Still Water by Justin Macumber #horrificallycreepynewrelease

It's no secret that I love horror novels. The most epic time in my life was when I met Stephen King in person. There is something about the alien yet humanistic atmosphere in a solid horror novel that draws me.

Still Water is one of those booksat you just can't get out of your mind. I hate reading on a Kindle or computer so you know I have to truly love a book to keep going digitally. However, I can honestly say that Still Water wiggled my creepy bone so much, I couldn't read the thing at one sitting. That tells me Justin Macumber has done a pretty darn good job.

Review 4.5 Stars

First off, Still Water has a prologue and there's nothing I like better than a peek into the novel before I read it. Not all prologues are worthy, Still Water's prologue (In the Deep Dark) is perhaps a bit too long, but still very well done.

Kyle Mason is the prodigal son come home by the request of his sister, Taylor, who texts him, COME HOME I'M SCARED. Taking a well-deserved leave from the army, he heads back to the Appalacian Mountains, home to a small, dirty, coal town called Still Water.

Gus Mason, Kyle's dad, has worked the coal mines all his life. Kyle was to follow in his father's footsteps until the day came when he graduated high school and headed out to join the army, ready to shake the coal dust from his feet and his mind. The only thing that could have gotten him back to Still Water was his sister, Taylor, the sweet little girl he left behind.

A chance meeting of a bi-racial woman, Maya, on the road to town makes the trip seem even more worthwhile, not that his sister wasn't enough, but hey, you know how teenage girls are. Eventually, Kyle meets up with his mother who is in no way the same woman he left. And his sister is not only beautiful, but gay, a fact his mother continues to throw in his face.  After his mother tosses him out, he meets up with Maya who is not only a new visitor to Still Water, but he discovers she's psychic as well. In fact, she has her own website dedicated to the paranormal. A ghost hunter of sorts.  The chemistry between Kyle and Maya is immediate, the goal to save Taylor paramount. Together they set out to discover just what has gone awry in Kyle's hometown, before it destroys Taylor, Maya, and possibly, Kyle himself.

Still Water is everything you want in a horror novel and more. There are a few editorial errors, but they are nothing compared to the story itself. In fact, you might not want to read Still Water alone 

Blurb

Coal is the hard, black heart of the mountain town of Stillwater, West Virginia, but far beneath it lies something much darker, an evil beyond time, waiting to rise and bathe the world in blood and fire once more. When unwitting miners dig into its tomb, only Kyle - Stillwater's prodigal son - and paranormal investigator Maya stand between humanity and Hell. Time is short and evil runs deep in… STILL WATER

“In STILL WATER, Justin R. Macumber brings all the vivid Americana of Stephen King and all the creeping evil menace of Lovecraft, to a claustrophobic tale of horror lurking in the deep parts of the world. The lush prose pulls you in and carries you along at a mounting pace until a confrontation so bloody, you can feel the claws raking you.” -Kane Gilmour, Bestselling Author of RAGNAROK and THE CRYPT OF DRACULA

“You'll want to leave the light on long after you've turned the final page of this dark thriller! “ -Jeremy Bishop, author of REFUGE.

“Justin Macumber excels in the dark. STILL WATER will trap you and never let go.” -Edward Lorn, author of CRUELTY

“Macumber's Stillwater marries Lovecraftian-dread with a character driven thrill-ride that will leave you shivering with fear.” -Paul E Cooley, author of GARAAGA’S CHILDREN.

---

Biography Justin Macumber is the author of HAYWIRE and A MINOR MAGIC. When not hard at work on his next story he hosts the popular Dead Robots' Society podcast. He and his lovely wife live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex along with their motley pack of dogs and cats that they think of as their children. Visit him online at justinmacumber.com and deadrobotssociety.com.

---