Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts[return]"Jack and his wife Stephanie are on their way to a counseling session for their troubled marriage when a series of detours end up leaving them stranded in the backwoods. The only option they have for shelter is an old plantation style house which seems to be an inn of sorts. There they find another couple who has also been stranded there for the night and Betty, Stewart, and Pete--""Inbreds"" and ingracious hosts. Things just seem to getting more and more bizarre and creepy, eventually leading Jack and the others into a fight against evil and for their lives after a can is dropped down the chimney with the following message: 1) God came to my house and I killed him. [return]2) I will kill anyone who comes to my house as I killed God. [return]3) Give me one dead body and I might let rule two slide."[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.[return]Tight suspense with creepy stuff happening almost immediately. Jack is a well drawn character, struggle with the death of his marriage and his spiritual beliefs. The other couple at the house seem like no more than foils to Jack's struggle. The point of view shifts, even to the killer's mind. The character of Susan, an angelic figure, is pulled off well. The middle gets a little bogged down, as it just seems like one neverending chase scene repeating itself over and over.[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]How Good is it?[return]A powerful message/metaphor about how sin can trap us and how we need to face it.