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Covenant

by John Everson (Goodreads Author)

3.57 · rating details · 191 ratings · 33 reviews

In a small town with a strange history of teen suicides, a group of five women have made a pact with a demon and must sacrifice their firstborn.

Mass Market Paperbound, 296 pages

Published August 26th 2008 by Leisure Books (first published 2004)

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Best First Novels - Bram Stoker Award Winners

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Sep 09, 2008

Kristen rated it

Shelves: dorchester-book-club, horror

So you are a reporter who has already committed career suicide once, now you find yourself working at the local paper in the sleepy little town of Terrel. Bored to tears from covering garden parties, you finally catch wind of something interesting… a teen leaps to his death from the cliffs overlooking the town. When you ask a few questions you get very strange responses from the townspeople so you do a little investigation… suddenly discovering a string of yearly suicides going back over 1...mor...moreSo you are a reporter who has already committed career suicide once, now you find yourself working at the local paper in the sleepy little town of Terrel. Bored to tears from covering garden parties, you finally catch wind of something interesting… a teen leaps to his death from the cliffs overlooking the town. When you ask a few questions you get very strange responses from the townspeople so you do a little investigation… suddenly discovering a string of yearly suicides going back over 1...more So you are a reporter who has already committed career suicide once, now you find yourself working at the local paper in the sleepy little town of Terrel. Bored to tears from covering garden parties, you finally catch wind of something interesting… a teen leaps to his death from the cliffs overlooking the town. When you ask a few questions you get very strange responses from the townspeople so you do a little investigation… suddenly discovering a string of yearly suicides going back over 100 years. Convinced you have a story on your hands, you start to investigate, even though everyone in the town warns you against it… because sometimes secrets are kept for your own safety.

From what I understand this is Everson’s first novel, I personally have never read anything by Everson before but I like to try new things, so I dug right in. The book itself is just under 300 pages with a teaser of his next novel at the back. This book is a very quick read that I started about 8pm and finished before 11 that night. The story is an interesting one, as the reader you know something is going on, and you are able to figure it out more quickly than our dear reporter, Joe Keirnan… just in time that you’ll know when he’s about to make a serious error. But who can he trust when everyone is hiding something. This book has a very supernatural edge to it, and though the grand finale felt that it should have had a few more bodies racked up… it was a satisfying conclusion. This book is not as gory as most that I have read, though there are several supernaturally induced rape scenes which may be upsetting to more sensitive readers.

The setup for the ending is fairly clear to guess from early on in the book, which takes out any chance of a “shocker” ending, but it really didn’t bother me all that much. The book was well written and managed to keep my attention from beginning to end. Though I always felt that I knew what was about to happened, it never really irritated me as it does with some books. Some of the characters could have used a little more meat to them, had he thrown in another 30 pages or so I feel the book could have been even better. The tale unfolds similar to a haunted house story, with the haunted house being a cliff instead of a house. I would have liked for a higher creepiness level, I never really had the vibe that the characters were truly in that much danger because it just felt like they were going to make it from the moment you met them. “Covenant,” though highly entertaining, and well worth the read to a horror fan, does not really break any new ground. I would be happy to read a second book about the incidents 100 years before, I feel that he had a very interesting tale there and actually the little blurbs from the journal were probably my favorite part of the book.

Recommended to fans of the general horror genre (King and Koontz), I’m not sure that the extreme horror crew (Laymon, Ketchum, Lee) will find as much gore here as they would like. In all this is a very tightly written novel with excellent pacing, and fairly descent characters for a horror tale. I consider this to be a wonderful first novel and hope that the author has many more in store for us. (less)

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Oct 24, 2008

V rated it

Recommends it for: No one

I loved for a while, it was good and a little haunting, but about midway through I wanted to stop because it went downhill. First there was one sex scene then again and then the rape scenes began, first between two chars., then an orgy with one character fatally injured, all of this in great detail. The back half of this book is filled with useless sex scenes, graphic and disgusting rape scene in gory repetition. The ending is a graphic, highly detailed, rape scene with most of the main charters...more

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Jun 28, 2011

William M. rated it

Shelves: horror

I can see why COVENANT won the Stoker Award for best first novel. It's an ambitious story on many levels, and for the most part, Everson pulls it off. A wonderfully creepy first third slides into some predictable patterns, but Everson throws so much danger, sex, and mythology at the reader, you're bound to enjoy yourself. I think he maybe gave too much information away in chapter three, because I would have liked to piece the story together myself as our main character begins his investigation, ...more

