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This Wretched Valley

Additional information

Author

Jenny Kiefer

Genre

Adult – Horror

Release Date

January 16, 2024

Publisher

Quirk Books

Categories , Tag Product ID: 19393

Description

“If you love wilderness horror, This Wretched Valley is a must-read. But be forewarned: after reading this chilling debut, you may never want to set foot in the great outdoors again.”—Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger and The Fervor

“With nimble pacing, scream-worthy scares, and an ever-present sense of dread, a trip to 
This Wretched Valley is one you’ll never forget.”—Rachel Harrison, national best-selling author of Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth


Take only pictures. Leave only bones.


This trip is going to be Dylan’s big break. Her geologist friend Clay has discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant Sylvia, and Dylan’s boyfriend Luke, Dylan is going to document her achievement on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock climbing.

Seven months later, three bodies are discovered in the trees just off the highway. All are in various states of decay: one a stark, white skeleton; the second emptied of its organs; and the third a mutilated corpse with the tongue, eyes, ears, and fingers removed.

But Dylan is still missing—and no trace of her, dead or alive, has been discovered.

Were the climbers murdered? Did they succumb to cannibalism? Or are their impossible bodies the work of an even more sinister force? 

This dread-inducing debut builds to a bloodcurdling climax, and will leave you shocked by the final twist.

About the Author

Photograph of author Jenny Kiefer

Jenny Kiefer is an award-winning writer living in Louisville, Kentucky, where she co-owns and operates Butcher Cabin Books, a horror-only bookstore.

Her debut novel, THIS WRETCHED VALLEY, is forthcoming from Quirk Books on January 16, 2024. Her work has also appeared in Cosmic Horror Monthly, Pseudopod, and Howls from the Dark Ages.

She has won awards for both creative writing and journalism, including the Miracle Monocle Editor’s Award for Emerging Writers (2017) and four Society of Professional Journalism Awards (2018). She was a 2021 PitchWars mentee, under the mentorship of Cynthia Pelayo.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from Western Kentucky University and a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Louisville.

She is represented by Lane Heymont at Tobias Literary.

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