The Red Church

by Scott Nicholson

Book Overview

A tale of unrelenting terror that showcases the dark, fertile imagination and unique voice of newcomer Scott Nicholson. Scott Nicholson's debut novel is the haunting, richly-layered story of a former... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0739425862
• ISBN13: 9780739425862
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

New Favorite Author

I also have loved these type of stories, but I couldn't wait to read more of this book and any other by the author.

Not enough action for me

I couldn’t finish it. I got bored with it.

Nicholson Scores Again

I've been a fan of Scott Nicholson's work for years and somehow missed this gem. I read this cover to cover yesterday and thought it was a real corker of a horror tale. He takes the paradigm of the bizarre religious cult which, admittedly, has been done to death and then breathes new life into it and makes the whole thing scary again. Bravo.

scary book

This might be Scott Nicholson's best book. Scary stuff happens at a little country church. The characters are great, especially Archer McFall. Like his other books, this one has a little bit of a romantic element and a little bit of the bizarre. As usual, Nicholson touches on spiritual issues here. Coming from the same mountains where he writes his books, I can say his settings are spot-on perfect.

Scary and Thought Provoking

I have long ago become immune to scary stories actually scaring me but this one holds a disturbing theme that reminds me of every religious fanatic out there. I was often reminded of Jim Jones and the Heaven's Gate cult when I read this story. Some people can become so consumed with their religion that they would result to... well I don't want to spoil the story. Scott weaves a very frightening tale of how a group of people are taken in by a sinister preacher. They attend his services out of guilt, religious fervor, or whatever. Some people and see through this and try to stop things and that is what makes the story so good. You get inside the heads of each character and why they believe the way they do. A very good tale for a rainy day!

Campy, Old-School Horror

Fans of early King and Barker will dig this. Nicholson may do to backwood North Carolina what King did to rural Maine. The southern lingo, and the tabacoo chewin', god-fearin' folk characters give this book a charming appeal.Set in the mountains, a descendant of a hung preacher who had proclaimed the coming of a "second son" comes home and buys "the red church". Soon enough, this mysterious preacher draws a following, and the rest is for you to stay up all night and find out.I won't spoil the ending, but will tell you that I personally loved it. It's one of those that could spring various interpretations.So...what are you waiting for?

Impressive debut

I was so glad to see a new horror novel on the shelf (and happy to see Pinnacle doing more than reprinting horror novels from their past) that I didn't hesitate to snatch this book up. And I'm really glad I did. THE RED CHURCH is an impressive debut by a new author and quite a ride... In Whispering Pines, NC, the old Red Church has stood as a dark testament to a family's twisted beliefs and a vigilante killing many years ago in the small mountain community. Nobody can forget the day a congregation rose up and hung their preacher, Wendell McFall, for his twisted beliefs. Now his offspring has come to town and opened the old church back up. He is taking up where his ancestor left off and according to him, "Sacrifice is the currency of God."... This is a pretty wild ride. Nicholson employs monsters, cannibalism, the undead, ghosts, and a disturbing zealotry that creates quite a witch's brew of a horror novel. And his passion really burns up the pages. Highly recommended for horror fans.