REVIEW: The Threshing Floor by Steph Nelson
Miracles come at a price in The Threshing Floor, Steph Nelson’s new novel that is equal parts occultist horror and psychological thriller. The lead protagonist, Dalice, is a single mother working multiple jobs to care for her toddler son, Cash, who is in desperate need of a heart transplant. Broke and broken, Dalice finds new hope when a handsome stranger, Shane, enters her life, opening the possibility of companionship and, potentially, a miraculous cure.
The miracle-worker in question is Shane’s younger sister, Reva, an enigmatic cult leader whose healing hands sparkle like the dust of gold. Despite her altruistic veneer, there is a deeply sinister side to Reva, who prays for healing as she preys on her unsuspecting victims.
Steph Nelson grabbed me from the opening prologue of The Threshing Floor, which finds Dalice running in the shadows of darkness, stumbling upon what may be a torture chamber or perhaps a path toward digging her own grave. The tension builds as we learn more about the mysterious gold dust woman and her true intentions. Will Dalice remain in the cult as the price of miracles becomes too high, or will she pick up the pieces and go home?
The Threshing Floor switches perspectives while also alternating between the present timeline and the backstory of Shane and Reva’s childhoods in the early 1990s, revealing striking parallels between Reva’s traumatic childhood and the psychological abuse she inflicts on others.
The horror elements are a slow build throughout The Threshing Floor. I especially enjoyed Steph Nelson’s approach to the supernatural, which is presented in a mostly positive light while showing that the real evil may come from within. As in her previous survival horror, Sawtooth, the psychological aspects of The Threshing Floor are particularly well done.
Steph Nelson also shines with her character development, especially while showing the sacrifices that Dalice is willing to make to save her son. The romance between Dalice and Shane is presented with realistic nuance, lending amorous overtones to balance the horror. However, Reva’s interference might ultimately shatter Dalice’s illusions of love.
From its opening prologue to its unnerving final page, The Threshing Floor is an unputdownable thriller, establishing Steph Nelson as one of my favorite new voices in horror. Fans of occultist and psychological horror will find much to love here.
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