Thanks to NetGalley I received the ebook of this and I’m really glad I did, sort of. The sort of is because I stayed way too late reading it and now I have a monster migraine. So let’s get to the premise. Sauls Run looks like your typical sleepy little all American town. The kind where everyone knows each other, etc… But, like peeling back the layers of an onion, when you look closer things aren’t quite what they seem. For instance there is basically no violence or violent deaths in this endearing small town. People rarely get ill and generally die of old age. That is except for during a cycle of a few years. For a short duration during those times there’s murders, fights, people dying of cancer, heart attacks, and other illnesses. Not a huge amount. Just in keeping with the rest of the country. Then deep underground in the mines just outside of town there is something mysterious and monstrous living. Does it have anything to do with what happens with the town? The main protagonist, a young man named Henry Sleep has come back to the town that he ran from some years back. It’s one of those down times and his father who was the Reverend of Sauls Run has supposedly committed suicide. Henry doesn’t believe it though, and with his estranged childhood best friend, his ex-girlfriend, and an old beat reporter they uncover not only what really happened to Reverend Sleep, but also the mystery of Sauls Run. So, first the bad news. The plot of The Fallen is extremely predictable. Starting with the title I figured out what was living in the mines, which led me to uncover a lot of the other mysteries about the town and this was early in the book. The good news is the characters are great. I loved Henry and his comrades, and even the villain isn’t your stereotypical one. I actually felt sympatly for him despite the horrible things he’d done. I think what really made the book appeal to me is that it reminded me of the early works by some of my favorite horror writers like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Bentley Little. The book speeds along with each short chapter ending in a mini cliffhanger which is what made me unable to put it down. I mean I knew what was going to happen but I had to make sure I was right. I would definitely recommend that fans of horror give this a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
The Fallen, by Dale Bailey
04 Monday Aug 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
By Hook Or By Book 
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