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Jan 21, 2011

Benjamin Thomas rated it

Shelves: horror

Covenant by John Everson is a horror novel and the debut novel from this author. The cover trumpets this book as a winner of the Bram Stoker Award and after reading it I can see why. This is a nice taught story, well told, and briskly paced. It's the story about a young 20-something reporter named Joe Kiernan who has moved from Chicago to the small coastal town of Terrel. It's not long before he discovers the deep dark secret that is haunting the town: for some reason people are dying (usual...more

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Nov 20, 2011

Patrick Hayes rated it

· review of another edition

This won The Bram Stoker Award for best horror novel of the year? No wonder horror novels are not the hot property they once were. This novel begins with an interesting premise and then slids into sexual deviancy of the demonic kind that does nothing to increase the horror or the dread. The story concerns a recently relocated Chicago reporter who has stumbled upon his new found town's little secret: every year someone falls from a specific cliff. Unstoppable in his pursuits, Joe Kieran comes upo...more

· see review

Aug 21, 2008

Kristen rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: horror, dorchester-book-club

So you are a reporter who has already committed career suicide once, now you find yourself working at the local paper in the sleepy little town of Terrel. Bored to tears from covering garden parties, you finally catch wind of something interesting… a teen leaps to his death from the cliffs overlooking the town. When you ask a few questions you get very strange responses from the townspeople so you do a little investigation… suddenly discovering a string of yearly suicides going back over 100 y...moreSo you are a reporter who has already committed career suicide once, now you find yourself working at the local paper in the sleepy little town of Terrel. Bored to tears from covering garden parties, you finally catch wind of something interesting… a teen leaps to his death from the cliffs overlooking the town. When you ask a few questions you get very strange responses from the townspeople so you do a little investigation… suddenly discovering a string of yearly suicides going back over 100 years. Convinced you have a story on your hands, you start to investigate, even though everyone in the town warns you against it… because sometimes secrets are kept for your own safety.

From what I understand this is Everson’s first novel, I personally have never read anything by Everson before but I like to try new things, so I dug right in. The book itself is just under 300 pages with a teaser of his next novel at the back. This book is a very quick read that I started about 8pm and finished before 11 that night. The story is an interesting one, as the reader you know something is going on, and you are able to figure it out more quickly than our dear reporter, Joe Keirnan… just in time that you’ll know when he’s about to make a serious error. But who can he trust when everyone is hiding something. This book has a very supernatural edge to it, and though the grand finale felt that it should have had a few more bodies racked up… it was a satisfying conclusion. This book is not as gory as most that I have read, though there are several supernaturally induced rape scenes which may be upsetting to more sensitive readers.

The setup for the ending is fairly clear to guess from early on in the book, which takes out any chance of a “shocker” ending, but it really didn’t bother me all that much. The book was well written and managed to keep my attention from beginning to end. Though I always felt that I knew what was about to happened, it never really irritated me as it does with some books. Some of the characters could have used a little more meat to them, had he thrown in another 30 pages or so I feel the book could have been even better. The tale unfolds similar to a haunted house story, with the haunted house being a cliff instead of a house. I would have liked for a higher creepiness level, I never really had the vibe that the characters were truly in that much danger because it just felt like they were going to make it from the moment you met them. “Covenant,” though highly entertaining, and well worth the read to a horror fan, does not really break any new ground. I would be happy to read a second book about the incidents 100 years before, I feel that he had a very interesting tale there and actually the little blurbs from the journal were probably my favorite part of the book.

