Four ambitious climbers hike into the Kentucky wilderness. Seven months later, three mangled bodies are discovered. Were their deaths simple accidents or the result of something more sinister?
This nail-biting, bone-chilling survival horror novel is inspired by the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, and is perfect for fans of Alma Katsu and Showtime’s Yellowjackets.
This is going to be Dylan’s big break. Her friend Clay, a geology student, has discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant Sylvia, and Dylan’s boyfriend Luke, she is going to document her achievement on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock climbing.
Seven months later, three bodies are discovered in the trees just off the highway. All are in various states of decay: one body a stark, white skeleton; the second emptied of its organs; and the third a mutilated corpse with the tongue, eyes, ears, and fingers removed.
But Dylan is still missing. Followers of her Instagram account report seeing disturbing livestreams, and some even claim to have caught glimpses of her vanishing into the thick woods, but no trace of her—dead or alive—has been discovered.
Were the climbers murdered? Did they succumb to cannibalism? Or are their impossible bodies the work of an even more sinister force? Is Dylan still alive, and does she hold the answers?
This page-turning debut will have you racing towards the inevitable conclusion.
This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer. Narrated by Megan Tusing. Published by Blackstone Publishing, 2024. Runtime of 8 hours and 33 minutes.
*Trigger Warning: Dead animals, dead baby, cannibalism
New book, new author! 😀 Did not know much about this writer, but the book felt very much up my alley! First, the cover art is so eye catching!! I just love the colors and design. So beautiful! ❤ Second, I’m a sucker for the trope of a group of friends going camping / hiking in some f’d up forest / woods. So This Wretched Valley was calling my name from a mile away! 😀
I’ve seen a lot of reviewers who were a little less than happy with the plot and the ending of this book…. Too gory. Too many random flashbacks. The end lacks explanations.
Ok. Those are all valid comments. This book is indeed all of the above. I, however, did not have any problems with the gore! 😀 I didn’t mind the flashbacks either. It was great insight into how messed up this forest is / was. I thought it was interesting watching the history of the people and ghosts who went into the woods. The gore felt right at home with the story being told. I also had no problem with the ending! It is interesting, different, and brutal. This is a messed up forest which the plot sets up, with an ending that shows just how dark and savage this place really is. 😀
I do get the complaints about the lack of answers. This is true, too. We definitely do not get any answers about what is going on with the forest. You DO get answers about what happens to the missing mountain climbers, though! There are flashbacks in to the history, but all you really learn is that the area has always been messed up. Cursed land? Land that is just evil for no reason? *shrug* No really clues about that…. Normally I’m not a fan of ambiguous stories, but here, the ambiguity really works with the story being told.
This Wretched Valley is an interesting and unique ghost story. A fun haunted forest! I LOVE the cover art! I’m very interested in seeing what else this author does in the future. 🙂
Creature From The Book Lagoon 
Great review! I really want to read this book. It calls my name!