Tags

,

28475212

Thanks to NetGalley and Pinnacle for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: August 30th, 2016

352 Pages

Synopsis: 

THE LEGEND LIVES

Everyone knows the legend of the Jersey Devil. Some believe it’s an abomination of nature, a hybrid winged beast from hell that stalks the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey searching for prey. Others believe it is a hoax, a campfire story designed to scare children. But one man knows the truth…

THE DEVIL AWAKES

Sixty years ago, Boompa Willet came face to face with the Devil–and lived to tell the tale. Now, the creature’s stomping grounds are alive once again with strange sightings, disappearances, and worse. After all these years, Boompa must return to the Barrens, not to prove the legend is real but to wipe it off the face of the earth…

THE BEAST MUST DIE 

It’ll take more than just courage to defeat the Devil. It will take four generations of the Willet clan, a lifetime of survivalist training, and all the firepower they can carry. But timing is critical. A summer music festival has attracted crowds of teenagers. The woods are filled with tender young prey. But this time, the Devil is not alone. The evil has grown into an unholy horde of mutant monstrosities. And hell has come home to New Jersey…

I had such a great time reading this! From the Willet family who are the most lovable rednecks you could ever find, to the gore fest that ensues, just about everything worked in this story: the build-up which was tantalizing but not too long, the big reveals which were perfectly horrific, and the satisfying ending which tied up all the loose ends. It really has everything that harkens back to classic horror. Building on a legendary monster, and adding in illegal toxic dumping, a clan with a curse over its head, and of course loads of bloody mayhem, Hunter Shea weaves everything together into an action-packed story that will hook horror enthusiasts from the very first page. The only reason why I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I felt there were too many secondary characters, each with their own backstory. Even 3/4 of the way through, new ones were being introduced and at times it made things a little confusing. But overall, The Jersey Devil is good old-school horror at it’s bloodiest best. This is the first book I’ve read by Hunter Shea, but it certainly won’t be my last. I’m going to catch up with his previous books while waiting for any future ones. If you love scary stories that will leave you double checking that your house is locked up tight, I highly recommend this!