Recommended to fans of the general horror genre (King and Koontz), I’m not sure that the extreme horror crew (Laymon, Ketchum, Lee) will find as much gore here as they would like. In all this is a very tightly written novel with excellent pacing, and fairly descent characters for a horror tale. I consider this to be a wonderful first novel and hope that the author has many more in store for us.
(less)

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May 18, 2009

Mark rated it

Shelves: horror

Fleeing from events not made clear, Chicago reporter Joe Kieran ends up in Terrel, a town with a secret and a large cliff that people keep throwing themselves off. Disturbed that nobody takes much notice of this high suicide rate, Joe decides to investigate. This is one of those novels that feels like it should have been published as part of the 80s horror boom - there’s sex and violence, a sense of humour and it has some gleeful fun with the proceedings. Certainly, some of the plot feels con...more

· see review

Apr 12, 2010

Jan rated it

Shelves: demons, good-vs-evil, horror, paranormal

Joe Kiernan has escaped the hectic world of Chicago journalism to write for the paper in the small, coastal town of Terrel. It does not take long before Joe is a bit bored with the humdrum stories about bake sales and library renovations, so when a teenaged boy jumps to his death from a nearby cliff, Joe is ready for a real story. But the towns folk and even his editor want to keep the death low key. Joe can not understand the towns' apparent apathy until he starts to uncover a pattern of death ...more

· see review

Sep 26, 2009

Eric rated it

Shelves: fiction, horror, books-i-gave-away

I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. The writing is excellent and the protagonist is interesting and likeable. There are some genuinely creepy moments. But the plot was a bit of a mess and there are too many standard horror cliches for my liking. Things like the obligatory trip to the library for microfilm research and the oh-so-convenient diary found at an oh-so-convenient time that introduced an entirely new plot direction - near the very end of the novel. I thought the female char...more

· see review

Jan 08, 2010

Gef rated it

A good ol' fashioned haunting tale, but with a twist in both setting and tone. Unlike a horror tale with a slant towards mystery, we're given a glimpse around each proverbial corner just before the protagonist steps around them ... or the bad guy leaps out at him. While some aspects of the story seem familiar to a degree you may consider it predictable, I found there was more than enough authenticity in the characters to make the read an enjoyable one.

· see review

Mar 25, 2010

Howard rated it

I just don't get what the hype was all about. As far as for the horror genre, it didn't do anything for me like King, Joe Hill, Wilson, McGammon or even Koontz does for me. Reads more like a Chick-lit / sex noir if anything. Not very suspenseful....

· see review

Aug 26, 2008

John Weagly rated it

I became a fan of John Everson many moons ago when I first heard him read a story at Twilight Tales, a reading series here in Chicago. I believe that story was “Dead Girl on the Side of the Road.” I’ve been hooked ever since.

When “Covenant” came out a few years ago in hardback, I snatched up a copy. I was blown away! It was one of those books that you read and say “This is a shoe-in for a Stoker Award.” Sure enough, it won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel from the Horror...more

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Nov 21, 2011

Ingrid rated it

Thoroughly enjoyed Covenant, it's not your typical horror novel that brings you up then drops you into sweet relief. Nope, this book scared the crap out of me again and again and again. A great ride!

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Jan 25, 2009

John Everson added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: my-books

My first horror novel, first published by Delirium Books in 2004, and then released in mass market paperback by Leisure Books in 2008.

like 1 like

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Dec 23, 2008

Eric rated it

· review of another edition

Joe dives into his investigation of the suicides at Terrel's Peak with the vigor of a young Kolchak. Of course Joe get's a lot more action. A worthy recipient of the Bram Stoker Award, Covenant takes the new guy in town from suspicion of murders to the wrath of Malachai. A skeptic becomes a believer in this powerful first entry in the career of John Everson. We follow Joe and towns conspirators through a mix of violence and supernatural terror. We waited more than long enough for a commerci...more

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Dec 23, 2008

Eric rated it

· see review

Nov 17, 2010

Bandit rated it

· review of another edition

Pretty entertaining. Quite racy. Won a Bram Stoker apparently. Has a sequel, Sacrifice, which I plan to read.

· see review

Sep 16, 2008

Jason rated it

4.5/5

I agree with what some have said, the book started a little slow but at no times was it boring. Everson packed in a lot of history and background in 300 pages and at times it seems he gives some very small amount of information into someone's story.
*Spoiler Alert!*
The story takes an unexpected sexual twist near the last 100 pages but I think it works well. I loved the small sections of the book where Joe is being used by the two women in his life who are being posse...more

like 1 like

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Nov 23, 2011

Debbie rated it

I loved this book, I thought the plot line was excellent. I enjoyed the characters the lines and the way the book held my attention. This is a must read.

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Dec 28, 2008

A. R. rated it

Do NOT read this if you can't handle being freaked out! Not for the faint of heart.

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Sep 22, 2010

Birdlashes rated it

Solid Leisure horror--Everson is better than most.

