Graven Images" and "Sinner's Song."