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Pine Creek #1
Hidden by the Dark
Something terrifying has awakened in the mountains…
A sheriff and his deputy investigate several brutal murders in a coal mining community where fear and terror have struck. As the investigation continues, they piece together a shocking and terrifying puzzle that leads him to believe that the murders may be the work of a serial killer.
Or is it someone from out of town? Or worse yet, is there something even more sinister?
The murders seem to have no pattern or motive, leaving them struggling to find answers. With time running out, the sheriff must find the killer before he strikes again.
This book is the first in the Pine Creek Thriller series.
A sheriff and his deputy investigate several brutal murders in a coal mining community where fear and terror have struck. As the investigation continues, they piece together a shocking and terrifying puzzle that leads him to believe that the murders may be the work of a serial killer.
Or is it someone from out of town? Or worse yet, is there something even more sinister?
The murders seem to have no pattern or motive, leaving them struggling to find answers. With time running out, the sheriff must find the killer before he strikes again.
This book is the first in the Pine Creek Thriller series.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2022
24 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Moore
25 books33 followersJ.C. Moore writes crime and thriller novels about pressure, loyalty, and the cost of secrets. His stories explore what happens when the past doesn’t stay buried.
He is the author of the Shadow Bay series and the Frank Mallory novels.
Before writing full time, Moore worked as a bartender, IT technician, touring musician, horse farm manager, and restaurant owner. His music has appeared in television and film.
He lives in upstate New York with his partner and their dog.
He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Horror Writers Association.
jcmooreauthor.com
He is the author of the Shadow Bay series and the Frank Mallory novels.
Before writing full time, Moore worked as a bartender, IT technician, touring musician, horse farm manager, and restaurant owner. His music has appeared in television and film.
He lives in upstate New York with his partner and their dog.
He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Horror Writers Association.
jcmooreauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 1, 2022
Enjoyable read!
The residents of Pine Creek were becoming increasingly worried. Mysterious sightings and wierd reports had everyone on high alert. A body was found, the victim had clearly suffered a gruesome death but there were no clues for Sheriff Owen Cross and his Deputy Madison Colby to follow!
A small town with a huge problem, this psychological thriller takes you on a dark and disturbing journey through chapters of normality, teenagers enjoying life, to bloodbaths, utter carnage and chaos. Great plot, building as the chapters progress, interesting concept with vivid, descriptive scenes. Respect to the author who has clearly taken on board and addressed many of his readers comments in their reviews, striving for improvement as he learns his craft. Well worth a read!
The residents of Pine Creek were becoming increasingly worried. Mysterious sightings and wierd reports had everyone on high alert. A body was found, the victim had clearly suffered a gruesome death but there were no clues for Sheriff Owen Cross and his Deputy Madison Colby to follow!
A small town with a huge problem, this psychological thriller takes you on a dark and disturbing journey through chapters of normality, teenagers enjoying life, to bloodbaths, utter carnage and chaos. Great plot, building as the chapters progress, interesting concept with vivid, descriptive scenes. Respect to the author who has clearly taken on board and addressed many of his readers comments in their reviews, striving for improvement as he learns his craft. Well worth a read!
July 8, 2022
Strong Character
I love the journey of this female protagonist who had experienced twists and turns of this dark disturbing story. I would like to read more of her or his works.
I love the journey of this female protagonist who had experienced twists and turns of this dark disturbing story. I would like to read more of her or his works.
December 8, 2022
Hidden By The Dark
By J.C. Moore
The author took his time and was descriptive about everything: sipping coffee, wiping away tears, and looking at a picture...however, it did make this book feel dense.
It dragged hard in the beginning but I pushed myself to continue. This novella became interesting when the sheriff interviewed the old lady at her house and she gave a report of what she had seen.
I did find the typos, profanity, and strange narrative distracting. I admit that the cussing in the book made it more realistic, but some of the vivid explanations could have been omitted.
The antagonist was vicious and ghastly. I give the author props for making it seem so realistic. I was able to easily paint an image in my head of what he had explained. I liked the nightmare and the mystical flare that this book gave.
