This Wretched Valley

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Four ambitious climbers hike into the Kentucky wilderness. Seven months later, three mangled bodies are discovered. Were their deaths simple accidents or the result of something more sinister This nail-biting, bone-chilling survival horror novel is inspired by the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, and is perfect for fans of Alma Katsu and Showtime's Yellowjackets. This is going to be Dylan's big break. Her friend Clay, a geology student, 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, she 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 body 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. Followers of her Instagram account report seeing disturbing livestreams, and some even claim to have caught glimpses of her vanishing into the thick woods, but 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 Is Dylan still alive, and does she hold the answers This page-turning debut will have you racing towards the inevitable conclusion.

Reviews

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

This propulsive, hair-raising read will have you jumping at shadows and second-guessing your next trek into the woods. With nimble pacing, scream-worthy scares, and an ever-present sense of dread, a trip to This Wretched Valley is one youll never forget. A standout debut.Rachel Harrison, national best-selling author of Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth

Twisty and brutal, Jenny Kiefers debut unfolds like your favorite creepy new horror flick. Welcome to This Wretched Valley, where everything bleeds.Christopher Golden, New York Times best-selling author of All Hallows and Road of Bones

A dread-inducing Kentucky spin on the Dyatlov Pass incident, This Wretched Valley drops its readers right into uncharted territory without a compass and demands we navigate our way out alive and in one piece. Not since Scott Smiths The Ruins has a novel imbued a region with such desperate horror.Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters and What Kind of Mother

[This Wretched Valley is] horror that challenges our perceptions and understanding of the physical world, and that distorts our reality, [with] all of the elements I look for in horrorfolklore, an environment that is a character itself, and characters trying to understand and survive through a horrific situation.Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Awardwinning author of Children of Chicago and The Shoemakers Magician

This Wretched Valleymade me nervous to keep going; not many books can do that. Theres a heaviness to the dread, and Kiefer layers looming atmosphere onto gripping desperation with a masterful touch. Forget the outdoorsstay inside with this enthralling book instead.Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Awardwinning author ofQueen of Teeth

This Wretched Valley is a fast-paced free fall straight into a Kentucky nightmare. Kiefers prose sings in this horrific tragedy of blood and dread and paranoia. The story will drag you kicking and screaming into the night and will not let you go. I lost sleep over it. Highly recommended.Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Awardnominated author of Devils Creek and Cold, Black, and Infinite

This Wretched Valley is a reality-warping, body-horror, dont-go-into-the-woods nightmare which grips from its very first sentence. Kiefer deftly weaves something Dyatlov Passshaped from her characters hubris and pain, leading them to a ghastly and inevitable end sure to delight fans of The Troop or Blair Witch. A truly unforgettable debut.Ally Wilkes, Bram Stoker Awardnominated author of All the White Spaces

This Wretched Valley is suspenseful, mysterious, and filled with racing adrenaline and paranoia. Jenny Kiefer calls us to question reality along with the novels characters and haunts us with repeating pasts and rotting bones both refleshed and unfleshed.Ai Jiang, Nebula and Locus Award finalist and author of Linghun

Jenny Kiefer takes one of the most intriguing and horrific mysteries of the last centurythe Dyatlov Pass incidentand pushes beyond our worst imaginings. An isolated valley and ominous small-town warnings set the stage for a skillful and bone-chilling tale of isolation and the limits of human endurance. Kiefer skillfully weaves historical horror into a modern-day setting, and the result is a deliciously adrenaline-laden nightmare. A fantastic debut that keeps all its promises.Laurel Hightower, author of Below and Crossroads

Jenny Kiefers debut novel, This Wretched Valley, is rich with poisonous paranoia and a steadily climbing dread. By the time you realize that you are lost in this books clutches, youll think twice about ever camping in the woods again.P. L. McMillan, author of Sisters of the Crimson Vine

Set deep in the backwoods of eastern Kentucky,This Wretched Valleyby Jenny Kiefer took me to a place Id never want to go, yet found myself completely unable to leave. What started off as a Michael Crichtonlike adventure soon gave way to something more reminiscent of Jennifer McMahonsThe Winter Peopleand Scott SmithsThe Ruins. A ghost story on steroids, with wonderfully disturbing images laced throughout. I dont think Ill ever go hiking again! J. H. Markert, author ofThe Nightmare Man

Reading This Wretched Valley, you will find malice dangling from every branch while an old hunger gathers beneath your feet. Eerie, vicious, and unforgettably Kiefer.Andrew F. Sullivan, author of The Marigold and The Handyman Method

Author Bio

Jenny Kiefer is a debut author, avid rock climber, and Kentucky resident. She also owns and manages Butcher Cabin Books, a horror bookstore in Louisville, KY, with her mother. Her background is in copywriting and journalism and she is the recipient of the Miracle Monocle Editor's Award for Emerging Writers (2017) and four Society of Professional Journalism Awards (2018). She was a 2021 Pitch Wars mentee and is a member of the Horror Writers Association.