This Wretched Valley

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What to expect

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.

Critics Review

“A hallucinatory nightmare of a novel that blends adventure…[with] a desperate race to escape the wilderness and the ancient evil it holds…Kiefer injects so much tension and fear into the story of this group’s mysterious demise that you can’t help getting lost in this creepy tale.”

New York Times Book Review

“Many hair-raising, nail-biting scenes occur in broad daylight…Introduces a new nightmare on every page. This book is unshakeable. Inescapable.”

Cemetery Dance

“The book is brilliantly crafted, with both vivid characters and a visceral sense of place…An unputdownable and realistic example of survival horror at its best.”

Library Journal (starred review)

“Kiefer maintains a feeling of unease and nail-biting tension throughout. Devotees of daylight horror will be entranced.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Kiefer, a climber herself, utilizes her knowledge of the sport to deliver an evocative and pulse-pounding survival horror novel inspired by the Dyatlov Pass incident..”

Booklist

“Twisty and brutal, Jenny Kiefer’s debut unfolds like your favorite creepy new horror flick.”

Christopher Golden, author of All Hallows

“[A] propulsive, hair-raising read….with nimble pacing, scream-worthy scares, and an ever-present sense of dread.”

Rachel Harrison, author of Such Sharp Teeth

“A skillful and bone-chilling tale of isolation and the limits of human endurance. Kiefer skillfully weaves historical horror into a modern-day setting.”

Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads

“A fast-paced free fall straight into a Kentucky nightmare. Kiefer’s prose sings in this horrific tragedy of blood and dread and paranoia…Highly recommended.”

Todd Keisling, author of Devil's Creek

“Reading This Wretched Valley, you will find malice dangling from every branch while an old hunger gathers beneath your feet.”

Andrew F. Sullivan, author of The Marigold

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