Dollar Bin Horror Spotlight - Forest of Shadows

John Backman specializes in inexplicable phenomena. The weirder the better. So when he gets a letter from a terrified man describing an old log home with odd whisperings, shadows that come alive, and rooms that disappear, he can’t resist the call. But the violence only escalates as soon as John arrives in the remote Alaskan village of Shida. Something dreadful happened there. Something monstrous. The shadows are closing in…and they’re out for blood.

Debut horror novelist Hunter Shea delivers a pretty good first novel in Forest of Shadows. The first few pages describes how John's wife dies and only a few years later, he has won the lottery and is now a rich man. I must admit when I read this, I got a bit skeptical of what was to come. It just seemed to convenient to me that after such a tragedy, all of a sudden BOOM, he wins the lotto! But I kept on reading, and I'm glad I did. Shea delves into the world of the paranormal like a seasoned pro. He takes the time not only to flesh out the characters, but the little town of Shida as well...hell the town becomes just as haunting and spooky as the house! Shea really plays on the feelings of isolation and loneliness in the book. He also does a fine job of explaining a lot of what goes on in the world of paranormal investigating. While I enjoyed the explanations in the field of paranormal research, I also could see how at times, it seemed to have an impact on the books flow. It seemed to bog down the pace at times, but not too much. The main thing I was looking for in this book was the fright factor. When I read a ghost story, I expect there to be spooky moments and to be left with a feeling that somethings watching me...I was with this book. It's very effecting when it comes to the scares and ends with a fantastic crescendo effect of horror that is satisfying. Get your copy of the book HERE!