Due to the evocative nature of this story, it is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. When you combine this with the strong language that is present, as well as the grim nature of the killer, this chronicle is not for the faint of heart.
By J.C. Moore
The author took his time and was descriptive about everything: sipping coffee, wiping away tears, and looking at a picture...however, it did make this book feel dense.
It dragged hard in the beginning but I pushed myself to continue. This novella became interesting when the sheriff interviewed the old lady at her house and she gave a report of what she had seen.
I did find the typos, profanity, and strange narrative distracting. I admit that the cussing in the book made it more realistic, but some of the vivid explanations could have been omitted.
The antagonist was vicious and ghastly. I give the author props for making it seem so realistic. I was able to easily paint an image in my head of what he had explained. I liked the nightmare and the mystical flare that this book gave.
Due to the evocative nature of this story, it is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. When you combine this with the strong language that is present, as well as the grim nature of the killer, this chronicle is not for the faint of heart.
July 28, 2022
The story starts off somewhat slow and it took me a while to get into it. I did enjoy the ending! I would have preferred if the energy of the ending could have been sprinkled throughout the rest of the story. The main characters felt more two-dimensional, rather than three. An alcoholic sheriff isn't exactly a novel concept and I'd have liked more going into his characterization than that. The teenage main character was kind of awkward to read. It felt stilted rather than natural. The supernatural concept was interesting and I liked its execution (pun intended)! It was nice and subtle and I enjoyed what it added to the mystery.
Horror isn't my usual genre, but I figured I'd try it because it sounded interesting. The author didn't hit the story out of the part for me, but I liked the general vibe of it towards the end. If you like horror more, maybe you'll enjoy this more than me.
Horror isn't my usual genre, but I figured I'd try it because it sounded interesting. The author didn't hit the story out of the part for me, but I liked the general vibe of it towards the end. If you like horror more, maybe you'll enjoy this more than me.
August 5, 2022
Editing and attention to detail needed. Marcia Dove
I couldn't get into the story, because of the lengthy descriptions. Too much focus on using flowery descriptions and not enough on making sure the details were correct or even made sense. For example, taking leftover chicken from the refrigerator to defrost? Did the author mean freezer? Taking his hat and coat off the peg, after he has closed and locked the front door is another head shaking exsmple.
I couldn't get into the story, because of the lengthy descriptions. Too much focus on using flowery descriptions and not enough on making sure the details were correct or even made sense. For example, taking leftover chicken from the refrigerator to defrost? Did the author mean freezer? Taking his hat and coat off the peg, after he has closed and locked the front door is another head shaking exsmple.
August 26, 2022
J.C. Moore's Hidden by the Dark starts slowly as you are introduced to the sheriff and his new deputy but builds steadily in intensity as brutal murders begin to pile up ini the small town of Pine Creek. Moore's novel hooks the reader early and does not disappoint. Unfortunately, there are so many inconsistencies and errors in the novel that 3 stars is the limit. A careful reading and serious edit would improve this debut novel immeasurably.
August 6, 2022
nice start
This story has potential however I do believe it needs another round of edits. Besides that I believe lit could be the start of a great series
This story has potential however I do believe it needs another round of edits. Besides that I believe lit could be the start of a great series
July 26, 2022
In the small, sleepy town of Pine Creek, Sheriff Owen Cross and Deputy Madison Colby must find a serial killer lurking in the forest. It’s a secluded mountain-side forest that’s regarded with superstition by the locals after a mining accident kills hundreds of people. The locals say the devil lives in that forest, and it may just be so. Author J.C. Moore tells a haunting story of a monster that lures people into the forest never to come out alive. Hidden by the Dark is a chilling tale of carved-up cadavers and mutilated bodies.
The concept of Moore’s story is creative and interesting. In a way, it almost reads like a traditional ghost story you would tell around a campfire. The “thing in the woods” is a great, old-fashioned retelling that has inspired many great stories and is a great concept for stand-alone horror story books.
The beginning of the story spends ample time methodically setting up the backdrop, scene, and characters with specific details that gives readers a complete picture of the eerie ambiance and interesting cast. Readers who enjoy diving into the specifics of the characters’ lives will enjoy the detailed introduction to Owen and Madison’s daily routine.
