Description
(Taken from Amazon)
An ancient wooden barrier buried deep in the granite cliffs of Nova Scotia’s rural coastline.
A long abandoned Victorian mansion sighing in the salty ocean breeze.
A patchwork team of nobodies ready to breathe new life into humanity’s most ancient mystery.
Haunted by the hunting accident that took both his leg and the life of his best friend, wilderness guide Jack Steward exists on the wooded fringes of society. When an infamously foolhardy millionaire offers Jack the means to reconcile his past wrongs in exchange for participating in a remote archaeological dig along the coast of Nova Scotia, Jack straps on his worn prosthetic and ventures forth into a world of mystery, deceit, and horror. Little does Jack know that the mismatched gang of killers, junkies, has-beens, and frauds he is about to join will uncover an artifact that will shake the very foundation of history, and maybe even grant him the ability to defeat the demons of his past. However, the expedition also unearths a horrific truth – the artifact wasn’t the only thing hiding deep under the Nova Scotian cliffs.
Available at: Amazon (Audiobook, Kindle, and Softcover) and Barnes & Noble (Paperback).
My Review
If you're a fan of archeological adventure (Indiana Jones or Lara Croft), Lovecraft, or Michael Crichton this needs to be on your reading list.
With a hook that reels you in backed up by a cast of interesting, but damaged, individuals--Douglass Hoover delivers in his sophomore novel. The tale he weaves follows primarily the journey of a suicidal hunter who takes a job not to lift himself up, but to help another fight cancer. From there the narrative drives through twists and turns that evoke the best of cosmic horror and an archeological story that peers through the darkness of human history like a spelunker's headlamp. There are no extraneous characters and each are propelled towards their entwined fates in a manner that is true to themselves. Which gives the novel a fable vibe without being preachy or moralistic. And each fate delivers either tragedy or deserved ends.
'The Accursed Huntsman' is a fast paced the novel screams towards a conclusion that leaves the reader satisfied yet wanting more. If you like adventure mixed with the supernatural, I cannot recommend this novel enough. I did start it, but an illness in the family interrupted my reading. But when I was able to pick it up--it was near impossible to put down!
If you are trying to decide between the Kindle and softcover--I recommend the softcover. The cover design by Magdalena Korzeniewska is amazing and worthy of front facing on your bookshelf.
About the Author
Douglass Hoover is the author of The Homestead and The Accursed Huntsman. He is a Marine Corps veteran and holds an MFA from Emerson College. His days are spent writing and blacksmithing on his small farm in rural Maine with his wife, Patience, and their three mutts, Bug, Furiosa, and Skootcha Nunchuck Monsterface.
Follow their adventures on Instagram @StripedDogForge or at www.stripeddogforge.com