The Gore by Joseph A. Citro

(pb; 1990, 2000: originally published under the title The Unseen)


From the back cover:

"Ex-newspaperman Roger Newton's adventure begins when Claude Lavigne, a power company employee, sees something in the forests of 'the gore' - a tiny swatch of unclaimed land created by a surveyor's mistake. His sense of reality, unhinged, Lavigne commits suicide. When Lavigne's son, best friend, and an old black man risk an expedition into the gore, Newton, attempting to sto them, upsets a fragile balance and looses an ancient, nameless fear among the people of Vermont."


Review:

Excellent suspense novel with horroresque tones, effective twists and unexpected humaneness. This isn't your typical 'horror in the hills' read.

Fans of Jack Ketchum's earlier work (e.g., Off Season) or Clive Barker's Cabal (the source of the 1990 film Nightbreed) may enjoy this relatively gentle - compared to the savagery of Off Season - if occasionally gory and violent read.

The Gore is worth owning, for its quiet, masterful take on a familiar genre staple.

#

(Big thanks to Rick Hautala, for recommending this author.)