What Grows in the Dark, Jaq Evans
What Grows in the Dark, Jaq Evans
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What Grows in the Dark

Author: Jaq Evans

Narrator: Elena Rey

Unabridged: 10 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/05/2024


Synopsis

"At once suspenseful and tender…a queer horror masterpiece."
—Marisa Crane, author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

In this chilling contemporary horror novel, a phony spiritualist returns to her hometown to assist in an investigation that eerily mirrors her sister’s death, forcing her to confront the secrets she’s been running from.

Sixteen years ago, Brigit Weylan’s older sister, Emma, walked into the woods in their small hometown of Ellis Creek. She never walked out. People said she was troubled—in the months leading up to her death, she was convinced there was a monster in those trees. Marked by the tragedy, Brigit left town and never looked back.

Now Brigit travels around the country investigating paranormal activity (and faking the results) with her cameraman, Ian. But when she receives a call from Ellis Creek, she’s thrust into the middle of a search for two missing teenagers. As Brigit and Ian are drawn further into the case, the parallels to Emma’s death become undeniable. And worse, Brigit can’t explain what’s happening to her: trees appearing in her bedroom in the middle of the night, something with a very familiar laugh watching her out in the darkness, and Emma’s voice on her phone, reminding Brigit to finish what they started.

More and more, it looks like Emma was right: there is a monster in Ellis Creek, and it’s waited a long time for Brigit to come home.

About Jaq Evans

Jaq Evans grew up running around the woods in Virginia's Blue Ridge foothills and now lives near different mountains in Seattle. A graduate of the Stonecoast MFA program, Jaq writes fiction, narrative nonfiction and poetry. What Grows in the Dark is her first novel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) on November 12, 2024

Brigit and her best friend and cameraman, Ian have been making ghost hunting/paranormal podcasts hoping to get some good, honest footage to get their own tv show unfortunately they've been faking their own material so far since they haven't come across any paranormal activity on any of their adventu......more

Goodreads review by CJ on March 06, 2024

I really like the plot to this book, the elevator pitch is a good one. But unfortunately, I don’t believe the story lives up to what it can be. For example, the story’s context constantly remind us of our character’s internal struggles, but then those characters never deal with those struggles, they......more

Goodreads review by Becky on January 29, 2024

Review in the February 1, 2024 issue of Booklist and on the blog here: [URL not allowed] A solid debut that will appeal to fans of small towns with monstrous secrets hiding in the woods like Jackal by Erin E. Adams and Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. Three Words That Describe This......more

Goodreads review by Jen on January 13, 2024

I am clearly in the minority but I found this book to be a slog to finish. It centers on Brigit, who along with a cameraman partner, explores paranormal activity all over the country. Brigit’s sister died many years ago and when they are asked to come back and dig into the disappearance of 2 other l......more

Goodreads review by Jade on February 13, 2024

5/5 ⭐️ All I had to be told was that this book has spooky, sentient woods and a paranormal aspect and I was sold. I said, say less. And this was an amazing book. I inhaled this book. I had so many emotions while reading it, mostly the thrilling coil of terror, but also other emotions during the soft......more