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Dec 29, 2010

Jennifer from Can'tPutItDown rated it

Shelves: johneverson

kind of slow reading at times but would recommend

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Jul 13, 2010

Bernice rated it

Scary entertainment...I really enjoyed this book! Highly recommended.

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Jun 25, 2010

Leah & Joe rated it

Shelves: horror

If you are looking for some good old fashion Horror, you have come to the right place. John Everson's first novel is a smash hit with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Covenant is a page turn from cover to cover. There was never a dull moment and Everson does an excellent job bringing this tale to life, and does an excellent job making the reader want more. So if you are in the mood for some good horror pick this one up. It's definitely worth it.

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Feb 02, 2012

Chrissie rated it

another gripping read

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Dec 22, 2011

Maicie rated it

Shelves: finished-in-2011, horror

I believe this was the author’s first book and was awarded the Bram Stoker. Not my cup of tea but Everson’s collection of short stories,Needles & Sins , is brilliant. Sacrifice is another recommended read

like 1 like

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Oct 28, 2008

Pamela rated it

This book wasn't really as scary as I had expected it to be based on the description. However, it was a good read that kept me interested all the way through. I look forward to reading the sequel. Just a side note: I liked this book despite the overkill on the very graphic sex/rape scenes because it had a great plot. If you have an aversion to reading what is basically soft porn, skip this one.

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Jun 22, 2010

Beth Shields-Szostak marked it as to-read

Shelves: signed

signed & inscribed by author

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Aug 25, 2010

Spencer Seidel rated it

What I like about John Everson's books is the fact that they're fun and a little too gory. If you're looking for good, scary entertainment, check him out.

· see review

Jan 14, 2011

Cody rated it

Read on my nook. Meh... it was better than Siren, but still nothing special.

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About John Everson

John Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Covenant (Leisure Books, 2008), Sacrifice (Leisure Books, 2009), The 13TH (Leisure Books, 2009) and Siren (Leisure Books, 2010). These novels were all issued as limited edition hardcovers. A Polish translation of Covenant was also issued by Poland's Red Horse Books as Demoniczne Przymierze in late summer 2007 and a translation...moreJohn Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Covenant (Leisure Books, 2008), Sacrifice (Leisure Books, 2009), The 13TH (Leisure Books, 2009) and Siren (Leisure Books, 2010). These novels were all issued as limited edition hardcovers. A Polish translation of Covenant was also issued by Poland's Red Horse Books as Demoniczne Przymierze in late summer 2007 and a translation of Sacrifice was issued by Poland's Replika Books as Ofiara in spring 2009.

A wide selection of his short fiction has been collected in five short story collections - Deadly Nightlusts (Blasphemous Books, 2010),Creeptych (Delirium Books, 2010),Needles & Sins (Necro Books, 2007), Vigilantes of Love (Twilight Tales, 2003) and Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions (Delirium Books, 2000).

John is also the editor of the anthologies Sins of the Sirens (Dark Arts Books, 2008) and In Delirium II (Delirium Books, 2007) and co-editor of the Spooks! ghost story anthology (Twilight Tales, 2004). In 2006, he co-founded Dark Arts Books to produce trade paperback collections spotlighting the cutting edge work of some of the best authors working in short dark fantasy fiction today.

John shares a deep purple den in Naperville, Illinois with a cockatoo and cockatiel, a disparate collection of fake skulls, twisted skeletal fairies, Alan Clark illustrations and a large stuffed Eeyore. There's also a mounted Chinese fowling spider named Stoker courtesy of fellow horror author Charlee Jacob, an ever-growing shelf of custom mix CDs and an acoustic guitar that he can't really play but that his son likes to hear him beat on anyway. Sometimes his wife is surprised to find him shuffling through more public areas of the house, but it's usually only to brew another cup of coffee. In order to avoid the onerous task of writing, he records pop-rock songs in a hidden home studio, experiments with the insatiable culinary joys of the jalapeno, designs book covers for a variety of small presses, loses hours in expanding an array of gardens and chases frequent excursions into the bizarre visual headspace of '70s euro-horror DVDs with a shot of Makers Mark and a tall glass of Newcastle.

For information on his fiction, art and music, visit John Everson: Dark Arts at www.johneverson.com or MySpace at www.myspace.com/johneverson.

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