While I enjoyed the story, I felt that the dialogue was repetitive at certain points, but could be due to the nature of the story and them simply just wanting more information. I also felt like the characters needed more unique qualities to make it easy for readers to differentiate between them when they pop up in the story.
I enjoyed the detective scenes in the story that provided a bit of a police procedural vibe to this supernatural thriller. A good example of this is when Madison and Owen are at the coroner’s office looking for a full autopsy report the day of the murder.
Hidden By The Dark is a meticulous paranormal crime fiction story that gradually leads readers into a haunting story with an eerie plot and an ominous mystery.
The concept of Moore’s story is creative and interesting. In a way, it almost reads like a traditional ghost story you would tell around a campfire. The “thing in the woods” is a great, old-fashioned retelling that has inspired many great stories and is a great concept for stand-alone horror story books.
The beginning of the story spends ample time methodically setting up the backdrop, scene, and characters with specific details that gives readers a complete picture of the eerie ambiance and interesting cast. Readers who enjoy diving into the specifics of the characters’ lives will enjoy the detailed introduction to Owen and Madison’s daily routine.
While I enjoyed the story, I felt that the dialogue was repetitive at certain points, but could be due to the nature of the story and them simply just wanting more information. I also felt like the characters needed more unique qualities to make it easy for readers to differentiate between them when they pop up in the story.
I enjoyed the detective scenes in the story that provided a bit of a police procedural vibe to this supernatural thriller. A good example of this is when Madison and Owen are at the coroner’s office looking for a full autopsy report the day of the murder.
Hidden By The Dark is a meticulous paranormal crime fiction story that gradually leads readers into a haunting story with an eerie plot and an ominous mystery.
May 8, 2023
Honestly not his best but..
The first book I read from this author was "The Repayment" which is his latest released book. I ate that book up in one night. So, because that book was so incredibly well written I decided to continue reading from Mr. Moore because from then on out I became a fan of his work. Honestly, I was leaning toward giving this book either a 2 or a 2.5 star rating because there was so much confusing situations, repetition throughout the entire first half of the book. Some if not most of the characters behaved so unrealistic from their conversations with one another/their interactions. There was even a G rated scene where romance meets intimacy which I can't even say is spicy or smut worthy. Deeply disappointed BUT I gave it the 3 stars because ultimately it was a nice time... Annoyed 99.9% of the time for the simplest errors throughout the story but I did greatly appreciate his attempts. There were many slow burning moments, and other times when I wanted to DNF but I did notice such an improvement with Mr. Moore's writing style compared to The Repayment. It really shows how much he genuinely cares about what content he puts out for his audience. I did predict several things upon reaching the halfway point and I guessed correctly. Other than this I did genuinely like it and still absolutely love The Repayment if I really had the option to choose my favorite novel from him.
The first book I read from this author was "The Repayment" which is his latest released book. I ate that book up in one night. So, because that book was so incredibly well written I decided to continue reading from Mr. Moore because from then on out I became a fan of his work. Honestly, I was leaning toward giving this book either a 2 or a 2.5 star rating because there was so much confusing situations, repetition throughout the entire first half of the book. Some if not most of the characters behaved so unrealistic from their conversations with one another/their interactions. There was even a G rated scene where romance meets intimacy which I can't even say is spicy or smut worthy. Deeply disappointed BUT I gave it the 3 stars because ultimately it was a nice time... Annoyed 99.9% of the time for the simplest errors throughout the story but I did greatly appreciate his attempts. There were many slow burning moments, and other times when I wanted to DNF but I did notice such an improvement with Mr. Moore's writing style compared to The Repayment. It really shows how much he genuinely cares about what content he puts out for his audience. I did predict several things upon reaching the halfway point and I guessed correctly. Other than this I did genuinely like it and still absolutely love The Repayment if I really had the option to choose my favorite novel from him.
October 3, 2022
Interesting plot and enjoyed the characters but this needs to be edited. Many mistakes in it. I'm wanting to read the next if it is edited.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews