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Shady Creek
A gripping coming-of-age tale wrapped in a small town murder mystery in the rural-noir tradition of Stephen King's The Body (Stand by Me) and Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone.
Ten year old Delbert and his mother return to the small factory town of Shady Creek tucked in the rugged foothills of western North Carolina where Delbert meets his father for the first time after his father is released from prison.
With dark secrets festering beneath the surface like an old wound that promises to never heal, Delbert's new life in the small town is quickly complicated by his father's release, the town’s long memory, and the murder of a young local girl on a cold autumn night—the teenage daughter of the only witness to testify against his father a decade earlier.
As the days become increasingly shorter and the nights longer, Delbert comes to the gradual realization not all is what it seems and only he holds the keys to his father's absolution.
At times heartbreaking, and at other times simply heartbreakingly beautiful, Shady Creek is suspense cooked at a slow-burn with a young, indefatigable protagonist you will desperately root for until the final page.
Ten year old Delbert and his mother return to the small factory town of Shady Creek tucked in the rugged foothills of western North Carolina where Delbert meets his father for the first time after his father is released from prison.
With dark secrets festering beneath the surface like an old wound that promises to never heal, Delbert's new life in the small town is quickly complicated by his father's release, the town’s long memory, and the murder of a young local girl on a cold autumn night—the teenage daughter of the only witness to testify against his father a decade earlier.
As the days become increasingly shorter and the nights longer, Delbert comes to the gradual realization not all is what it seems and only he holds the keys to his father's absolution.
At times heartbreaking, and at other times simply heartbreakingly beautiful, Shady Creek is suspense cooked at a slow-burn with a young, indefatigable protagonist you will desperately root for until the final page.
237 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2017
About the author
Russell Gilwee
9 books1 followerRussell Gilwee is a novelist and screenwriter. He lives in Northern California with his wife, Lauraleen, and their goldendoodle, Sophie.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 6, 2019
Shady Creek
I was really excited after reset the reviewIng very soon disappointed this story would have been summed up in 50 pages of !ess, the rest was just over discription of every small detail..Uugghh it went on and on!!! Except for the last 10 pages that wrapped everything up quickly. Reviews compared this to Stand by Me????Not Even Close
Stand by Me
I was really excited after reset the reviewIng very soon disappointed this story would have been summed up in 50 pages of !ess, the rest was just over discription of every small detail..Uugghh it went on and on!!! Except for the last 10 pages that wrapped everything up quickly. Reviews compared this to Stand by Me????Not Even Close
Stand by Me
January 10, 2019
Poorly Written and Boring
Nothing new here. Same old story with new and ridiculously named characters. Really? Sheriff Snodgrass?! I would not recommend this book
Nothing new here. Same old story with new and ridiculously named characters. Really? Sheriff Snodgrass?! I would not recommend this book
January 13, 2019
Quick and easy read. Predictable plot, with superficial character. I enjoyed the story, felt like a Law and Order episode.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews