The Three-Candle Prayer

by Abe Moss

Grief opened the door. Now a nightmare wants in.

Following a sudden death in the family, Faith is inconsolable. Her fiancé, Kit, tries to help as best he can, but when a mysterious package arrives on their doorstep, Kit realizes Faith has found her own way to cope.

Candles. Whispers in the night. At first, Faith's new interest seems harmless. Even comforting. But soon their home is twisted into something unrecognizable.

Footsteps echo in the empty halls. Shadows gather where they shouldn’t. At night, Kit wakes to feel something watching from the foot of their bed—something cold, hungry, and not quite human.

As Faith descends deeper into her grief-fueled obsession, Kit must face a horrifying whatever she's invited into their home is deadly, and it isn't leaving empty-handed.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Paranormal, Horror Thriller, Thriller, Ghosts

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Abe Moss has been writing horror stories for as long as he can remember, and hopes to never stop. He loves creature-features, psychological horror, supernatural horror, cosmic horror, you name it. With each book he writes, he hopes to try something a little different. The possibilities are endless and that's what he really loves about storytelling. He hopes you'll enjoy his stories, too!

Reviews

[Haly Hoards Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆
Grief can cause a person to think and act in unusual, or atypical, ways. When grief leads the characters in The Three Candle Prayer to turn to what many call occult practices very scary things happen.

How does one know that the spirit s/he is talking to is truly the person who died? They don't.

Moss has written a suspenseful, terror filled story that pulled me in and held my attention. I was able to feel Kit's doubt, fear and moments of hope. Well done, Mr. Moss! I was a bit disappointed in how superficial Grace's character seemed. Her aloof manner was acceptable in the beginning but the depth of her personality did not seem to fully develop.

I borrowed this novel from Prime Reading and I thank the author for offering it.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a good scare. A good read during spooky season!

[Katie Justesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was offered a chance to read the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic read by Abe Moss!

This book follows Faith and Kit, an engaged couple. Faith loses both her parents in a very brutal way and has a difficult time coping. To help herself in her grieving, she purchases a three candle prayer kit, she becomes secretive, and things start getting weird. She no longer sleeps, and Kit hears her talking to someone through the door late at night. Then, one day, Faith is gone. With no clues as to what happened or where Faith could possibly be, Kit begins searching for his missing fiancé. As with most Moss books, there is suspense, gore, and paranormal activities. This book was a perfect read for spooky season, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

[John Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (Mark 5:9 NRSV)

This haunting and atmospheric horror novella blends together themes of grief, sacrifice, and the supernatural. The narrative follows Kit as he diligently tries to support Faith, his fiance, who is grieving the recent death of his parents due to a murder-suicide incident. Her depression soon lifts when she orders the titular "three-candle prayer", which purports to allow the user to communicate with deceased loved ones. Iniitally skeptical, Kit begins to believe when he begins to hear unexplained voices coming from the room in which she is privately conducting the seance. However, he soon believes that something malevolent is afoot when a shadowy creature is seen in the hall and at the foot of his bed. Has Faith opened portals into some supernatural realm?

Moss's writing describes well Kit's anguish regarding Faith and his fear for her continued safety. The novella moves slowly at first but accelerates as the reader is drawn into a nightmarish world. One of the strengths of this narrative is the depiction of Faith's emotional depths of grief and dispair and her frantic search for the means to connect with the ones lost. If enjoy reading about "things that go bump in the night" you might find this one a satisfying read.

[Becks! · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐ 's

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t bad or anything, but it was definitely slow. I struggled to stick with it, which is why I landed on a 3-star rating. That said, the story itself was interesting, and there were moments that genuinely scared me. It does pick up toward the very end.

I do wish things had been explained better in the conclusion. The author went with the “it’s not meant to be understood” route, which was a bit frustrating. But aside from that, it’s a pretty solid paranormal horror read!

[Kay Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

So spooky! The atmosphere of this story will send chills down your spine. It's a bit of a slow burn, but well worth it.

Kit and Faith are newly engaged when both her parents die. Not surprisingly, she falls into a depression and Kit worries for her. She finds The Three-Candle Prayer, and as suddenly as she slipped into despair, she slides back, perfectly fine. Except, seances can invite all kinds ...

[Ghoulfriend_pls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting ghost story. It differs from what you’d typically think of in a few ways. Definitely delivers on multiple horror themes all while making some good points about grief, loss, and coping. Despite being a horror novel with a fun spooky subject it spoke to me and left me considering quite a bit. The plot shifts and does so very drastically yet pretty seamlessly and smoothly. I really enjoyed this and it morphed from what I thought it was going to be several times and ended well leaving me quite satisfied. Would definitely recommend giving this a read.

[Susannah Prewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As with every Abe Moss book I’ve read this one picks up fast and pulls you in. However this time, it hit home in a way that I didn’t expect. I decided to go into the book blind, not knowing that I had been playing the character of Kit for the last year and a half of my life. My partner’s parents both died in the last 14 months and the experience of watching someone go through such extreme grief and loss is a nightmare in and of itself. “She’s lucky to have you…” a sentence I’ve been hearing for over a year now. The feeling of being “present” while someone is going through such traumatic grief is hard for both parties. Losing yourself in grief is a big part of this book and of my life over the last year and a half and this book kept me hooked the whole way through. Despite my life having quite a different ending than the book (thankfully), I really enjoyed this one! Always a treat to read one of Abe’s books!

[Audra Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had absolutely no idea what I was in for with this book. All I knew is that I recieved an ARC copy of a book from an author who had yet to disappoint and I was all in!

Three Candle Prayer started off a little slow but was definitely needed for character development. Once that was complete though, the story took off and never let up. I actually had to stop reading a few times because my heart was pounding and I was afraid of what lurked in the dark (yes, as a full grown adult!). I am going to recommend this book any time I can! My only complaint is that I can't read it again for the very first time.

Abe Moss, please continue writing because I will devour every thing you write.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entire book is like a five year old’s sleep paralysis.

TL;DR: A waking nightmare of a story that peers at you from the corners of your eyes and stays just out of sight, enough that you know it’s there, but never enough that you can do anything about it.

The Three-Candle Prayer is a great journey into spooky and I mean it when I say, do not read if you have an issue with demons or the like. This book does an excellent job with menacing presences.

Characters: Kit, Faith, and Grace are all solid characters, though not as fleshed out as I’d hoped. Someone called this book a novella and, while it was definitely too long for that, it certainly had some of the telltale signs, especially in things like character death. Heck, even Aunt Jackie felt underused, and she was decently present for a minor character. Also wasn’t a huge fan of the other POV, but no spoilers.

Setting: Nice cozy suburban house means nothing ever goes wrong there…right? Jokes aside, it worked well for this book.

Story: It made sense, but again, the novella tendencies reared their ugly head as I found myself losing interest in some of the intricacies because they weren’t explained, even at the end. It’s hard because I was invested for a good while.

Writing: It’s decently done; not a ton of errors or misprints from why I’ve seen, but again, the characters could’ve used a little more time in the oven. The villainy and the spookiness though were the perfect complement to the rest of this book.

This whole book gave me a sinister feeling, in a good way. This is the kind of stuff that would stay with a child long after he turned out the lights. It’s good, and I’m glad to have read it, in spite of its flaws, but it’s certainly not for everyone.
Don’t forget to leave the lights on.

3.8 🌟

[Carlos · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Three-Candle Prayer starts off well enough, albeit all too similar to other works that utilize a traumatic family event that initiates a cascade of maladaptation. It quickly devolves into a slog that wraps everything up with an anticlimactic ending.

There's nothing new to see here - a seance invites a dark entity masquerading as a recently departed loved one. I do, however, give Moss credit for trying to make the subject theirs: the evil being manufacturing spiritual candles to lure in grieving, vulnerable prey in order to feast upon them was something I was not suspecting, a cruel cycle that's actually dependent on a grieving mother for assistance. And there are some generally eerie moments, certainly amplified if you have a personal fear of something staring back at you from the dark. My experience, however, could not be elevated with those points alone: you can only read about dark figures toying with their victims so many times before it grows old, and especially with the overwhelming feeling that Moss had no idea how to wrap this one up and just tacked on a conclusion in the final fifteen or so pages.

[Stacy Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. Simple, straight forward story, basically exactly what I expected after reading the blurb. Well written, had some creepy parts, and the story developed quickly and thoroughly. I would read more from this author.

[Jenny Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastically scary, gave me the heebie jeebies!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read!

I’ve just found this author and am thrilled to know there are other books to read by him. This was a wonderful, exciting book that kept me on edge from beginning to end. On to the next!

[BookNerdsBrainDump · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Snack-Size Review] The Three-Candle Prayer, by Abe Moss

Quick Bite: A new take on an old idea.

What It’s About: Faith has not been close to her parents for a long time, but when her father kills her mother and then himself, the grief is suffocating. Until she discovers the “three-candle prayer”: light a black candle, recite a specific prayer, and the spirit of your loved one will appear and speak to you. Soon she is obsessed with the ritual, despite her fiance Kit’s reservations. Then Faith disappears, and Kit must find the source of the ritual, and what it is really summoning.

A Word From The Nerd: Duckies, it took me a while to warm up to this one. I hate to say it, but the horror biz is starting to become oversaturated with grief horror - much like torture porn and slashers in previous decades, it’s beginning to feel like every horror I read revolves around a profound loss. So yes, my eyes did roll a bit early on. But the thing is, this book is actually really creepy. The idea of trying to talk to a dead loved one & getting something awful instead isn’t a new one, but Mr. Moss actually found a new angle on it. And I want to be besties with Grace.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a lighter to keep on my person at all times because you just never know.)

[Alysha Everwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second book that I've read from Abe Moss, having LOVED "Morsels." Exploring grief and how everyone mourns differently, this story follows an engaged couple who have both had to deal with difficult lives. But when Faith finds out that her parents are dead by the fathers hand, she struggles to deal with the conflicting feelings she has as she tries to mourn her abusive parents. Needing a sense of closure, Faith orders these candles from a weird website that comes with a pamphlet on "the three candle prayer," promising to allow you to see your dead loved ones. (name) doesn't believe it actually works, but she turns from her depressive closed off state to having a bit of hope and light again. But as she continues to have long nights in the room with the candles or getting up in the middle of the night, when (name) hears another voice in the room with faith and sees a dark shadow figure that hides from Faith's view, (name) starts to believe that the candles aren't just a scam. Waking up one morning to Faith missing, (name) is sure that weird figure and the candles have something to do with it. As he tries to track her down, he discovers more about her past, running into her estranged sister and working together to find Faith. but the more they dig, the weirder things get, and the closer the shadows grasp gets to tugging them into the darkness.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was certainly a very original and unique take on what can go wrong during a seance. This is most certainly not the same-old "oops, accidently summoned a demon!", which I found refreshing and kept me interested. That said, I would have liked a little more of the pages dedicated to the entity itself and some of its backstory (though a sequel would be more likely).

This was a great read and a solid 4 stars until the last 2 pages when the one character in the entire book who had - what I thought - the most common sense, goes and does the dumbest thing possible. A child will touch a stovetop once when it's hot and instantly realize it is something not to do again. Unfortunately our character would prefer to touch it again, as if the outcome will be different. Conversely, this very well may have been a segue to a sequel book.

As will all of Abe Moss novels, this was not disappointing. Again, it's definitely worth the read just due to the uniqueness, and unimaginable cruelty, of the entity.

Side note: the part where Kit is evesdropping on Faith and notices a black void at the other end of the hallway with eyes that just watches him was creepy as hell.

[Jacquetta Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was a step back into the mind of an author who thinks and dreams in so many directions. I have loved reading Author Abe Moss's books since the first one. I think we all have dreamed or thought of these things that can grow into truth or into nightmares. But it takes a special person to write it all down and turn it into stories we can't stop reading. To me Abe Moss has been that person.
We all wish different things when we lose someone in death. Usually our biggest wish is one more moment with our loved ones. To think like Faith in 'The Three Candle Prayer' we would all be tempted to take it one step further and try to spend that time believing it would work.
I was on the edge of my bed, reading and not able to put the book down. If you like books that can scare you, make you think and like the unknown, you will love Abe Moss's books.

[ChanaReadsHorror · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book really tapped into our fears and how we handle grief and what we can do to help ourselves cope. We follow Kit and Faith, a very happily engaged couple. Faith's world is turned upside down as she finds her parents dead, the cause of death being a murder/suicide. As she struggles to come to terms with her grief, she gets this strange package. It contains 3 black candles and instructions on how to talk to our departed loved ones. As Kit grows very worried about Faith using these candles, as he sees things at night, he can't help but to see the change in Faith back to her old self. As he awakes one morning and Faith is gone, he must try to find her and also figure out what power these candles hold.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this was not my favorite Abe Moss novel, I did still like it. The book pulls you in from the beginning and keeps your interest. I just didn't like the ending with Kit. He went from one way of thinking to the complete opposite. You'd think he wouldn't have known better considering everything. I liked the twist to the aspect of a seance. The creepy shadow figure with the eyes, who kept appearing in Kit's house, was cool. I wish more time had been spent defining or describing the "creature". I did appreciate the story behind the candles. Overall a good read.

I received an ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique twist on a seance gone wrong! This one is very heavy on the grief, but also helped me connect with Kit and Faith trying to navigate a very precarious situation. While it’s easy to judge character actions when you aren’t experiencing them, this one really made me question what I would do if I were either one of them.

There were so many moments where I was genuinely spooked and that stayed throughout most of the story, but I feel like there’s just something missing to push it to a full five star read. Regardless, it’s a really unique and spooky story that’ll leave you scared of the dark!

[Jeanette A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read most of the authors books. A few were not throat grabbers, so I didn't read them. (I used to trudge on through everything no matter how dull, as I got older, trudging sounded less necessary).
No trudging in this book. I liked it. The doting husband, the grieving wife, the spooky elements and so on.
The only questionable outlier of the story was the warehouse with the kits. Maybe I missed it, but does it just show up when there is a need (call)? Who was the other lady giving up her soul? Did buying a kit imply consent? Usually there has to be a contract, signed in blood, to hand over ones soul.
That part of the story could have been fleshed out a bit......

[Charlie Quarmby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked, the start was so dark and captivating while the middle did feel drawn out it had its purpose and that was the hook, the ending was what was needed to round off this brilliant mystery thriller.

I love the writings of Abe Moss, the detail he uses in each and every short story is just truly brilliant. I enjoyed this book very much!

There are believable characters and well developed storylines in such a short book. I sat and I finished this in one sitting it just kept me in a chokehold.

[Sheri Corriero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abe Moss doesn’t fail us in this book. This is another book you can’t put down. In this story, Faith’s parents died violently, and she got a DIY séance kit. Her fiancée Kit is skeptical but if this is how she wants to deal with things, okay. Then supernatural spooky things start happening in the house and things got worse from there. I was drawn into the story fairly quickly and then I couldn’t stop. I loved it. Abe Moss’s writing is so descriptive that I can picture everything in my head. I received an ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review.

[Shhh ... I’m Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several of his books and this one was certainly intriguing and very unique! It's refreshing to read something that brings on a totally different spin on what your mind thought would happen.

Let me say, this is why I'm not a fan of seances. 👀 Couldn't make me do it!

Some parts were very creepy and made my skin crawl, but that's what I liked about this book.

Abe Moss, you did it again!

I received this book for an honest review, and I know I'm extremely late on getting it out there (personal reasons), but was well worth the wait!

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and interesting read. I found it more suspenseful with creepy moments rather than terrifying, much like the other Abe Moss book I’ve read. The climactic ending felt intentionally chaotic as a way to cover up a lack of details though. There was a lot left unexplained and I would have appreciated a more in-depth epilogue to explain the lore behind the story. All in all an enjoyable read with a unique premise.

[Amandatory Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting paranormal thriller. I loved the concept of the three candles and learning how they were made! The plot was fast-paced right from the beginning and definitely creepy. But it didn’t pack that “looking over my shoulder” punch. I appreciate all the ghostly aspects and scenes involving paranormal but it wasn’t scary. I will try another book by this author because I did enjoy the story overall.

[Joseph E. Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary Good Read

I have to say that this book scared me. There are some good scares & plenty of chills in it, but the most it scared me was after I put it down. I read at night in bed before going to sleep. Waking up to go to the kitchen for a drink of water or to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night have now become scare fests. I hear every single little creak, I hear the house settling, I hear noises & knocks that I can't explain......

[Cattie Whaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I honestly had no idea what this book was even about before I started reading it. I just saw it was by Abe Moss and knew I had to read it. This author hasn't let me down yet! What a fast-paced ride this one was! Honestly, it had me a little spooked reading this one. Creepy is an understatement! I'm not going to give anything away, I'm just going to tell you to read this if you like a good scary, kinda gory read. Just make sure you leave the lights on! Highly recommend!

[Cindy Wasson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not praying this

Faith has a dark past, and is about to have a darker future. It seems everyone will be sucked into the darkness. Abe has done it again. A tale of questions without answers slowly closes its creepy, horrible hand over your shoulder. I will be sleeping with a light on tonight.