A “gripping and terrifying story…and one not to be missed” (Robert McCammon) from the acclaimed author of The Troop and The Deep A trio of mismatched mercenaries–Micah Shughrue, Minerva Atwater, and Ebenzer Elkins, colloquially known as “the Englishman”–is hired by young Ellen Bellhaven for a deceptively simple task: check in on her nephew, who may have been taken against his will to a remote … against his will to a remote New Mexico backwoods settlement called Little Heaven, where a clandestine religious cult holds sway. But shortly after they arrive, things begin to turn ominous. There are stirrings in the woods and over the treetops–and above all else, the brooding shape of a monolith known as the Black Rock casts its terrible pall. Paranoia and distrust soon grip the settlement. Escape routes are gradually cut off as events spiral toward madness. Hell–or the closest thing to it–invades Little Heaven. All present here are now forced to take a stand and fight back, but whatever has cast its dark eye on Little Heaven is marshaling its power–and it wants them all…
“A slow boil of unrelenting terror and inescapable consequences. Nick Cutter ups his game every time. Beautifully written–menace drips from every page.” –Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author
“A sprawling epic that can stand alongside the best of ’80s King, Barker, and McCammon. Fun, nasty, smart, and scary, and in all the right places.” –Paul Tremblay, acclaimed author of A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil’s Rockmore
Holy heaven, I love Nick Cutter! This was just the perfect horror story I needed! Weird religious people, creepy kids, distant flute music, mutated animal/things, a British man! Yup…this was great! Just enough gore to make you squirm and plenty of wtf moments!!!
These words beg to be put to film—though like many great horror books (Stephen king) it’s near impossible to capture the true imagination–but I would love to see them try!!!!
Read this. Read all of Nick Cutter’s books. There will be no disappointment!
I really enjoyed Nick Cutter’s previous book, The Deep, and have heard good things about his other works. I was very excited to have the chance to read this. I will admit that for the first 20% of the book I wasn’t quite sure what was going on. The book teeters back and forth between 1965 and 1980, and it took awhile for all the pieces to come together in a coherent way. Once I understood what was going on, the book became more interesting.
The monsters in this book are primal, elemental creatures. They seem all powerful and able to manipulate humans at their will. The imagery is very graphic and horrifying. The story itself becomes very interesting once the three make it to Little Heaven and begin encountering the supernatural. Prior to that, the story is mostly background information on the characters. I found the last half of the book to be very exciting.
I did not like the shifting timelines. I like to read a story in a linear fashion. Jumping back and forth makes me lose momentum. I also did not like the first 20% of the book, because it was hard to make sense of it all, and I prefer a book that hooks you from the start.
Because of the great imagery and imaginative story telling, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I received a free ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
… a good old-fashioned horror story.
Very dark, eerie, everything a good horror novel should be. A terrific read.
Little Heaven: A Novel
By: Nick Cutter
5 out of 5 stars
The story Little Heaven: A Novel by Nick Cutter is a horror/supernatural book. It is a story that hooked me in from the very beginning and I didn’t want to put it down until I had read the final chapter. It is a book that had me on the edge of my seat and chills running up and down my spine. The story is one of what happens when Ellen Bellhaven hires three mercenaries to take her to Little Heaven. She wants to check on her nephew as she suspects that he has been taken there against his will. It is a compound where those who live there could be regarded as a religious cult. What happens when they get there will have you turning pages wondering what is going to happen next. What is the truth behind what is going on at Little Heaven? Why does the compound start to feel wrong to those who live there? Are there outside forces at work and if so, what do they want? How will it all end and who will survive? Read this story to find out. The main characters in this novel are not model citizens. Trust between them at times is lacking or non-existent. As the story progresses, I grew to understand and enjoy reading about them. There are also many additional characters that are interesting and intriguing. I enjoyed reading how they fit into the story and their interactions with the main characters. Danger is one thing that is a constant in Little Heaven and escape may not be possible as the routes out are cut off. The story has moments of suspense that had me telling myself to breathe. If you love the horror/supernatural genre this is a book you do not want to miss out on. Highly recommended.
I devoured Cutter’s The Deep, and immediately decided I wanted to read more of his work. I’ve been on hold for The Troop for months, but decided to give Little Heaven a shot.
Where Little Heaven succeeds in portraying the creepy and horrifying in a way I’ve never experienced with another author (not even King goes into the realm of the truly grotesque like Cutter does), it fails in plot development. I was incredibly confused by the structure, timeline, and movement of nearly the first half of the book and almost stopped reading several times. I pushed through, however, because I could see where the plot was going and envision a great climax and denouement. The climax was indeed totally creepy and well-written, but I just couldn’t enjoy it like I did in The Deep because I’d slogged through so many seemingly pointless details to get to it.
I still love Cutter as a writer and will definitely still be reading The Troop, but I was fairly disappointed by this one overall.