Before The Devil Walks In Blood and One Life Left, Nick Holleran, Haven’s one and only paranormal detective, finds himself drawn into a dangerous game destined to change his second life completely.
Treading water after being brought back from the brink of death, and finding his perception of reality altered forever, Nick is simultaneously offered a job and blackmailed into finding the same a motel and bar by the name of Whiskey Pete’s, and a road missing from every known map called Route Thirteen.
Curiosity and notions of self-preservation piqued, Nick travels to the Middle-of-Nowhere, Idaho, and is confronted with the supernatural, the weird, and the horrific in a thrilling prequel story from the paranormal detective’s early years, where Nick learns an important lesson.
No one ever leaves Whiskey Pete’s. Not really.
This will be a short review, as it’s a short novella. However it was too much fun not to review it at all.
This is set in the Nick Holleran series. It can be read as a stand alone, to have a little taster of the series. You can find my review for the omnibus of the main series here!
The Darkness in the Pines by David Green is a fast-paced novella set in the darkly entertaining world of Nick Holleran, one of my favourite paranormal investigators.
This story has strong Lotus Eaters vibes.
Nick stumbles into a strange motel where people check in… but never check out. It’s eerie, unsettling, and sets the tone perfectly. However, as with all things in Holleran’s world, the story quickly takes its own unexpected twists, steering well clear of anything predictable.
I really enjoyed the atmospheric setting, the sense of creeping dread, and, of course, most of all Nick’s signature dry wit.
The mystery unravels at just the right pace, and the tight structure makes it a perfect bite-sized addition to the larger Holleran Files universe.
Once again, I was brilliantly entertained, and if this novella proves anything, it’s David Green keeps getting better with every book.
